Product Development

Overview

The Product Development program of Rochester Institute of Technology integrates business and engineering management courses, delivering them in online or on-campus where students continue to work while taking classes.

New products and services are the lifeblood of today's high technology firms, and companies need more technically grounded leaders to drive the engine for business growth. 

The MS in product development integrates business and engineering courses consistent with cross-functional, end-to-end product development and the systems perspective critical to conceive, create, launch, and support today’s complex product portfolios. Participants acquire the foundation skills and strategic perspective necessary to become future leaders and senior managers responsible for driving business growth through new products and services. In short, the product development program prepares today’s technical experts for successful careers as project leaders and technically grounded senior managers of their enterprises.

To stay on the cutting edge, the program was designed by academic and industry leaders to integrate formal education with state-of-the-art research and best practices from industry. It includes a year-long capstone project that generates significant return-on-investment to sponsoring organizations. Electives and the capstone project provide flexibility to tailor the program's content to specific learning objectives of students and sponsoring organizations. The program is offered fully online or as a blend of online and on-campus courses. Students may start any term (fall, spring, summer) and complete courses at their own pace.

Key capabilities of graduates

• Leadership expertise of the product development process and of high-performing product development teams and organizations. 

• Improved leadership through structured systems thinking, design, and management.

• A strategic, enterprise-wide and global perspective.

• An innovative mindset receptive to changing markets, new technologies, and new opportunities.

• Decision making in uncertain and fast-paced environments.

• A market-oriented product development focus – i.e. the ability to transform customer problems, needs, and market opportunities into successful product portfolios.

• Economic analysis and the application of sound business principles to effective management in the product development domain.

• Project management: business and technical planning, relationship management and outsourcing, program control, structured decision making and risk management.

• Enhanced ability to recognize barriers to success early, when corrective actions are less costly.

• In-depth understanding and application of state-of-the-art tools for design, analysis, and management in the product development domain.