Product Development MS

Educational Objective

To develop a leadership perspective and knowledge base of the total life cycle product development system, integrating management and (systems) engineering elements. To establish the foundation for the systems approach needed to conceive, create, launch, and support products and platforms. The program considers new product development in a larger framework: how a company’s business strategy, vision, and core capabilities coupled with the voice of the customer combine to determine product strategy and create best-in-class product portfolios.

Key Capabilities of Graduates

Leadership expertise of the product development process and of high-performing product development teams and organizations.
Improved leadership through structured systems thinking, design, and management.
A strategic, enterprise-wide and global perspective.
An innovative mindset receptive to changing markets, new technologies, and new opportunities.
Decision making in uncertain and fast-paced environments.
A market-oriented product development focus – i.e. the ability to transform customer problems, needs, and market opportunities into successful product portfolios.
Economic analysis and the application of sound business principles to effective management in the product development domain.
Project management: business and technical planning, relationship management and outsourcing, program control, structured decision making and risk management.
Enhanced ability to recognize barriers to success early, when corrective actions are less costly.
In-depth understanding and application of state-of-the-art tools for design, analysis, and management in the product development domain.

Embedded Engineering Competencies

The product development leader must apply engineering competencies to the development of strategic product architectures that relate to the business value chain of the corporation, to the integration of enabling technologies, and to the creation of realizable design concepts. These capabilities are supported by the abilities to:

Assess the merits and risks associated with emerging technologies.
Create products with acceptable product liability, life cycle cost, and environmental impact.
Create products consistent with manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.
Coordinate the product architecture with organizational structure.
Select which competencies are core to the business and which can be outsourced.
Create and implement an organization’s decision processes.
Identify and implement enabling technologies and tools.

Product Development, MS degree

Course		Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
DECS-743	Operations and Supply Chain Management Study of the management of operations and supply chain management. Encompasses both manufacturing and services. Topics include operations and supply chain strategy, ethical behavior, forecasting; work systems, inventory management, capacity and materials planning, lean operation, supply chain design and closed-loop supply chains, global operations, quality management, quality control, and quality improvement, project management; and current issues. (Prerequisites: DECS-782 or MGIS-650 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
ISEE-751	Decision and Risk Benefit Analysis This course addresses decision making in the face of risk and uncertainty. Various methodologies will be introduced that are useful in describing and making decisions about risks, with particular emphasis on those associated with the design of products. Students will be exposed to issues related to balancing risks and benefits in situations involving human safety, product liability, environmental impact, and financial uncertainty. Presentations will be made of risk assessment studies, public decision processes, and methods for describing and making decisions about the societal risks associated with engineering projects. Topics include probabilistic risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, reliability and hazard analysis, decision analysis, portfolio analysis, and project risk management. (This course is restricted to students in MFLEAD-MS and PRODDEV-MS .) Lecture 3 (Spring).	3
ISEE-771	Engineering of Systems I The engineering of a system is focused on the identification of value and the value chain, requirements management and engineering, understanding the limitations of current systems, the development of the overall concept, and continually improving the robustness of the defined solution. EOS I & II is a 2-semester course sequence focused on the creation of systems that generate value for both the customer and the enterprise. Through systematic analysis and synthesis methods, novel solutions to problems are proposed and selected. This first course in the sequence focuses on the definition of the system requirements by systematic analysis of the existing problems, issues and solutions, to create an improved vision for a new system. Based on this new vision, new high-level solutions will be identified and selected for (hypothetical) further development. The focus is to learn systems engineering through a focus on an actual artifact (This course is restricted to students in the ISEE BS/MS, ISEE BS/ME, ISEE-MS, SUSTAIN-MS, PRODDEV-MS, MFLEAD-MS, ENGMGT-ME, or MIE-PHD programs or those with 5th year standing in ISEE-BS or ISEEDU-BS.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).	3
ISEE-772	Engineering of Systems II The engineering of a system is focused on the identification of value and the value chain, requirements management and engineering, understanding the limitations of current systems, the development of the overall concept, and continually improving the robustness of the defined solution. EOS I & II is a 2-semester course sequence focused on the creation of systems that create value for both the customer and the enterprise. Through systematic analysis and synthesis methods, novel solutions to problems are proposed and selected. This second course in the sequence revisits the first sequence and views the engineering of a system through a lean perspective, as such the emphasis is on the system development process itself. (Prerequisites: ISEE-771 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring).	3
ISEE-781	Excellence in New Product Development Success in today's competitive global economy depends substantially on a firm's ability to define, develop, and introduce outstanding new products more efficiently and effectively than its competitors. This course introduces students to best practices and attributes of world-class product development leaders and organizations. Critical success factors and inhibitors to the commercialization of complex products and systems are discussed, along with state-of-the-art methodologies, processes, and tools. Emphasis is placed on the role of the product development manager in leading product strategy, high performing product development teams, and transformational initiatives essential to competitiveness. (This course is restricted to students in MFLEAD-MS and PRODDEV-MS .) Lecture 3 (Fall).	3
Choose one of the following:		3
PROF-710	Project Management This course addresses project management from a multidisciplinary perspective, covering the fundamental nature of and techniques for managing a broad range of projects. Topics cover the Project Management Life Cycle from Planning to Termination. It also addresses the behavioral and quantitative facets of project management, as well as the use of methods, tools and techniques for the initiation, planning, and execution of projects. Introduces the standard framework, processes and knowledge areas of the Project Management Institute. Note: Bachelors degree or minimum of 5 years of work experience in a project related business environment. Recommended education or work experience in organizational behavior, mathematics and basic accounting. Note: BUSI-510 may not be substituted for BUSI-710 in a graduate concentration or the advanced certificate in project management. Additionally, a student may not register for and receive credit for both BUSI-510 and BUSI-710, whether taken as an undergraduate or graduate student. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
PROF-714	Agile Project Management Business agility allows organizations to quickly adapt to new markets. In a fast paced ever changing world of highly competitive products and services, organizations need to be able to deliver solutions to market quickly in an uncertain environment. Agile Project Management provides an iterative and incremental framework to explore and deliver high risk solutions efficiently in a rapid response timeframe. We will explore Agile Project Management practices across multiple industries including Agile project roles following the Project Management Institute® Agile Practice Guide. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking graduate students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
ISEE-750	Systems and Project Management This course ensures progress toward objectives, proper deployment and conservation of human and financial resources, and achievement of cost and schedule targets. The focus of the course is on the utilization of a diverse set of project management methods and tools. Topics include strategic project management, project and organization learning, chartering, adaptive project management methodologies, structuring of performance measures and metrics, technical teams and project management, risk management, and process control. Course delivery consists of lectures, speakers, case studies, and experience sharing, and reinforces collaborative project-based learning and continuous improvement. (Prerequisites: ISEE-350 or equivalent course or students in ISEE BS/MS, ISEE BS/ME, ISEE-MS, SUSTAIN-MS, ENGMGT-ME, PRODDEV-MS, MFLEAD-MS, or MIE-PHD programs.) Lecture 3 (Fall).
SecondYear
MKTG-761	Marketing Concepts and Commercialization An introduction to contemporary principles and practices of marketing. The course is structured around the process of marketing planning leading to the development of successful marketing strategies, including the commercialization of products and services in domestic and international environments. Focus is on environmental scanning techniques, setting and evaluating measurable objectives, innovating and controlling the interrelated components of product/service offering, planning and executing the marketing mix (channels of distribution, price, and promotion), and enhancing customer relationships through the delivery of customer value. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).	3
Choose one of the following:		3
ACCT-603	Accounting for Decision Makers A graduate-level introduction to the use of accounting information by decision makers. The focus of the course is on two subject areas: (1) financial reporting concepts/issues and the use of general-purpose financial statements by internal and external decision makers and (2) the development and use of special-purpose financial information intended to assist managers in planning and controlling an organization's activities. Generally accepted accounting principles and issues related to International Financial Reporting Standards are considered while studying the first subject area and ethical issues impacting accounting are considered throughout. (This class is restricted to degree-seeking graduate students or those with permission from instructor.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
ACCT-794	Cost Management in Technical Organizations A first course in accounting for students in technical disciplines. Topics include the distinction between external and internal accounting, cost behavior, product costing, profitability analysis, performance evaluation, capital budgeting, and transfer pricing. Emphasis is on issues encountered in technology intensive manufacturing organizations. *Note: This course is not intended for Saunders College of Business students. (Enrollment in this course requires permission from the department offering the course.) Lecture 3 (Spring).
Choose one of the following:		3
ISEE-798	Product Development Capstone For the MS in Product Development (MPD) program. Students in the program must demonstrate intellectual leadership in the field of new product development. The general intent of the Capstone is to demonstrate knowledge of the integrative aspects of new product development in the context of a company-oriented problem solving project. The project should address issues of significance to multiple functions or disciplines and should draw upon skills and knowledge acquired from various courses and experiences in the program Team-based projects are encouraged. Projects must be approved in advance of registration. (This class is restricted to PRODDEV-MS Major students.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
ISEE-792	Engineering Capstone Students must investigate a discipline-related topic in a field related to industrial and systems engineering, engineering management, sustainable engineering, product development, or manufacturing leadership. The general intent of the engineering capstone is to demonstrate the students' knowledge of the integrative aspects of a particular area. The capstone should draw upon skills and knowledge acquired in the program. (This course is restricted to students in ISEE-MS, ENGMGT-ME, SUSTAIN-MS, PRODDEV-MS, MFLEAD-MS or the ISEE BS/MS programs.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
	Engineering or Business Elective	3
Total Semester Credit Hours		30

Elective Courses

An elective course offers students the opportunity to better meet personal and organizational needs. Students may select from a long list of courses. Recommended electives include such offerings as Managing Research and Innovation, Lean Six Sigma Fundamentals, Advanced or International Project Management, Breakthrough Thinking and Creativity, Customer Centricity, and others.

Capstone Project

Students complete a project during the final academic year of the program, based on a real problem often identified in the companies where they work. The corporate-oriented capstone project encompasses the broad integrative aspects of new product development – it synthesizes, increases, and demonstrates the student’s understanding of previous program material and underscores the behaviors essential to product development leadership. The capstone project generates immediate benefits to sponsoring organizations. View our list of capstone projects for examples of projects past students have completed as part of the program.

Related Programs

Visit the Engineering Leadership department for information on related offerings, including the master of science in manufacturing leadership, graduate certificate programs, and non-credit workshops and training programs.

Programs are available online, on-campus, or onsite at your location. Contact us for information about partnerships and customized programs for your organization.

Product Development MS - Curriculum