The MS 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.

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 MS 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:

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 MS 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):

Students entering this program must declare their choice of an AOS at admission, and follow the requirements of each AOS to graduate.

Visit our Ready to Apply page for more information

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants to the master's of science programs in Product Development Engineering are required to have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree. Degrees in any engineering or engineering-related disciplines are frequently represented among our program applicants, including but not limited to the following:

Applicants without a Bachelor’s degree in the preferred majors listed above will only be considered with coursework and demonstrated proficiency in the acceptable courses listed below (or equivalent). 

Applications are reviewed holistically; simply taking these courses does not guarantee admission.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following materials are required to be included with your online application:

NOTE: The GRE is not required for 2024 applications. A decision on the GRE requirement for 2025 has not yet been made.

The following link will take you to an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students, including payment information. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition

Estimated Cost of Attendance - 28 Unit Program

Download the Cost of Attendance to see a summary of tuition and fees by semester. The document is a typical example and the number of courses, and time to complete the program, will vary by student.

What were the main reasons you chose to pursue this graduate program at USC? Four reasons, all starting with P: Program, Proximity, Professors, and Prestige. Program -I was questioning whether I wanted to study mechanical engineering or systems engineering or something else for my master's degree. When I discovered the Product Development Engineering program at USC, it immediately became my top choice. Other universities in Southern California did not have this program, so USC Viterbi became my only interest. Proximity -I work full-time in El Segundo and I wanted to study for my masters degree part-time at a local university where I could still go on campus to meet people, professors, and TAs, as needed. Professors -every USC Viterbi professor whose class I have taken has brought interesting insight and experience from industry. They are not pure academics in an ivory tower. They have applied the engineering or management techniques in their field and can incorporate those lessons into their lectures. Prestige -I wanted to study for my masters degree at a renowned institution withcapable classmates from around the country and the world.

Tell us about an exciting and unforgettable experience from your two years at USC. Working through group projects with international students has been an unforgettable experience that I was not exposed to during my undergraduate program. I worked with students from Mexico, Germany, China, and Kuwait. Collaborating with them, hearing their insights, and working across time zones was a valuable and unforgettable experience.

   PATRICIA GARCIA

2022 First Destinations Survey - Outcomes*

Alumni Employment - 2022* (Companies & Job Titles)

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Internships (Summer 2023)**

AesculaTech, Inc.; Social Finance, Inc.; TCW Global

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* Information is based on a voluntary survey and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive view of the 2022 graduating class.

** Internship data is from CPT internships done by our international student population.

This program is also available online to professional engineers through DEN@Viterbi. Because the DEN@Viterbi program provides a fully equivalent academic experience, the degree a USC engineering student earns is the same whether they are on-campus or online.

If you are interested in beginning classes as a DEN@Viterbi student next semester, explore the requirements and steps to enrolling as a Limited Status Student.

Learn More About DEN@Viterbi

Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes

DEN@VITERBI ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS

The following courses and program requirements serve as program planning for DEN@Viterbi students. Course offerings and availability are subject to change. Please consult with advisor if you have any questions.