Master of Science in Product Development
Master of Science in Product Development
Overview
The Master of Science (MS) in Product Development, offered through the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education, is designed to meet the growing demand for skilled product engineers and managers. Product development is the key to the success of businesses and the technology sector continues to fuel the world economy. Leaders in many companies are the product managers and engineers as they guide product innovation and lead in crafting products for users.
The Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education is uniquely positioned to offer students a combination of product process and technical skills. The mission of the center is to enable interdisciplinary student entrepreneurship in the broadest sense by providing education about tools, concepts, and resources to foster creativity and the ability to develop commercially viable ideas.
Innovative Curriculum
With a core curriculum of entrepreneurial engineering and product development, you will be prepared with knowledge of the total life cycle product development system, as well as integrating management and (systems) engineering elements to establish the foundation for the systems approach needed to conceive, create, launch, and support products and platforms.
The core courses cover topics such as customer acquisition, technical market analysis, product life cycle, intellectual property, prototyping, iterative development, product design, user testing, and manufacturing.
Considering new product development in a larger framework, you will learn how a venture’s strategy, vision, and core capabilities, coupled with the voice of the customer, combine to determine product strategy, and create best-in-class product portfolios.
Interdisciplinary program. The MS in Product Development is integrated with engineering departments across the College of Engineering. Students benefit from highly accomplished faculty in their fields combined with a comprehensive entrepreneurial infrastructure.
Flexibility to match career goals. With a core curriculum of entrepreneurial engineering and product development, combined with elective flexibility, you can gear the program to match your interests and chosen industry. You can also choose master’s thesis, project, or coursework options.
With resources and expertise of the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education—as well as opportunities with Northeastern university-wide entrepreneurial ecosystem—you will be enabled with interdisciplinary entrepreneurship opportunities and resources in the broadest sense, including tools, concepts, and resources to foster creativity and the ability to develop commercially viable ideas. You will be able to develop your own venture and follow it through the development process as part of the core curriculum.
Over 15 graduate certificates are available to provide students the opportunity to develop a specialization in an area of their choice. Certificates can be taken in addition to or in combination with a master’s degree, or provide a pathway to a master’s degree in Northeastern’s College of Engineering. Master’s programs can also be combined with a Gordon Engineering Leadership certificate. Students should consult with their faculty advisor regarding these options.
Experiential Learning
Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real world engineering challenges. The Cooperative Education Program, also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a co-op program for Graduate Students. You will have the opportunity to participate in the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education co-op program, working on a venture for your co-op experience as part of the academic curriculum or to work in industry in a product development role.
Program Goals
Career Outlook
The U.S. technology industry market is estimated at $1.6 trillion in 2021, according to Zippia, with a 6% growth rate. Additionally, job growth for product managers is expected to be similar to managing occupations with a growth rate of 8% between 2019-2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Product managers are the fourth highest in-demand job in Silicon Valley and Boston is a high-tech hub of innovation.
Academic Advising
The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.
Admissions & Aid
Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.
Recent Student News
Sherman Center Venture Co-op: Frieda Huang
Frieda Huang, MS’24, product development, describes a venture co-op experience at the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education as the founder of Moonshot, a web application that provides real-time feedback and suggestions for foreign-born professionals to know exactly how to respond in an online conversation.