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.
The basics at-a-glance
Degree earned: Master of Science in Product Design and Development Management
Round 1 - March 15: Recommended deadline for full-time applicants
Round 2 - June 15: Recommended deadline for international applicants who will require a visa or visa status update to enroll
Round 3 - August 1: Final deadline, recommended for part-time applicants
MPD2 follows Northwestern's 10-week quarter system. New student begin classes in September of the fall quarter, with breaks in December, March, and the summer months, meeting on Fridays and Saturdays. Friday classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m. Saturday classes begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. Each day consists of two classes, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.
Northwestern University’s Evanston campus
Easy access to Chicago’s leading tech and business community
I bring everything from my time in the program to my day job. From frameworks for innovation management to building good business cases, all of it sits with me to this day.
The mpd² courses and cohort teamwork taught me how to manage and work with multiple types of people and levels within an organization.
I can see clearly how the program, combined with my prior experience, made me ready to both see and seize that opportunity in a way I wouldn't have before
The mpd² program granted me a shift in mindset. I learned new ways to understand the world and the complicated, interconnected nature of how humans interact with each other and their environments.
I was a bit of the stereotypical millennial job-hopper, jumping from startup to startup, stuck in this elevator that would only go up or down. I needed a Wonkavator, something that could allow me to go sideways, slantways, longways, backways, squareways, roundways and any other ways you can think of. I felt mpd² offered that.
A professor would say something in a class, and suddenly I’d understand something I’d been pondering at work. Or someone at work would bring up a topic, and I could share a piece of relevant learning from a recent class. I found it really rewarding.
Unique Program Features
Our faculty, alumni, and current students come from some of the most innovative companies in the world. Learn more about the mpd² community and how we master big picture business and leadership skills through our hands-on, team-based learning approach.
Housed within the
We educate the creative explorers of the future, focusing on the interconnectedness of technology, humans, and the natural world. Our students turn ideas into reality, centering people in complex challenges that have societal impact.
Learn more about the Segal Design Institute
