Northwestern University Master of Product Design and Development Management
Master of Product Design and Development Management
Evanston, USA
Master degree
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The Master of Product Design & Development Management (mpd²) trains professionals in product design, development management, and human-centered design. You'll study creativity, innovation, lean design, design strategy, end-user research, marketing, project and product management, and business and financial issues. Faculty come from engineering, management, law, and arts and sciences, and students bring 3–30 years' industry experience across sectors, creating a diverse peer network.
Career Outcomes: Graduates pursue roles such as product manager, design manager, innovation lead, R&D manager, director of product development, and move into senior management in tech, consumer goods, medical devices, manufacturing, consulting, and startups using skills in product innovation, user research, and design.
The Master of Product Design & Development Management (mpd²) program is designed for professionals who want to master the concepts and tools of product design and development. You will learn about creativity, innovation, lean design, design strategy, product innovation, end-user research, marketing, and project and product management, as well as business and financial issues. The highly-focused curriculum, taught by senior faculty from academic and business, is designed to assure our graduates a pathway to senior management. You'll quickly understand why Business Week has endorsed this program as one of the top programs of its kind in the world.
Innovative Curriculum
Our coursework focuses on the following categories:
- Framework for Product Design & Development Leaders
- Management Essentials
- Managing & Refining the Process
- Refining the Process
- Product Development Essentials
Premiere Faculty
The mpd² program features faculty from the following Northwestern schools:
- McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Kellogg School of Management
- The Pritzker School of Law
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Experts within the field
Student Body
The mpd² program has a unique and diverse student body. Our students typically enter the program with three to 30 years of experience in positions that range from engineer to designer to manager to CEO, in industries from food to medical devices to military equipment to consulting, and have come from companies including Microsoft, Baxter International, General Electric, Harley-Davidson, SC Johnson, Northrop Grumman, Brightstar, and Mars Wrigley, as well as a variety of smaller and/or private companies.
