A new 12-month master’s degree program at Carnegie Mellon University – a Master of Science in Product Management (MSPM) – aims to help fill the need for product managers by teaching computer scientists and engineers how to become expert product managers. Launching in January 2018 at CMU’s Pittsburgh campus, the 12-month master’s program will provide both the technical skills and business acumen students need to be successful in this high-demand area, including a required internship and capstone project to inject the practical skills needed.

1. The data
science
stack

2. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Program and Curriculum
• Discuss!

3. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Program and Curriculum
• Discuss!

4. Why Product Management is the future
of tech/biz education

5. If you love technology, you care about
Product Management

6. If you love technology, you care about
Product Management
Security
Product
Sporting
Entertainment
Product
Video Gaming
Product
Medical
Product

7. Why an MS in Product Management?
1. Good high-tech product managers are rare, difficult to hire, and in
very high demand
– “When we hired an Engineer we cheered, but when we hired a
Product Manager, we threw a party …” -- Andrew Moore
2. Great product managers require a rare combination of technical,
business, communication, and leadership skills
3. Product Management is an excellent way for technical experts to
move on to broader business responsibilities
4. It’s rewarding to bring new products and services to market!

8. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Program and Curriculum
• Discuss!

9. Tepper School of Business
• Pioneer of “Management Science”
• Foundational Disciplines of the School
• Economics
• Operations Research
• Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Close ties to computer science
• Leading business school at the intersection of
business, technology, and analytics

10. Assets TSB Brings to the Table
• Shared vision and common culture
• Research and teaching excellence in areas synergistic
with computer science
• Business education that focuses on preparing students
to manage and lead in a complex world driven by data,
technology, and innovation
• Expertise in developing behavioral skills for students
with technical backgrounds
• Accelerate Leadership Center
• Professional student and career services

11. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Program and Curriculum
• Discuss!

12. Universitie
s

13. Universitie
s
DARPA

14. Universitie
s
DARPA
MACH iphone

15. NLP
Raj
Reddy DARPA

16. Deep
Blue
Tuomas
Sandholm

17. Emotion
Understanding
A.I.s as
Doctors
Augmented
Humans
Hyper Local
Edge Servers
A.I.s as
live
expert
coaches
Light Ray
Program
ming
Save
lives on
roads
Some of the
developing stories…

18. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Program and Curriculum
• Discuss!

19. Opportunity
• High demand for PMs from industry and a sparsity of available PM
talent
• Companies with internal training programs
• Google associate product manager program
• Facebook rotational product management program
• CMU uniquely positioned to offer a world-class degree program in
PM with its strengths in CS and business
• Interviews with companies gave positive reaction to the program and
provided input into the curriculum design
19

20. Why Carnegie Mellon?
Computer
Science
Business
Design & HCI
How
Product
Managers
Spend their
Day
What
CMU is
Good At

21. MSPM Overview
• Objective: Prepare students for Product Management roles in tech
companies
• Partners: CMU School of Computer Science (HCII) and the Tepper
School of Business
• Target: Individuals with technical undergraduate degrees who have
1-3 years of work experience
• Format: Full-time, on-campus
• Length: 12 month program, including a summer internship
• Tuition: $65,000
• Launch Date: January 2018

22. Curriculum Overview
Spring
Summer
Fall
AccelerateLeadership
Development
• Product Management Internship
• Online meetings throughout summer
• Reflection paper due at end of summer
• Core Business courses
• Core Product Management courses
• Semester-long project course
• Lock-step, no electives
• Active search for internship
• Semester-long capstone project
• Advanced CS and HCI courses
• Advanced Business electives
• Active job search

23. Detailed Curriculum
Spring Semester
(January – May)
Summer
(May - August)
Fall Semester
(August - December)
(60 units) (3 units) (48-60 units)
Full semester:
• Business Fundamentals
(12 units, Tepper)
• Digital Service Innovation
(12 units, HCII)
First mini:
• Principles of Product Management
(6 units, Tepper)
• Marketing for High-Tech Product
Managers (6 units, Tepper)
• Managing People and Teams
(6 units, Tepper)
Second mini:
• Business Communications
(6 units, Tepper)
• Data Science for Product
Managers (6 units, SCS)
• HCI for Product Managers
(6 units, HCII)
Students must complete an approved
internship in Product Management over
the summer semester
• Numerous partner companies have
expressed interest in hiring the
interns for the summer
• Students are responsible for finding
their internships, CoC helps
Students must also enroll in a 3-unit
online course that meets weekly.
Students must complete a reflective
paper and presentation on their
internship upon returning to campus in
the fall.
Full semester:
• Capstone project
(12 units, HCII)
• Service Design for Product
Management (12 units, HCII)
• Technical depth elective
(12 units, SCS)
Mini semester courses:
• Tepper Elective (from menu)
(6 units, Tepper)
• Tepper Elective (from menu)
(6 units, Tepper)
• Optional Elective
(6 units, Tepper or SCS)
• Optional Elective
(6 units, Tepper or SCS)

24. Targeted Student
• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science or related field
• Software development skills
• Can pass a master level course in SCS
– Unique graduates sent to industry
• Some work experience (1-3 years)
• Solid interpersonal skills
• Interest in moving to product management
24

25. Job Opportunities
• Early career (junior) position on product management team in
a software intensive company, or
• Fast-track product management training program, or
• Start-up
• Long term: VP Bizdev, VP Marketing, CMO, CIO, CEO?
25

26. What Can You Do?
• Refer strong candidates to our program
• Become a corporate partner
• Sponsor student projects
• Internships and full-time jobs for our students
• Faculty research and collaborations
• Help us get the word out!
26

27. This Talk
• Why Product Management is the future of
tech/biz education
• Why we’re doing it together
• Tepper School of Business
• School of Computer Science
• MSPM Curriculum
• Discuss!