Master of Science in Strategic Design Leadership (MS-SDL)
Master of Science in Strategic Design Leadership (MS-SDL)
Accelerate your career. Join a global network of design leaders who bridge disciplines to build the products, services, and systems that drive organizational success and shape our tomorrow.
The MS in Strategic Design Leadership connects experienced professionals across industries with a flexible online format and in-person global immersions.
You’ll discover how to use design to see—and build—what’s next.
The Creative Alternative to the MBA
Today’s leaders succeed by positioning their organizations with distinct offerings that people value. But to accomplish this, they need a set of skills that traditional business schools don’t provide.
With the MS in Strategic Design Leadership (formerly MDM) program, you’ll learn how to align human needs with business realities—without losing sight of the imaginative leaps that spark innovation and create possibilities.
Designed to accelerate your career.
Ideal applicants for the MS in Strategic Design Leadership have approximately 10 years (8 minimum) of professional experience, including leadership responsibilities. Most of the cohort is charged with innovation initiatives or looking to build innovation capacity within their organizations.
With our part-time program, you can apply material from one evening’s class to organizational challenges the next day—guided by faculty who bridge theory and practice as both scholars and seasoned industry leaders.
Curriculum
Advanced curriculum for today’s organizational challenges.
The Strategic Design Leadership curriculum is structured for immediate application—blending theory with hands-on practice to explore emerging innovation methods, market insight, and human-centered design.
Small class sizes with a committed cohort of peers create a deeply collaborative environment.
Students in the SDL program learn how to build effective innovation initiatives at their organizations through mastery in the areas of Design-Led Insights, Strategic Innovation Methods, and Leadership & Activation.
Discover how to spot opportunities through design and innovation-oriented perspectives and dive deep into human-centered design principles.
Explore real-world examples of successful innovations in various fields and learn how to view problems and solutions from a systems perspective.
Learn how to boost design and innovation capacity, make ethical business decisions, and inspire your organization to take effective and impactful action.
| yEar 1 | yEar 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring |
| Analysis + Synthesis (3 Credits) | Modes of Human Experience (1.5 Credits) | Evidence-Based Design (1.5 Credits) | Future Foresight (1.5 Credits) | Strategic Communication (3 Credits) |
| Principles & Methods of User Research (3 Credits) | Behavioral Design (1.5 Credits) | Intro to Systems Theory (1.5 Credits) | Shaping Digital Futures (1.5 Credits) | Optional Independent Study (3 Credits) |
| In-Person Immersion (1.5 Credits) | Business Design (1.5 Credits) | Implementing Innovation (1.5 Credits) | In-Person Immersion (1.5 Credits) | |
| Innovation Frontiers (1.5 Credits) | Adaptive Leadership (1.5 Credits) | |||
| In-Person Immersion (1.5 Credits) | In-Person Immersion (1.5 Credits) | |||
Course Highlights
Global Immersions
In-Person Immersions to Connect & Deepen Your Learning
To complement the online curriculum, Strategic Design Leadership students are invited to attend Immersions—three-day, in-person experiences held at the midpoint of each fall and spring semester.
These events offer a valuable opportunity to engage directly with your cohort, faculty, and visiting experts. You’ll explore emerging topics in design leadership, exchange insights across diverse organizational contexts, and strengthen your professional network.
Recent Immersions
- Designing for Civic Futures: 2024–2025
- AI + Design 2023–2024
- Design + The Public Interest: 2022–2023
AI + Design Immersion | Fall 2023
In fall 2023, ID partnered with Politecnico di Milano’s Graduate School of Management and School of Design for an extended, 6-day Immersion. Students from ID and Politecnico di Milano toured Chicago, exploring the role of design in the age of AI.
The ID-PoliMi partnership will continue into 2024, with a spring Immersion hosted in Milan.
Careers
Lead Design & Strategy
ID alumni form a powerful global network of over 2,400 professionals across 32+ countries—individuals uniquely equipped to tackle complex challenges with clarity, purpose, and discipline. This vibrant community is an invaluable resource for students and graduates.
Our Strategic Design Leadership (formerly MDM) alumni hold key positions at top organizations, launch boundary-pushing ventures, and drive meaningful change through design strategy in a range of roles and industries.
- Tania Aldous (MDM 2019)
VP of Design, Instant Pot Brands - Yang Gao (MDM 2017)
Head of AI Products, Mars - Eric Herman (MDM 2013)
Business Design Leader, Ford Motor Company - Seth Starner (MDM 2013)
Associate Director, Design and Strategy, Crowe - Jeff Hsu (MDM 2012 )
Director, Chief Innovation Officer, Far Eastern Group - Luis Eduardo Dejo (MDM 2011)
Design Strategist & Researcher, IKEA Global - Yoojung Ahn (MDM 2006)
Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics - Mona Zenkich (MDM -)
Director of Design, Sam’s Club Private Brands
- Jake Rynar (MDM 2023)
Founder, No Walls Studio
- Bryan Terrill (MDM 2018)
Founder, Headlight - Joel Worthington (MDM 2016)
Founder, JW Collaborative - Kevin Budelmann (MDM 2013)
Co-founder & President, Peopledesign - Kunitake Saso (MDM 2013)
Founder & CEO, BIOTOPE - Chris Cacci (MDM 2011)
Founder & Principal, CACCICO - Geoff Suvalko (MDM 2010)
Founder & Partner, Thoughtfull - Tom DeVries (MDM 2010)
Founder & President, Crucx
- Erin Slucter (MDM 2024)
Marketing & Communications Director, State of Illinois - Kat Reiser (MDM 2022)
Human-Centered Design Lead, Greater Good Studio - Ron Martin (MDM 2022)
Senior Innovation Consultant & Product Manager, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - Rodrigo Isasi (MDM 2013)
Partner and Managing Director, Empathy - Ritsu Katsumata (MDM 2013)
Director of Strategy and Insights, VML
- Masha Safina (MDM 2013)
Service Design Director, Fjord/Accenture Song - Joe Gray (MDM 2012)
Chief Strategy Officer, VML - Jamie Munger (MDM 2012)
Strategy Director, Smart Design - Jon Campbell (MDM 2008)
Head of Experience & Service Design, Continuum
- Tomomi Tanigawa (MDM 2023)
Product Manager, NTT Communications - Beth Cerny (MDM 2021)
Head of Argonne Leadership Computing Facility Communications, Argonne National Laboratory - Jessica Bogart Kasper (MDM 2020)
Director, Organizational Systems Design, Kalderos
- Paritosh Desai (MDM 2009)
Chief Product Officer, IDfy - Jeff Mau (MDM 2007)
Product & Program Management, Dell Technologies - Brian Hauch (MDM -)
Senior Interaction Designer, Google - Steven White (MDM -)
Design Facilitator & Strategist, US Space Command
Alumni Highlights
Estimated Costs
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition (2024-2025 rate) | $2,155 (per credit hour) |
| Estimated class costs and supplies | $325 (per semester) |
| Estimated health insurance (can be waived) | $2,070 (per year) |
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Spring 2026 Admission
October 24, 2025 (final admission)
Fall 2026 Admission
December 1, 2025 (priority admission)
February 6, 2026 (final general admission)