MMM Program

The MMM Program is a dual-degree program at Northwestern University between the McCormick School of Engineering and the Kellogg School of Management. The name of the program is pronounced "The Triple-M Program" by faculty, students, and alumni.
History
Beginning as Operations Program
The development of the program began in the 1980s under the leadership of Donald Jacobs who was dean of the Kellogg School of Management at the time. The manufacturing industry in the United States was under intense competition during this time principally due to Japan's use of kanban and JIT principles. Dean Jacobs collaborated with the engineering school to found the Masters of Management and Manufacturing (i.e. MMM) Program with the intent to equip business leaders with operation and manufacturing management skills. The first class enrolled in 1991 and graduated in 1993.
Pivot Toward Design Innovation
During the 2000s the MMM Program pivoted from its focus solely on operations to include curriculum around design thinking. This was done partly because operations had become part of the core curriculum at the Kellogg School and also because of the prominent rise of design thinking within the business world. Don Norman served as director of the MMM Program during this time and oversaw the change from a program focused solely on operations to one more inclusive of design thinking and user-centered design.
In 2013, the MMM Program announced a further shift toward design innovation and product management with a revamp of its curriculum. Prior to this change, MMM students were required to take the same amount of credits as regular two-year MBA graduates of the Kellogg School. With these changes, MMM students now attend a summer quarter of classes before the regular two-year program begins at Kellogg. Prior to this announcement, graduates of the MMM Program received both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Engineering Management. The class of 2016 and subsequent classes will now receive a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Design Innovation.
Origin of Program Name
Though the MMM Program has been upgraded several times to reflect the current needs and relevance of the marketplace, the name has remained the same. Keeping true to its design curriculum, the team overhauling the program in 2013 underwent extensive user research of current students, alumni, faculty, and employers to understand the needs of the name of the program. It was decided to leave the name as it was without it having any true meaning as an acronym similar to companies like 3M, NCR, SAP, USAA, or IDEO which are well known companies but rarely are the meanings of these acronyms known and in some cases the meaning proves to be no longer relevant.
Leadership
The MMM Program is led by co directors representing both the Kellogg School and the McCormick School. The current directors are Bobby Calder from the Kellogg School and Greg Holderfield from the McCormick School.
Facilities
Most core curriculum classes for the MMM Program are taught in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center ("Ford Building" in the student vernacular) of the McCormick School with some exceptions. The Ford Building also houses the program's offices and student lounge which is equipped with white boards, smart boards, conference rooms, a commons area, and materials for ideation and prototyping. MMM students are also given access to the engineering school's machine shop and 3D printer though MMM students rarely use these resources.
Notable Alumni
*Murray Brozinsky '94, CEO, Cambrian Technologies LLC
*Jeff Galagher '99, VP & CFO, Walmart US eCommerce, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
*Matt Levatich '94, President & COO, Harley Davidson
*Ajit Ramachandran '08, Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Development, Barclaycard
*Richard Bennett '92, Vice President, Design Engineering, American Express
*Caleb Tower '93, CEO, P3 Software
See Also
MMM Program on Kellogg School website

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