Integrated Innovation Institute › Graduate Programs › Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services › MIIPS Program Details: 16-Month Degree Format (MIIAS)

MIIPS Program Details:
16-Month Degree Format (MIIAS)

Building on the core MIIPS curriculum, the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services - Advanced Study (MIIAS) degree takes your Integrated Innovation training a step further. You'll gain practical, industry experience in a summer internship and delve further into cutting-edge technology and applied research.

Program Features

16 Months (August - December) with a summer internship & additional fall semester.
Ideal for candidates seeking more professional experience or to pivot careers completely.
Students will take core courses across engineering, business, and design, plus specialized courses in AI, product and brand management, product development and leadership.

Curriculum Requirements & Plan

Students must maintain full-time student status (36 units) during three semesters: fall #1, spring #1, and fall #2 terms. Students must complete at least 42 units of electives relevant to the product development process and be approved by an advisor. This includes 12 units of electives completed within the Integrated Innovation Institute (49-xxx).

To work with industry sponsors during the degree-required Integrated Product Development capstone course, signing contractual terms regarding intellectual property and non-disclosure agreements may be required to complete the course project.
All coursework must be completed with graduate-level courses.
Students must have a minimum QPA of 3.0 to graduate.

16-Month Curriculum Plan

Fall Semester 1

Integrated Product Development: Processes, Methods, Tools
Full Semester Course (12 units)

How Things Can Be Made
Full Semester Course (6 units)

Mastering Collaborative Strategies and Business Environments
Full Semester Course (6 units)

iii Seminar Series
Full Semester Course

Figure it Out: Your Professional Identity and Story
Half Semester Course (6 units)

User Research: Theory, Methods, Practice
Half Semester Course (6 units)

Visual Communication for Innovators
Half Semester Course (6 units)

People First: A Critical Look at Collaboration
Micro Course (3 units)

It Depends: An Inquiry into Innovative Thinking
Micro Course (3 units)

Elective Courses
Students have the ability to select two 6-unit electives or one 12-unit elective*

Spring Semester 1

Integrated Product Development Capstone
Full Semester Course (12 units)

AI and IoT for the Real World
Full Semester Course (12 units)

iii Seminar Series
Full Semester Course

Managing Products and Brands
Half Semester Course (6 units)

Creative Leadership
Half Semester Course (6 units)

Elective Courses
Students have the ability to select two 6-unit electives or one 12-unit elective*

Summer Semester 1

Internship
Full Semester Course (3 units)

Fall Semester 2

Mindset Intensive
Full Semester Course (12 units)

Elective Courses
Students have the ability to choose between 24 - 36 units of electives*

*Students may select graduate level electives from across the university. Examples of departments students select electives from include Tepper School of Business, College of Fine Arts, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and the Human Computer Interaction Institute. Students are encouraged to review the schedule of classes each semester when considering elective options.

Featured Course

Mindset Intensive in Practice

Take your thinking to the next level as you explore a topic that interests you and will lead you to an innovative new way of thinking about a problem, service, technology, experience, system etc.

There are three sections to choose from:

Experience Driven Innovation
Systems Thinking Driven Innovation
Technology Driven Innovation

These sections all challenge you to use critical thinking and your best analysis skills as you apply and synthesize learnings from the program and beyond to research, innovate on, and communicate new work in compelling ways.

Past topics have included:

Harmonizing Interdisciplinary Teamwork: The Making of AI Symphony, A Board Game for Early-Stage AI Development.
Where do humans fit in future manufacturing systems? Speculating the future of manufacturing and evolving human roles.
A sustainable solution to India’s rural water problem.
How might we develop a culture of innovation at a legacy organization?

Application Deadline

Ready to Apply?

16-month (MIIAS)

Start Term: Fall 2026

Applications Open:: Now
Application Deadline:: January 20, 2026

Start Your Application

Practical Experience: Summer Internships

All MIIPS Advanced students complete a summer internship to put skills learned to use in a practical, hands-on setting. Students often land internships at leading organizations like Adobe, Google, Honda, Apple, Walmart and more.

Raymond Jude Jacob
MIIPS ‘25

User Experience Designer Intern,
Amazon

I was surprised by the extensive responsibility I was given as an intern, working on real design projects for the Amazon Dash Cart that directly influenced the customer experience. My proudest accomplishment was leading a project to make the smart, checkout-free Dash Cart more accessible for shoppers with low vision. It was rewarding to create a more inclusive shopping journey through intuitive personalization, which involved close collaboration across multiple teams like engineering and design. I learned the importance of designing for both short-term needs and the long-term future of the product. Strong, simple communication tools, like one-pagers, were essential for keeping all stakeholders aligned and moving quickly.

Vera Li
MIIPS ‘25

AI Product Manager Intern
Microsoft Co-Pilot Team

I worked on the Microsoft Copilot team as an intern, focusing on developing the AI tool's core features and tackling technical engineering problems. A key challenge was balancing innovation with existing user habits in long-standing products like Word. Connecting with the many female leaders on the Word team was the most inspiring part of my internship. I applied user research skills from my MIIPS program, specifically creating a user journey map to guide new feature development. This experience was incredibly valuable; it allowed me to apply problem-solving skills, gain hands-on AI technical skills, and clearly define my future career goals in the tech industry.

Mark Yan
MIIPS ‘24

UX Product and Industrial Design Intern,
Roku

This summer, I interned as a UX and Product Industrial Designer on Roku's Device (Players and Remotes) team.

Roku is a tech company specializing in TV streaming. The iii's career-oriented class helped me build connections and navigate career fairs, and it also prepared me for presenting during our capstone project.

During my internship, I focused on reducing errors in product processes and improving user experiences. I faced challenges involving hardware-software collaboration, requiring insights from engineers, as well as strong communication and visualization skills to redesign user flows.

Learning By Doing: Past Student Projects

Jamie Curran (MIIPS Adv '17) shares the "totally life-changing" design and user-research skills she learned in the IoT Advanced course.

Pengyuan Huang (MIIPS Adv '17) explains his product, MyGlobe, designed in the Designing for the IoT Advanced course.

Rhea Pandley (MIIPS Adv '20) showcases the cost-effective irrigation system she designed in the Designing for IoT Advanced course.

MIIPS Program Details: 16-Month Degree Format (MIIAS)