Master of Science, Engineering Design and Innovation program (EDI)

 EDI taught me to be more of an “everything” engineer as compared to focusing too much on one discipline.  I may have specialized in one thing while I was in undergrad, but I know that there really isn’t anything I can’t learn, only things I haven’t learned yet.  

  -Lenore Kaplan, MS-EDI '10

Northwestern's Master of Science, Engineering Design and Innovation program (EDI) is intended for recent engineering graduates who want to contribute to front-end innovation teams.  EDI is appropriate for engineers from all disciplines.

Our students use design thinking to solve complex, real-world problems in product design, interaction design, and service design.  The program focuses on a human-centered approach, in order to solve the needs of real people.  Our methods include user observation, visualization, rapid prototyping, and iteration.

EDI attracts engineers who like to create new things, who are comfortable with problems that are hard to pin down, and who care about culture and contemporary context.  The coursework focuses heavily on hands-on, team-based projects.

Graduates of the Engineering Design and Innovation program are prepared to collaborate on, and lead, cross-functional teams to create innovative and effective products and services.

The EDI program is directed by Ed Colgate.  For more information, please contact Kim Hoffmann, Associate Director of EDI, at kimhoffmann@northwestern.edu. 

The MS Engineering Design and Innovation degree is conferred by The Graduate School of Northwestern.