Program Overview
The Master of Science in Product Innovation prepares students to turn great ideas
into great products that shape the future. Learn the language of design, engineering,
and business through experiential courses that push you to innovate around the product’s
desirability, feasibility, and viability.
Top skills include problem identification, creative thinking, AI, product feature
prioritization, social influence, rapid prototyping, data fluency, and business model
design and validation.
Two Pathway Options
The Master of Science in Product Innovation degree is offered in a part-time (5 semesters,
6 hours per semester) format or a full-time (1 year, 12 hours per semester) format.
Courses are taught through a blended-delivery format with both face-to-face and online
components.
Part-time Students: Part-time students meet in-person for class one Saturday per month with remote work
on the weeks in between. We work hard to create a manageable schedule for busy working
professionals returning to school.
Full-time Students: Full-time students follow a similar format as part-time students but often have elective
and capstone courses which meet on weeknights instead of the traditional one Saturday
session per month. This compressed course schedule is designed for individuals who
are not employed full-time and have greater flexibility in their day and time to devote
to a heavier course load.
Capstone Options
New Venture Development Option – Students may choose a two-semester immersive startup
development experience. This pathway consists of taking New Venture Development I
in the fall and New Venture Development II in the spring. Students will have the opportunity
to more fully develop their venture and compete in a variety of student business plan
and business model competitions, nationally and internationally.
Enterprise Innovation Option – Students may choose a two-part immersive startup and
enterprise innovation experience. This pathway consists of taking Venture Creation
Lab in the fall and Enterprise Innovation Lab in the spring. Through this contrasting
experience, students gain the best of both worlds: 1.) the end-to-end skills needed
to develop a new venture and deep understanding of the business model to support it
in a small, agile environment and 2.) the collaboration and prioritization skills
needed to launch new products, services, or systems at scale in a large corporate
setting. In Enterprise Innovation Lab, student teams work on a current challenge defined
by the industry project sponsor to build, pitch, and present a working product.
The small cohort size of each group enables students to have a high level of engagement
with faculty, project sponsors, and industry advisors in both pathways.