Design What's Next
The Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services (MIIPS) degree trains the next generation of innovators, design thinkers, disruptors, and world changers. In the MIIPS program, you'll learn to tackle industry and society’s greatest challenges in a world that increasingly merges technology with humanity.
Innovation is driven by people, not products. Work alongside the best and the brightest engineers, business professionals and designers seeking to break out of their silo or discipline. Collaborate across barriers to build empathy for the needs of both individuals and industry.
Gain New Skills, Discover a Hybrid Career Path
Alumni Success
Leverage the MIIPS program to pursue a dynamic career at the cross-section of engineering, business and design. Our graduates emerge as innovative leaders of the most exciting, large-scale, cross-disciplinary initiatives in diverse industries and leading companies.
For more stories, visit our MIIPS Alumni page.
Megan Neese (MIIPS '05)
Senior Manager at Nissan Motor's Future Lab
Board Chair of Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
Anshuman Kumar (MIIPS '16)
Mechanical Design Engineer - Power Electronics at Tesla Motors
Academic Details
Carnegie Mellon's pioneering vision for interdisciplinary innovation education remains at the heart of our program. See what makes MIIPS unique, to a typical academic experience; to other master's and MBA programs; to other universities.
Program Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Degree Options
MIIPS
The MIIPS degree is a 9-month program ideal for candidates looking to build integrated skills in an accelerated format. Professionals currently working in Pittsburgh may consider completing the MIIPS program on a part-time schedule.
MIIPS Advanced Study
The MIIPS Advanced Study builds on the MIIPS curriculum by featuring an internship, master's essay, and additional elective coursework. This 16-month degree is recommended for candidates seeking more experience or to pivot careers.
Degree Structure
Build a Foundation
Fall
Build fundamental skills to innovate product & services while working on dynamic teams of engineers, business professionals & designers.
Impact Industry
Spring
Tackle a real-world problem presented by industry sponsors while working on your capstone project. Build on your product development skills through elective coursework.
Apply Yourself
Summer internship
Apply your academic experience to a real-world experience with an internship focused on product development innovation.
MIIPS Advanced Study Only
Master a Specialty
Fall
Deepen your expertise in emerging product development areas by completing a master’s essay and additional specialty coursework.
MIIPS Advanced Study Only
Featured Courses
Designing for the Internet of Things (49-713)
Explore the possibilities for future products and spaces to meet the rising demand of an increasingly connected world.
User Research Methods (49-712)
Learn the basic methods of user research, including one-on-one interviewing and ethnographic techniques. Build skills in research planning, field research, and the analysis of research findings.
Product & Brand Management (49-720)
Learn how to think like a product manager, making strategic and tactical decisions while juggling with market and internal situations. Explore related roles, from product assistant to group product manager/marketing VP.
The IPD Capstone: A History of Designing the Future
Join a select, powerful network of alumni innovators who have taken our pioneering capstone: Integrated Product Development (IPD) course. Founded in 1986, the course originated from the writings of Nobel Laureate and Carnegie Mellon University professor Herb Simon and became the cornerstone of the MIIPS program in 2003. Both the course and MIIPS degree program have served as a model for other universities.
Learn a tried-and-true methodology to innovating products and services that trascends the limitations of any one technology or industry. Explore just some of the breakthrough products and services created during the capstone's 30-year history and see the industry leaders who have sponored IPD projects:
Featured IPD Projects
How can on-the-go parents provide healthier snacks for their kids? (2015)
Sponsored by NUK
Patented in 2016
How can you make trade shows more engaging for visitors?
Sponsored by Weatherford
How do we design the kitchen of the future?
Sponsored by Jarden
Recent IPD Project Sponsors
MIIPS Admissions
Admissions for fall 2018 are now open.
To be considered, you must submit your applications and all supplemental materials by January 15th.
Questions?
Please contact admissions-iii@cmu.edu.
Am I a good fit?
Highly qualified candidates demonstrate a passion in product & service development, innovation and/or entrepreneurship and have the following background:
Academic Experience
- Engineering (all types)
- Design (including fine arts, architecture, UX/UI & HCI)
- Business (including economics)
The ideal candidate will hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent from an accredited institution (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., Higher Learning Commission or U.S. Dept. of Education).
Work Experience
Applicants with less than five years of experience or applicants who are seeking to pivot careers should consider applying to our MIIPS Advanced Study degree.
Applicants with more work experience are encouraged to apply to the MIIPS degree, a 9-month degree and more accelerated format.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition rates for the 2017-2018 academic year are as follows:
MIIPS: $46,000
MIIPS Advanced Study: $70,917*
*Estimated tuition for the Fall 2018. Official rate for the 2018-2019 academic year will be released in Spring 2018.
Financial Aid & Other Costs of Attendance
For information on financial aid, housing, and insurance, visit our Prepare for Graduate School page.
What's New in MIIPS
Rebecca Radparvar, MIIPS Advanced '17
Rebecca spent her summer interning at Autodesk in Silicon Valley, specializing in user research for a new feature of their product, AutoCAD.
Daragh Byrne, Assistant Teaching Professor
Daragh leads our IoT research and coursework and in 2017 earned Carnegie Mellon's Teaching Innovation Award for his instructional support platform.
Jamie Curran, MIIPS Advanced '17
This summer, Jamie was a product manager intern at UPMC Enterprise, innovating products & services to improve nutrition.