Outdoor Product Design and Development

A degree in Outdoor Product Design & Development (OPDD) from Utah State University is the first step to a high skill, high wage, high demand career opportunity in product design, development, or management. The OPDD program prepares students for an exciting career bringing innovative, sustainable, and impactful product to market in the dynamic sports, outdoor, and active industries.

In this first of its kind bachelor's degree, students will learn design tools, techniques, and methodologies, to prepare them to develop products through hands on learning experiences. This new program brings together industrial design, engineering, digital design, fashion, sustainability, business, supply chain management and many other concepts important in the creation of consumer products.

Products come to market through the coordination of a team consisting of a designer, developer, and a product line manager. Students can choose one of the following emphasis areas for specialization: Design, Development, Product Line Management after completing the first two years of design foundations.

Emphases:

• Design: This emphasis focuses on learning the design process, how to conduct design, product, and user research, product ideation as well as learning design tools, technologies, and techniques to allow students to visualize their products on paper, digitally, and as physical prototypes.
• Development: This emphasis focuses on project management, negotiations, lean continuous improvement, global supply chain management, sourcing, sales, and operations. Students will collaborate with designers to transform concepts and designs into reality.
• Product Line Management: This emphasis focuses on team management and leadership, market research and consumer behavior, creating product lines plans and design briefs, understand cost, scheduling and ho to bring product to market.

Bachelor Degree Minimum Requirements

Admission to USU is test optional for Spring 2022, Summer 2022, and Fall 2022. ACT/SAT test scores will still be considered if submitted.

• 2.8-4.0 GPA - Admitted in Good Standing
  • Students with less than a 2.8 high school GPA may still be admitted in good standing based upon the combination of their GPA and ACT/SAT score. See if you qualify.
• 2.79 GPA & below - Considered for Earned Admission path.

Associate Degree Minimum Requirements

Most USU Eastern and USU Blanding Associates Degrees and Certificates are open enrollment and do not require a minimum high school GPA or ACT/SAT score.

Recommended High School Prep Work

• 4 years of English
• 4 years of Math (One class beyond math 3)
• 3.5 years of Social Science
• 3 years of Lab-Based Science (one each: biology, chemistry, and physics)
• 2 years of a world language (same language, taken progressively during grades 9-12)

Students receiving this degree can find opportunities for employment as:

Design Careers

• Industrial Designer
• Product Designer
• Apparel Designer
• Footwear Designer
• Color/Material/Trims Designer

Development Careers

• Product Developer
• Apparel Developer
• Material Developer
• Sourcing Specialist
• Supply Chain Specialist

Product Line Management Careers

• Product Developer
• Product Line Manager
• Technical Sales
• Product Marketing
• Account Management