Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing & Design Engineering (MaDE)
Northwestern University's BS in Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) program develops students' ability to transform innovative concepts into feasible products. Combining human-centered design, mechanical and industrial engineering, and materials science, the MaDE program challenges students to identify unmet user needs and find competitive advantages throughout the entire product development process. This multidisciplinary approach prepares graduates to guide products from concept to completion, creating solutions that are both technically sound and user-focused.
Why Pursue a MaDE Degree?
Hands-On Design Projects
MaDE gives you hands-on project experience through each stage of product design and development, from the identification of unmet needs to the creation of concepts to engineering solutions and manufacturing at scale.
A signature feature of the MaDE program, the capstone design experience is a year-long white space challenge during which students invent and develop their own product.
Our faculty are experienced product designers and developers, manufacturing engineers, and industry innovators, many of whom bring decades of real-world expertise into the classroom. With their mentorship, you’ll learn how to:
Conduct qualitative research to discover unmet needs
Apply statistical methods for testing mock-ups and prototypes
Design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA)
Understand material selection and its impact on sustainability
MaDE is ideal for McCormick School of Engineering undergraduate students who want to:
Combine technical expertise with creative problem-solving and hands-on prototyping
Work on complex problems using multiple tools and disciplinary lenses
Lead product development teams or have entrepreneurial aspirations
Become comfortable working on teams and build project management and communication skills
Make a tangible impact on people’s lives and the planet through innovative products
Career Paths
MaDE students have gone on to:
Design home goods products at consumer brands such as Newell Brands, OXO, and P&G
Lead innovation teams at aerospace and automotive industries
Launch successful physical and digital product startups
Drive sustainability initiatives at large and small companies
Transform manufacturing processes at major organizations such as AbbVie, Accenture, Amazon, Baxter, Deloitte, EY, Ford Motor Company, McKinsey, McMaster-Carr, Meta, Milwaukee Tool, Rubbermaid, Tesla, P&G, Boeing, Pfizer, Shark, and Dyson.
MaDE Student Stories
Gastropops
A tasty artificial snail that helps inform conservation and restoration efforts.
Undergraduate admissions for the Segal Design Institute and the McCormick School of Engineering are handled by Northwestern University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For information on how to apply, please visit the Undergraduate Admissions website.
Declaring the MaDE Major
If you are a current undergraduate student at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University and wish to declare Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) as your major, contact Professor David Gatchell, director of the MaDE program at d-gatchell@northwestern.edu.