MPD Program & Degree

The UDM "Product Development Program" leads to a Master of Science degree in engineering and management for professional engineers who seek to lead their companies and their profession in the development of automobiles, and product, process and manufacturing systems to support the automobile industry. 

The UDM Product Development Program will educate a new class of technologically grounded leaders: individuals with a special blend of engineering and management skills required to conceive and create today's increasingly complex automotive products and manufacturing systems.

The program features both technical content and intense classroom interactions with an array of seminars and case studies conducted in conjunction with partner and companies. The curriculum covers the total enterprise system - end-to-end product development model.

The curriculum is challenging and rigorous; it is intended for students who will lead in engineering/manufacturing not for those who will leave engineering/manufacturing.

This program is derived from the Systems Design and Management Program/Product Development Track at MIT, and will remain consistent with that program and comparable programs at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) through the collaboration efforts of PD21 - the Educational Coalition for Product Development Leadership in the 21st Century.  PD21 consists of four educational institutions (MIT, RIT, NPS and UDM), plus five corporate and government leaders (Ford, IBM, ITT, Polaroid, Xerox and the US Navy).

In partnership with the International Quality Federation (IQF), the MPD program includes the necessary courses and project work for Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt Certification. The certification itself is earned through IQF. Click here for more information on the Six Sigma program.