Management + Operations + Design

MMM has a long and illustrious history, with over a thousand alumni and a thriving student population. As the new stewards of MMM, we intend to continue in the tradition of our several predecessors who helped develop this strong and thriving program.




MMM has evolved throughout the years, but the major theme has been constant: A systems approach to the understanding of a company, starting with factory operations, expanding in the mid 1990s to include supply chain management, adding product development and innovation in the early 2000s, and now, starting in the Fall of 2008, adding design, thus truly covering the operations of a company from conception through execution.

We aim to be the premier program in design and operations, helping to define new and exciting directions in the world of business. Whether a company offers physical products or services, it must excel at understanding its customers and designing its offerings that fulfill their true needs. It must also ensure smooth, efficient, error-free, economical operations to produce, deliver, service, and recycle in this world of green, sustainable operations.

What does MMM offer? Systems thinking, which means understanding the whole rather than simply the individual parts. Design thinking, which means breaking out of conventional boxes to identify the real issues that need to be addressed. Any MBA or engineer can solve problems that are already set up for them, but it requires a special talent to define the right problem in the first place. That is what MMM is about, making our graduates perfect candidates for all parts of a business.

MMM Curriculum Effective Fall 2008

Required Courses:

In addition, students take MORS 430, "Managing and Leading Organizations" prior to classes in fall of the first year and SEEK 440, "Values and Crisis Decision Making" (0.5 credit) prior to classes in fall of the second year. Students must also fulfill Kellogg's Global Course Requirement.

The MEM Majors

For the MEM degree, students can choose to major in Design or Operations, or both, or neither. Either major requires taking four electives from the list of approved courses, three in the area of the major and the fourth from the other area. Students may fulfill both majors by taking three Design and three Operations courses from the approved lists. Alternately, students may choose to graduate without a specific MEM major by taking two courses each in Design and Operations from the approved lists.

Optional MBA Majors

Students may also elect to receive any of the Kellogg majors for the MBA (e.g., Marketing, Strategy, and Finance): see individual Kellogg departments for requirements for these majors.

Unrestricted Electives

Students may complete their curriculum through use of elective courses from 400 or 900 series (graduate class) offerings of Kellogg, McCormick or other Northwestern University schools.

The Integration Project

The Integration Project is done as a team project from a list provided by the MMM office with an industry sponsor and faculty advisor in the winter quarter of the second year. Under special circumstances students may elect to do the Integration project in fall or spring or substitute an equivalent alternative, such as an M-Lab project from Kellogg. Any proposed substitution must be requested and approved in advance prior to the completion of the fall quarter of the second year.

Study Off-Campus

Study off-campus and abroad has many benefits. However, because MMM offers two masters degrees requiring 24.5 quality credits, a proposal to study off-campus must present a concrete, well articulated plan that demonstrates how the requirements are met. For example, courses for the MEM majors in Design or Operations may be taken off-campus if prior approval is obtained by submitting the name of the university, the instructor (where possible), and the course description. In addition, if the study off-campus is done during the winter quarter of year 2, the integration project must be satisfied in some other quarter, usually through M-Lab. All courses and integration plans must be approved prior to the study off-campus and the grade requirements (see "Notes") must be satisfied.

Notes:

First Year (Typical Schedule)

(Note that details vary for each person depending upon when courses are taken. Shaded cells represent MMM specific requirements)

Pre-term: MORS 430 Leadership in Organizations

Fall Winter Spring
OPNS 440: Analytical Methods for Operations IEMS 471: Operations DSGN 490: The Design of Services and Products
Acct 430: Accounting for Decision-making ACCT 431: Managerial Accounting Elective
MGT 431: Business Strategy MECN 430: Microeconomic Analysis Elective
Elective: Usually MKTG 430: Marketing Or Fin 440: Turbo Finance Elective: Usually MKTG 430: Marketing Or Fin 440: Turbo Finance Elective

Second Year (Sample Schedule)

Pre-term: SEEK 440. Values, Ethics and Crisis Decision-Making

Fall Winter Spring
Design or Operations Elective Design or Operations Elective Design or Operations Elective
Elective: Often Global Course Requirement Integration project Design or Operations Elective
Elective Elective Elective
Elective Elective Elective