Northwestern MPD² · Class of 2027

Year Two Course Map

Through-lines from Year 1 into capstone work, organized by the Desirability–Feasibility–Viability framework. A reference for knowing what to revisit and when.
Desirability
Feasibility
Viability
Cross-cutting

Through-Lines

Four threads connect Year 1 foundations to Year 2 courses. Each thread maps which prior material feeds the work ahead.

Desirability
Understanding users → Discovering opportunities
Year 1 Foundation
410 Understanding Through Design
400 Predictive Product Design
→
Year 2 Application
416 Customer Driven Opps
406 Market Research
What carries forward: Empathy & observation methods, Ten Faces of Innovation, JTBD framework, MoSCoW prioritization, Data Radar, persona development, secondary research synthesis
Feasibility
Managing products → Building & shipping
Year 1 Foundation
445 Product Management
432 Data Analytics
408 Supply Chains
→
Year 2 Application
403 Design Sprints
402 Product Innovation
405 Agile SW Dev
What carries forward: PRDs, user stories, press release method, RICE prioritization, DOE & statistical reasoning, ChiMuter project learnings, supply chain operations as feasibility constraints, backcasting frameworks
Viability
Financial literacy → Business model design
Year 1 Foundation
420 Accounting
424 Finance
430 Sustainability
→
Year 2 Application
409 Business Model Design
401 Marketing
458 IP Strategy
What carries forward: Cost structures & margin analysis, NPV, WACC & cash flow modeling, CapEx timing, sensitivity analysis, financial statement literacy, lifecycle scope & sustainability as design constraint, valuation of intangibles
Cross-cutting
Communication & leadership → Global product leadership
Year 1 Foundation
450 Eff. Communication
442 Team Building
444 Negotiation
→
Year 2 Application
449 Global Leadership
What carries forward: Minto Pyramid & executive narrative, audience-first messaging, BATNA & interest-based negotiation, Lencioni trust model, creative conflict navigation, hard-message discipline. Plus AI Jetpacks: prompt engineering, guardrails, agentic systems, harness construction

Year 2 Playbook

Each course card lists what to pull from your Year 1 folders before class begins. Capstone-spine courses are marked.

Fall ’26  Q4

MPD 416
Customer Driven Opportunities
Capstone
PM · Sept 26 – Dec 4 · 10 sessions · Helen von den Steinen
Customer discovery through secondary & qualitative research. Build value propositions grounded in real user data using Dscout. First capstone research sprints.
Review from Year 1
410: Empathy methods, observation, Ten Faces of Innovation
400: JTBD framework, user need statements, MoSCoW
450: Interview techniques, storytelling structure
MPD 406
Market Research Tools & Methods
AM · Sept 26 – Oct 24 · 5 sessions · Chris Cahill
Qualitative & quantitative methods for sizing segments and validating opportunities. Applied to capstone research design.
Review from Year 1
432: Statistical foundations, sampling, DOE design
410: Secondary research methods, synthesis techniques
400: Data Radar Framework
MPD 458
Intellectual Capital Strategy
AM · Oct 30 – Dec 4 · 5 sessions
IP protection, patents, trade secrets, and strategic management of intangible assets in product development.
Review from Year 1
408: Supply chain IP implications, supplier agreements
430: Sustainability regulations, lifecycle compliance
424: Valuation of intangible assets

Winter ’27  Q5

MPD 403
Creativity & Design Sprints
Capstone
PM · Jan 9 – Mar 12 · 10 sessions · Campbell / Wicks
Making solutions tangible through prototyping sprints. Two research-with-stimuli sprints plus design reviews. Shift from understanding to creating.
Review from Year 1
410: Design thinking, prototyping, desirability lens
400: Concept generation, Purple Team exercises
442: Team dynamics, creative collaboration
444: Navigating creative conflict in sprint teams
MPD 402
Management of Product Innovation
AM · Jan 9 – Feb 6 · 5 sessions · Renaldi / Edmonds
Innovation management frameworks, technology landscape assessment, and building innovation pipelines within real organizational constraints.
Review from Year 1
400: Innovation frameworks, RICE prioritization, backcasting
445: Product roadmaps, press release method
424: NPV for innovation investment decisions
MPD 405
Agile SW Product Design & Dev
AM · Feb 12 – Mar 12 · 5 sessions · Riesbeck
Agile methodologies for software delivery. Students act as PM/designer working with McCormick undergrad engineering teams on capstone software builds.
Review from Year 1
445: User stories, backlogs, PRD writing (ChiMuter)
432: Data-driven feature prioritization
442: Sprint team dynamics, cross-functional trust

Spring ’27  Q6

MPD 409
Business Model Design
Capstone
PM · Apr 3 – Jun 4 · 10 sessions · Renaldi / Edmonds
Business Model Canvas and viability validation. Willingness-to-pay studies, feasibility testing, and the final convergence of D-F-V for capstone presentations.
Review from Year 1
420: Cost structures, margin analysis, financial statements
424: NPV, WACC, cash flow, sensitivity analysis
430: Sustainability as business constraint
408: Supply chain economics, MOQ, asset turns
MPD 401
Principles of Marketing
PM · Apr 3 – May 1 · 5 sessions · Cutler
Messaging, positioning, channels, and go-to-market strategy. Applied to capstone final pitch preparation.
Review from Year 1
450: Audience analysis, narrative structure, Minto Pyramid
400: Value propositions, product positioning
444: Stakeholder messaging & negotiation framing
MPD 449
Global Leadership
AM · May 7 – Jun 4 · 5 sessions · Paxton
Leadership in a connected, AI-shaped world. Global product strategy, cross-cultural team management, and ethical leadership.
Review from Year 1
442: Trust, vulnerability, Lencioni model
444: BATNA, interest-based negotiation, objective criteria
450: Executive communication, hard-message discipline

Program Timeline

Full two-year Gantt view. Capstone-spine courses (416 → 403 → 409) are outlined. Scroll horizontally on smaller screens.

Fall ’25
Winter ’26
Spring ’26
Summer
Fall ’26
Winter ’27
Spring ’27
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Now · Sep ’26
Year 1
400 Predictive Product Design
450 Effective Communication
430 Sustainability
442 Team Building
420 Accounting
410 Understanding Through Design
424 Finance
444 Negotiation
432 Data Analytics
408 Supply Chains
445 Product Management
Summer break
Year 2
406 Market Research
416 Customer Driven Opps
458 IP Strategy
402 Product Innovation
403 Design Sprints
405 Agile SW Dev
401 Marketing
409 Business Model Design
449 Global Leadership
Milestones
Capstone Presentations
Graduation Weekend