Human-Centered Design Engineering Masters: UC Berkeley MDes, Harvard MDE, Carnegie Mellon MIIPS, Northwestern EDI, University of Washington HCDE, or MIT IDM?

[desginengineeringmasters]

Anyone who decided between any of these programs, I'd love to hear your thoughts! There's such little info online about these design engineering/UX masters. I've been talking to current and past students, but it's still hard to get a clear sense of what I want to choose. 

I'm still waiting to hear back from Northwestern EDI and MIT IDM but interviewed for both programs.

I'm looking for a program with a small cohort with an average age ~28 (I have almost 5 years of work experience so looking to be with a more senior cohort of students). I'm looking for a full-time program where the other students are also all-in and full-time in the program. After the program I'm looking to work as a product manager, design consultant, or start my own venture (potentially in healthcare). I'd like to be around other entrepreneurial-minded people who I could possibly build something with after/during the program. I tend to be more of a "service designer" but also would like to have a bit of experience with technical tools like 3D printing, etc. My background is in software engineering and a bit of business as well.

Things I'm looking for in the programs: expanding my network and connections in the design/tech community, be challenged creatively by my cohort and faculty, availability and frequency of meetings with faculty, learning new skills in design, engineering, and business, etc. I'm more of a generalist than specialist, so looking for a program that similarly gives many opportunities in a broad array of topics. In general, though, I'd say I lean more towards engineering and business than design.

Right now I think I'm between Harvard Master's in Design Engineering and MIT Master's in Integrated Design & Management with Berkeley Master of Design as a close third.

Any help/insights would be much appreciated!!

Edited March 21, 2021 by desginengineeringmasters

[Sheng]

Wow congrats on the admission by GSD! Sadly I am rejected. In my opinion IDM seems to be the best choice.

[Sheng]

Btw I think EDI has released decisions for people who applied before first round. I got an offer but I'm not sure if I am going to take it.

[desginengineeringmasters]

@Sheng thanks! And congrats on EDI! I applied to EDI after the first round.

I just got the acceptance from IDM last night! Curious why you think it's the best choice. I think I agree with you, but curious to know your thoughts! 

Edited March 22, 2021 by desginengineeringmasters

[Sheng]

Compared to Harvard MDE, which doesn't make its focus clearly, I think IDM knows what itself is--integrated program. Congrats man, I wish I can be admitted too, but still haven't yet received an interview invitation, so sad

[Sheng]

Just curious how many years of experience you have man?

[desginengineeringmasters]

Interesting. Curious what makes you feel like Harvard's MDE doesn't have a clear focus? I see a lot of similarities and differences between IDM and MDE so I'm curious to know more about your thoughts on those differences.

I have a BS in neuroscience + minor in business and almost 4 years of work experience as a software engineer.

[aqudon]

My general feeling is that MDE is slightly more focused on design hence why GSD is the main school. Based on my conversation with the interviewer I felt that MDE is more focused on more focused on design content where as IDM is equally focused on engineering, design and business. I also think the IDM past cohorts have more interesting profiles i.e. there is greater variance in experiences

[desginengineeringmasters]

32 minutes ago, aqudon said:

My general feeling is that MDE is slightly more focused on design hence why GSD is the main school. Based on my conversation with the interviewer I felt that MDE is more focused on more focused on design content where as IDM is equally focused on engineering, design and business. I also think the IDM past cohorts have more interesting profiles i.e. there is greater variance in experiences

Interesting! Thanks for sharing

[bluetime]

On 3/21/2021 at 3:32 PM, desginengineeringmasters said:

Anyone who decided between any of these programs, I'd love to hear your thoughts! There's such little info online about these design engineering/UX masters. I've been talking to current and past students, but it's still hard to get a clear sense of what I want to choose. 

I'm still waiting to hear back from Northwestern EDI and MIT IDM but interviewed for both programs.

I'm looking for a program with a small cohort with an average age ~28 (I have almost 5 years of work experience so looking to be with a more senior cohort of students). I'm looking for a full-time program where the other students are also all-in and full-time in the program. After the program I'm looking to work as a product manager, design consultant, or start my own venture (potentially in healthcare). I'd like to be around other entrepreneurial-minded people who I could possibly build something with after/during the program. I tend to be more of a "service designer" but also would like to have a bit of experience with technical tools like 3D printing, etc. My background is in software engineering and a bit of business as well.

Things I'm looking for in the programs: expanding my network and connections in the design/tech community, be challenged creatively by my cohort and faculty, availability and frequency of meetings with faculty, learning new skills in design, engineering, and business, etc. I'm more of a generalist than specialist, so looking for a program that similarly gives many opportunities in a broad array of topics. In general, though, I'd say I lean more towards engineering and business than design.

Right now I think I'm between Harvard Master's in Design Engineering and MIT Master's in Integrated Design & Management with Berkeley Master of Design as a close third.

Any help/insights would be much appreciated!!

Hey! First of all a massive congrats on getting into all these programs. It's not easy - so that's terrific!

Here's my thoughts on the schools that could help you out a little bit (and hopefully future students who apply) -

1. Harvard MDE - Obviously has a small cohort size (like all the programs) and a focus on design and engineering. The tools and labs that they have are world-class (3D printing, etc). They have some pretty kick-ass electives as well that you can take at the engineering school from informal robotics to thermodynamics and so on. In terms of healthcare, you could also work in the Wyss Institute which constantly innovates. I think the only thing to keep in mind is that the possible focus on business will be a little bit more limited versus the other programs and that it is a fairly new program so finding that job after will require hustle (I think they do have someone who helps with finding jobs). 

2. MIT IDM - Personally, really like their focus on looking for the right people and fit. Again, a very new program so what I've heard is that the basic 101 foundation courses in design, engineering and business can feel a bit boring if you already have solid knowledge in that field. The possibility of taking many other classes in the different MIT schools is exciting and I think you can take more electives here vs Harvard (not a 100% sure) which gives you more room to explore courses in MIT Sloan, Engineering School, Comp Sci and so on. Apart from that I think the MIT labs are fantastic - Media Lab (World famous for Innovation) and they have many others too. Plus, you could apply to MIT Sloan as well and do a dual degree. Again, since it is a fairly new program, not sure about that alumni connection, and finding that job will require hustle (They too have a career rep who helps you find what you are looking for). 

3. CMU MIIPS - One of the oldest programs in the space, used to be called a Master's in Product Design (i think the name changed in 2013 or 2014). One thing that really attracts me to the program is the fact that it is so established and hence, you know everything will be streamlined and there won't be any sort of "experimentation" in a way. They also have a really strong network of alumni so connecting to them could be easier to find an internship and final job (that being said there is no sort of recruitment, so again requiring that hustle). I really like their Capstone project focus where you work with a company on a real world problem, similar to the Northwestern MMM program. The 1.5 year or 9 month program could be a positive or a drawback, however you choose to look at it. Drawback if you're looking to stay in school for a while and want to explore a lot, then 9 months or 1.5 year could feel short. However, if you're looking to get some more expertise, up skill and pivot or try something new the shorter duration could be useful to getting that job quickly (spoke to some alums - it's very well known in Silicon Valley). Unlike the other 2 programs, they do take students with very little to no work experience though. Not sure why you would overlook this school? 

Berkley MDes - I don't know much about the school, but when I was looking into it, it seemed very environmental focused. Again, haven't done thorough research into this school, so don't know. 

Look, you can't go "wrong" with any of these schools. They are all top top choices and are well known schools. 

I hope this helps!

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by bluetime

[desginengineeringmasters]

On 3/23/2021 at 8:24 AM, bluetime said:

Hey! First of all a massive congrats on getting into all these programs. It's not easy - so that's terrific!

Here's my thoughts on the schools that could help you out a little bit (and hopefully future students who apply) -

1. Harvard MDE - Obviously has a small cohort size (like all the programs) and a focus on design and engineering. The tools and labs that they have are world-class (3D printing, etc). They have some pretty kick-ass electives as well that you can take at the engineering school from informal robotics to thermodynamics and so on. In terms of healthcare, you could also work in the Wyss Institute which constantly innovates. I think the only thing to keep in mind is that the possible focus on business will be a little bit more limited versus the other programs and that it is a fairly new program so finding that job after will require hustle (I think they do have someone who helps with finding jobs). 

2. MIT IDM - Personally, really like their focus on looking for the right people and fit. Again, a very new program so what I've heard is that the basic 101 foundation courses in design, engineering and business can feel a bit boring if you already have solid knowledge in that field. The possibility of taking many other classes in the different MIT schools is exciting and I think you can take more electives here vs Harvard (not a 100% sure) which gives you more room to explore courses in MIT Sloan, Engineering School, Comp Sci and so on. Apart from that I think the MIT labs are fantastic - Media Lab (World famous for Innovation) and they have many others too. Plus, you could apply to MIT Sloan as well and do a dual degree. Again, since it is a fairly new program, not sure about that alumni connection, and finding that job will require hustle (They too have a career rep who helps you find what you are looking for). 

3. CMU MIIPS - One of the oldest programs in the space, used to be called a Master's in Product Design (i think the name changed in 2013 or 2014). One thing that really attracts me to the program is the fact that it is so established and hence, you know everything will be streamlined and there won't be any sort of "experimentation" in a way. They also have a really strong network of alumni so connecting to them could be easier to find an internship and final job (that being said there is no sort of recruitment, so again requiring that hustle). I really like their Capstone project focus where you work with a company on a real world problem, similar to the Northwestern MMM program. The 1.5 year or 9 month program could be a positive or a drawback, however you choose to look at it. Drawback if you're looking to stay in school for a while and want to explore a lot, then 9 months or 1.5 year could feel short. However, if you're looking to get some more expertise, up skill and pivot or try something new the shorter duration could be useful to getting that job quickly (spoke to some alums - it's very well known in Silicon Valley). Unlike the other 2 programs, they do take students with very little to no work experience though. Not sure why you would overlook this school? 

Berkley MDes - I don't know much about the school, but when I was looking into it, it seemed very environmental focused. Again, haven't done thorough research into this school, so don't know. 

Look, you can't go "wrong" with any of these schools. They are all top top choices and are well known schools. 

I hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the thoughtful response and kind words! I'll add a few things based on what I've learned from talking to current students over the past few weeks:

1. Harvard MDE - There is not currently a dedicated person in the program to help with job finding. A drawback for me with this program is that it's technically housed in the GSD which is heavily architecture focused. Because of that technicality, you only have access to the GSD career portal, not the SEAS engineering career portal. It seems like the MDE program is much more focused on system and high level design vs MIT IDM which students expressed as being more technical and focuses on the entire design process (building a product from A-Z). Since MDE is more broad/general than IDM, students I spoke to said that people who do really well in MDE tend to have a very specific focus area, for example data privacy and governance. Those who do not tend to have a harder time finding themselves through all of the many options and may struggle more to find a job afterwards. 

*general note about Harvard and MIT: you can cross enroll in courses at either school. So courses and resources between Harvard and MIT including opportunities, speakers, courses, etc. seem widely shared and available to both the MDE and IDM courses. Looks like IDM started in 2015, and MDE started in 2016, so both are relatively new-ish and also have at least a bit of an alumni community.

2. MIT IDM - This program does have a dedicated person who is tasked with aiding in career resources. It seems widely known that IDM is more entrepreneurial in that a large portion of students start their own ventures after the program and its highly encouraged. As an entrepreneurial-minded person that's very attractive to me. Sounds like, compared to MDE, IDM is much more of a structured program and students come out with more tangible, technical skills from IDM which helps with future job prospects. I also really like that they require at least three years of work experience. There's a lot more I could say but I'll keep it at that for now.

(There's a lot more I could add about MDE and IDM, but I'll leave it at that for now. I'm working on synthesizing all of the info I've been gathering about all of these programs and publishing it for everyone. Trying to get it out ASAP!)

3. CMU MIIPS - This is a great option. I think it's been less on my radar for a few reasons: 1) larger cohort size, 2) short program length (1.5 years feels too short), 3) since Harvard and MIT share so many resources, going to MDE or IDM sort of feels like getting 2 incredible schools in 1, 4) personal preference of preferring living in Boston area vs Pittsburgh, 5) I don't love that there might be some people in the cohort without work experience, because I think work experience is a pretty important factor considering how much the cohort impacts your experience in these types of programs. Other than those personal factors, you're right, it's an amazing program!

4. Berkeley MDes - I haven't gotten that environmental impression. Maybe you spoke to someone or read about someone's specific interest within the program? It's a very new program (their first cohort started in spring 2021 - a semester late because the students voted as a cohort to delay due to COVID and the staff listened to them which I think is pretty cool). I feel that they're making a big effort which has really impressed me. My interview with one of the faculty members was very interesting and I had a lot in common with them and their research. Seems like they did a lot of leg work personally pairing students with faculty with common interests. They've also added us to a Slack group so we can meet other admitted students. They've also already had admitted student virtual sessions where they physically showed us around their labs and spaces, we met with faculty and heard about some of the courses they teach and saw some work students have done in them. They also offered me one of their scholarships which was a total surprise to me and definitely makes them stand out to me. I feel really "seen" by them. As in I feel like I'm not just another student they're admitting. Seems like they really did their homework with each student and value what each one brings to the table. (I also feel this way about MIT's IDM program btw. The interview was almost an hour and was very personal and interesting and the program director himself called me to personally let me know of my acceptance and we had a nice conversation for about 20 minutes). One student I spoke to chose Berkeley's MDes program over Stanford's Design Impact and Harvard's MDE. Biggest downside for me is that it's only 3 semesters (1.5 years).

Have much more info to share, but hope that helps someone out there trying to make their decision

[bluetime]

Awesome - hopefully these insights help other applicants this year and in the coming years! 

In regards to Berkley MDes I got the environmental impression as they are based out of the college of environmental design. But yes, apart from that doesn't seem to be any other environmental impression. Think it's very cool they gave students the choice to decide when to start bc of COVID and of course, amazing and congrats on the scholarship!

All the best!

[linnaea]

As an undergrad, I've taken classes that had IDM students and MDE students in them. From my general (and very cursory level) impression, it seemed that MDE students were better at systems level thinking focused on designing for specific topics they were passionate about (which lines up with what was said above) while IDM students were more focused on making and producing. I know there is generally some sort of winter sale IDM students do with their projects, which I think shows the entrepreneurship spirit of a lot of the students there.

[aqudon]

@designengineeringmasters so what was your decision?

[desginengineeringmasters]

@aqudon thanks for reminding me to update here. I ended up choosing MIT's IDM program  In a crazy turn of events, I ended up getting into MIT's Media Lab (was originally waitlisted) on April 14th (a day before the deadline to accept/decline offers for the other programs), but had already committed to IDM and was really excited about it. It was a really hard to turn down the Media Lab, but ended up working it out with the PI of the lab to stay involved with the group, since I'll be at MIT, either through some kind of TA or research assistant position. We'll figure it out in the fall.

I connected through this forum with 2 other students who were choosing between Harvard MDE and MIT IDM (and some other programs too). All 3 of us ended up choosing IDM. 

Harvard had planned an admitted student day, and MIT wasn't planning on hosting one, but the three of us felt like we really needed some more information before making our decision. So we talked to MIT's program director and academic director to ask if they could host an event for all admitted students, and within 48 hrs of talking to them they made it happen and it was great! We were all really impressed by their receptiveness to feedback, availability to chat with each of us, and we all left that event feeling really impressed by the quality of the program and the others in the cohort. 

[Har5hraj]

On 3/23/2021 at 2:24 AM, bluetime said:

Hey! First of all a massive congrats on getting into all these programs. It's not easy - so that's terrific!

Here's my thoughts on the schools that could help you out a little bit (and hopefully future students who apply) -

1. Harvard MDE - Obviously has a small cohort size (like all the programs) and a focus on design and engineering. The tools and labs that they have are world-class (3D printing, etc). They have some pretty kick-ass electives as well that you can take at the engineering school from informal robotics to thermodynamics and so on. In terms of healthcare, you could also work in the Wyss Institute which constantly innovates. I think the only thing to keep in mind is that the possible focus on business will be a little bit more limited versus the other programs and that it is a fairly new program so finding that job after will require hustle (I think they do have someone who helps with finding jobs). 

2. MIT IDM - Personally, really like their focus on looking for the right people and fit. Again, a very new program so what I've heard is that the basic 101 foundation courses in design, engineering and business can feel a bit boring if you already have solid knowledge in that field. The possibility of taking many other classes in the different MIT schools is exciting and I think you can take more electives here vs Harvard (not a 100% sure) which gives you more room to explore courses in MIT Sloan, Engineering School, Comp Sci and so on. Apart from that I think the MIT labs are fantastic - Media Lab (World famous for Innovation) and they have many others too. Plus, you could apply to MIT Sloan as well and do a dual degree. Again, since it is a fairly new program, not sure about that alumni connection, and finding that job will require hustle (They too have a career rep who helps you find what you are looking for). 

3. CMU MIIPS - One of the oldest programs in the space, used to be called a Master's in Product Design (i think the name changed in 2013 or 2014). One thing that really attracts me to the program is the fact that it is so established and hence, you know everything will be streamlined and there won't be any sort of "experimentation" in a way. They also have a really strong network of alumni so connecting to them could be easier to find an internship and final job (that being said there is no sort of recruitment, so again requiring that hustle). I really like their Capstone project focus where you work with a company on a real world problem, similar to the Northwestern MMM program. The 1.5 year or 9 month program could be a positive or a drawback, however you choose to look at it. Drawback if you're looking to stay in school for a while and want to explore a lot, then 9 months or 1.5 year could feel short. However, if you're looking to get some more expertise, up skill and pivot or try something new the shorter duration could be useful to getting that job quickly (spoke to some alums - it's very well known in Silicon Valley). Unlike the other 2 programs, they do take students with very little to no work experience though. Not sure why you would overlook this school? 

Berkley MDes - I don't know much about the school, but when I was looking into it, it seemed very environmental focused. Again, haven't done thorough research into this school, so don't know. 

Look, you can't go "wrong" with any of these schools. They are all top top choices and are well known schools. 

I hope this helps!

 

I would disagree with almost everything that you have about MIIPS. I am a current student and its just worse course ever. So rigid that you can't really build one core competence, so basic that you won't learn anything of value in either design, engineering or business. They say that the program is old but to be honest, the program directors has often been quoted saying that its just been 3-4 years. Totally bogus and not at all of any value.