MIT System Design & Management: Developing Leaders In Engineering And Management

Employers often look for professionals who not only demonstrate important business or technical skills, but who also understand the many complex technical, managerial, and societal components of large, interconnected systems—and who can anticipate challenges. While a typical MBA program is centered on business and management concepts, MIT System Design and Management (SDM) seeks to provide an interdisciplinary depth of knowledge, enabling its students to grow as both systems thinkers and technically grounded leaders. SDM’s Master of Science program offers early and mid-career professionals an innovative and customizable curriculum in advanced engineering and management, including academic courses, research, and hands-on experiences across the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since SDM is jointly offered by the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT School of Engineering, SDM students not only take classes with Sloan MBA students, but also take classes with leading engineering scholars, such as experts in AI, the energy transition, robotics, and more. Students complete a thesis as part of the master’s program, working on a research project with MIT faculty.

“At SDM, we’re focused on the interconnectedness of problems and solutions, challenging students to understand the needs of all stakeholders, both socially and technically,” says Joan Rubin, SDM executive director. “We offer our students both academic and industry perspectives, educating them to become flexible leaders with strong engineering capability and judgment.”

The Student Experience

The SDM student experience is characterized by a small cohort size, with approximately 55 to 65 students in each master’s cohort. SDM students come from all over the world and bring previous work experience in a tremendous variety of industries, including aerospace, agriculture, energy, defense, health care, manufacturing, robotics, and many more.

SDM master’s students take a three-term core course, Foundations of System Design and Management, which provides an integrated view of architecting, engineering, and managing the development of complex systems. This core course runs over the full academic year, including the fall and spring semesters and the January Independent Activities Period (IAP). During the spring semester, the course culminates in a team project, tackling a real-world challenge presented by a partner from industry or government.

Students can also take a wide range of classes based on their own specific interests and have the flexibility to complete the first year of the program at a distance. The management curriculum includes foundational classes that are typical of the MBA core and a wide range of electives so that students can strengthen their skills in areas like entrepreneurship or analytics. On the engineering side, students choose courses that allow them to dig deeper into technical focus areas. In addition, Tech Treks allow students to visit companies across many industries and throughout the world (such as the San Francisco Bay Area, the Netherlands, Japan, and more)—gaining valuable insights into how companies tackle real-world systems challenges.

“For me, SDM has really reshaped my way of thinking and my approach to problem-solving,” says Carrie Deline, a second-year SDM student. “I entered the program after working in a large defense contracting organization and was accustomed to processes and approaches that were deeply ingrained in that environment. However, SDM gives you a valuable toolbox of skills and techniques that can help you adapt and innovate in ways you may not have previously considered. By working on real-world problems through industry projects—both in the SDM core and other classes—I have learned first-hand how to apply the SDM ‘toolbox’ and way of thinking to different systems, organizations, and industries.”

First-year SDM student Zachary Barnes also speaks to ways the program has both enhanced and aligned with his career.

“SDM has allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with high-performing individuals from such a broad background,” says Barnes. “Listening to this diverse group of people and learning from their unique personal and professional experiences has been incredibly beneficial to my goal of becoming a more knowledgeable engineer. The SDM curriculum has also directly benefited my work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and my role at JPL has also given me a unique perspective when working through the SDM course material. It has been quite a symbiotic relationship and has provided valuable insights to carry forward into my career.”

Graduates Equipped With New Skills And Perspectives

Since SDM students come into the program with an average of eight to ten years of work experience, the program provides opportunities for them to build on their existing technical and leadership skills for increased effectiveness in their current positions, as well as to explore new career opportunities.

SDM graduates bring their expertise to many industries, including software and technology, energy, automotive, aerospace, finance, medical devices, government, and more. After completing the program, graduates go on to hold senior-level titles such as managing director for business development and regulatory affairs in Europe; deputy director at a Center for Rapid Innovation; head of product development; and senior global supply chain manager. In addition, several SDM graduates have gone on to entrepreneurial endeavors and act as CEOs, CTOs, and co-founders for startups and firms.

Recent SDM alum Noemie Midrez credits the program with building her confidence and capabilities.

“I entered the SDM program with imposter syndrome and left it with all the tools needed to never have this feeling again,” says Midrez. “From the people, the courses, the projects, the programming, you are constantly exposed to new perspectives, faced with complex challenges, and taught invaluable skills. The program is organized in such a way that almost everything you learn can have a tangible impact on your career and your life, whether you realize it in the classroom or after graduating. Joining this program has been an investment that I will never regret as it has already paid dividends via the tools it equipped me with and the connections it allowed me to create.”

MIT System Design and Management educates future technical leaders in engineering and management, offered jointly by the Sloan School of Management and School of Engineering. Our innovative core class and diverse course options give students the chance to design a path that prepares them to solve complex challenges in any field. Learn more on our website at sdm.mit.edu.