Description
The College of Engineering and Science, in partnership with the College of Business Administration, offers the Master of Science in Product Development. This program was developed in cooperation with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and five major U.S. corporations. The program is focused specifically on the automobile industry and targets experienced engineers that will lead product development/manufacturing activities into the 21st century. The program features intense classroom interactions with an array of seminars and case studies conducted in conjunction with partner companies. The curriculum is challenging and rigorous. The program is beneficial for both product and manufacturing personnel – product development, manufacturing, research, quality, and supply management among others.
Target Outcomes for the Product Development Program
The Product Development Program is a comprehensive and highly integrated set of learning experiences which develop the engineering professional into a future leader of product development/manufacturing in support of Detroit's global competitiveness in the world automotive marketplace. It achieves this mission to advance the theory and practice of product development and manufacturing by combining the best ideas and experiences of academia and industry.
The program develops the engineer's ability to use new and innovative approaches to design and deliver products and services. Teamwork and cross-disciplinary work skills are cultivated in this program. The cross-disciplinary nature of the program involves not only various technical disciplines, but it also teaches students the latest business and economic theories and techniques as they apply to the product development process.
The designed target outcomes of the MPD Program are:
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"Lean" and structured systems thinking/engineering with customer focus and total enterprise perspective.
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In-depth understanding and application of current and advanced tools and techniques for design, analysis and management in product development and manufacturing - a rich blend of technical and business courses.
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Fostering innovation and creativity
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Creating a culture for teamwork
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Learning from both the academic and industrial leaders
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Transforming customer/market requirements into competitive product portfolios and product functions and features
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Obtain Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification along with the MPD degree - a program in partnership with the International Quality Federation
Competitiveness in the global market depends on capabilities to bring to market innovative products in the most cost-effective and timely manner and ahead of the competition. The MPD Program was designed to develop such expertise in US engineers. It is a very special program. Systemic impact on product development/manufacturing teams can be achieved by aggressive infusion of advanced product development/manufacturing methods and strategies that are taught to the MPD students. The two-year cohort-based-program begins only once every year – during January – and the classes meet two evenings per week.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants will be considered if they have excellent academic records, a bachelor degree or higher in Engineering or computer science and five or more years of work experience in industry, government or academia. Alternate qualifications include an MS in engineering with three or more years of work experience in industry, government or academia.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Product Development requires 45 credit hours consisting of 39 credit hours of course work and a six credit hour capstone project/thesis. The program is a two calendar-year (six term) experience beginning with an intensive full-time two week launch experience, followed by two courses per term for six terms.
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