Certificate in Product Development and Design

The Certificate in Product Development and Design is for students and professionals who seek to solve complex problems from a holistic, design-oriented perspective. Whether you are an entrepreneur, administrator, civil servant, marketer, project manager, engineer, healthcare worker, educator, or advocate – this program will help you to discover solutions through the use of creativity, collaboration, and iterative design. Learn the fundamentals of design thinking and build solutions that have an impact.

Program Highlights

Product development and design provide students with a toolkit to identify, examine, and address complex problems. Rooted in a flexible and collaborative practice known as iterative design, students from all disciplines and professional backgrounds learn how to build solutions that surpass client and stakeholder expectations. The iterative design process is universal, and students will graduate from this certificate program with the ability to view products, services, and society from a multifaceted perspective.

Accommodating busy schedules, the certificate program offers 100% online courses. Two courses must be completed in order to earn the certificate. Study on a part-time schedule and apply newfound skills simultaneously within the classroom and professional settings. In as little as one semester, students will learn how to:

• Articulate design principles within the context of product and service development.
• Apply a design mindset to better understand client needs and expectations.
• Manage interdisciplinary teams that include stakeholders like customer experience, marketing, finance, innovation, manufacturing, and organizational leadership.
• Differentiate services and products to better compete within the marketplace.
• Examine unsuccessful outcomes and recover from challenging situations.
• Foster a culture that supports innovation, collaboration, and reflection.
• Gather market insights from the perspectives of a consumer and service provider.

About Tufts School of Engineering

Tufts' engineering programs challenge the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines, research, and the roles of engineers in our increasingly interconnected global community. Every day, Tufts researchers are developing new tools to improve medical diagnosis and treatment; novel materials for a greener future; smarter, more powerful computers; and innovative ways to educate the engineers of tomorrow. Master's and doctoral programs in six academic departments, as well as the M.S. in Engineering Management, offered through Tufts Gordon Institute, give engineering students the right mix of specialization and interdisciplinary exploration.

Academics

Tufts graduate programs offer an exceptional academic experience, distinguished by close faculty interactions that will propel you from graduate study to your career. With an array of programs in arts and sciences and in engineering, Tufts combines the resources of a research-intensive institution with a supportive, collegial atmosphere. Degree programs include:

• Doctoral programs

• Master's programs

• Certificate programs

Graduate students and postdoctoral trainees contribute to creating and distributing knowledge as individuals, and as vital members of research teams. Here, you will have the opportunity to teach and mentor some of the brightest undergraduates in the country, serving as key teaching and learning partners with faculty.