Master of Science in Product Development Engineering
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
The Master of Science in Product Development Engineering is an interdisciplinary degree program jointly offered by the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Daniel J. Epstein Industrial and Systems Engineering Departments.
The Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department will manage this joint degree program. Developing new products is the essence of human intelligence in general, and engineering professions in particular. The growth of our economy has been largely determined by the engineer’s performance and effectiveness in new product developments. The ever-increasing demands for product functions, coupled with low cost, high quality, and short lead-time requirements, have made product development a very complex and inter-disciplinary activity. The recent high-tech revolutions and stringent environmental concerns have further contributed to the complexity of modern product development. There exists a great human resource need in the areas of new product developments.
There are three interrelated disciplines in product development: art, management, and engineering. The M.S. in Product Development Engineering program focuses on the engineering discipline, ranging from technology to systems. From the engineering viewpoint, product development can be seen as a process from invention, design, planning, production, to service phases. Three types of knowledge are needed for an engineer to go through these phases:
- knowledge to generate new product ideas
- knowledge to evaluate these ideas
- knowledge to structure and manage the development process
This innovative degree program provides students with an integrated education experience, including modern theories and practical experiences, to acquire this knowledge systematically so that they can accomplish these phases efficiently.
The USC M.S. in Product Development Engineering program is mainly a coursework-based program; students can choose to complete the program with or without a thesis requirement. This program has two areas of specialization (AOS):
- Product Development Systems (PDS): prepares the student to become a product development manager
- Product Development Technology (PDT): prepares the student for a professional career as a new product development engineer
Career Options
A variety of career opportunities exist, but primarily in the areas of: Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Manufacturing, Warehouse Distribution Facilities, Dynamics & Control, Transportation Systems, Consulting Firms, Biomedical Design, Robotics, Nuclear Power and Refrigeration Systems.
Courses of Interest – Across all Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering graduate degree programs*
AME 503 | Advanced Mechanical Design
ISE 545 | Technology Development and Implementation
Example: Product Development Systems Courses
ISE 515 | Engineering Project Management
ISE 544 | Management of Engineering Teams
Example: Product Development Systems Technical Courses
ISE 460 | Engineering Economy
ISE 517 | Modern Enterprise Systems
ISE 525 | Design of Experiments
ISE 527 | Quality Management for Engineers
ISE 561 | Economic Analysis of Engineering Projects
ISE 576 | Industrial Ecology: Technology-Environment Interaction
ISE 585 | Strategic Management of Technology
SAE 541 | Systems Engineering Theory and Practice
Example: Product Development Technology Courses
AME 505 | Engineering Information Modeling
AME 525 | Engineering Analysis
AME 526 | Engineering Analytical Methods
Example: Product Development Technology Technical Courses
AME 527 | Elements of Vehicle and Energy Systems Design
ISE 576 | Industrial Ecology: Technology-Environment Interaction
SAE 549 | Systems Architecting
*Click here for a complete list of program requirements.
DEN@Viterbi Student Services
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Faculty Spotlight
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| Geza Bottlik, PhD |