Walton College Launches Master of Science in Product Innovation

Photo by Grant Schol

Justin Urso led student orientation for the 2023 Master of Science in Product Innovation cohort in August.

The Sam M. Walton College of Business’ Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Arkansas welcomed the inaugural class to the Master of Science in Product Innovation program this fall.  

The new program prepares students to develop new physical and digital products and assists them through the cycle of creation, management, promotion and manufacturing. It was created to appeal to both entrepreneurs and professionals in existing companies to revise and enhance products or rollout new ones. 

To kick off the program, M.S.P.I. students visited the Tyson Manufacturing and Automation Center, heard from thought leaders from Walmart Store No. 8 and talked about physical and digital innovation with Tanner Green, chief product officer of Ox Technologies before classes began.

Tailored for early to mid-level working professionals, the M.S.P.I. program is offered in a part-time format spanning a 2-year period beginning each fall semester. The program incorporates 30 credit hours through full summer, fall and spring terms. Classes meet online during the week and one Saturday per month at the university's Global Campus in Bentonville. 

“The M.S.P.I. program was born in response to what we were hearing from partners in industry and the entrepreneurial community, consistently, about talent gaps in our ecosystem,” said Sarah Goforth, executive director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “At the same time, I have always viewed it as a big opportunity to equip students with a skill set that makes their careers undisruptable. To be a product manager is to always be learning, to be able to connect emerging technologies with market needs, and to see problems as opportunities.”

URSO TO LEAD M.S.P.I. PROGRAM

Justin Urso, the M.S.P.I. program director, will continue his duties as the director of the McMillon Innovation Studio within the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation while leading the graduate program. For Urso, the new role is a natural with his experience in product rollouts, the consumer packaged-goods industry and running a small business.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to lead the Master of Science in Product Innovation program at the University of Arkansas,” Urso said. “The M.S.P.I. program provides students with a robust foundation in product innovation principles and offers practicum level tracks, empowering them to develop their ideas and gain essential hard and soft skills to excel in organizations or entrepreneurial pursuits. I envision the M.S.P.I. program as a trailblazer in product innovation, attracting diverse and talented students from all corners of the globe."

The program is jointly managed by  Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Together these offices are creating an experiential approach to helping students develop the skills to drive physical and digital product innovation and prepare them for careers as product managers and entrepreneurs. Students learn how to achieve a product-market fit.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.