Outdoor Product Design and Development - BS

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

About This Degree

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.

What You Will Learn

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.

Career And Outcomes

Career Opportunities

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

Job Outlook

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND ADVISING

Advising

We will build on your goals and experiences while working together to design an individualized semester-by-semester plan. Your personalized plan will help you see a path from where you are now on to graduation. Even if you are unsure of the major you would like to pursue, we can help with resources and ideas.

Schedule an Appointment

I am not a current USU student

I have not applied or been admitted, even if I've taken a USU Concurrent Enrollment course

I am a current USU student

I have been admitted and plan to attend, or continue attending USU

USU Locations

LOGAN CAMPUS

Admission

Admission Requirements

In addition to Utah State University’s admissions requirements, this program has additional requirements:

  • First-Year students: First-Year students admitted to USU in good standing qualify for admission to this major.
  • Transfer Students: Transfer students from other institutions and students transferring from other USU majors need a 2.67 total GPA for admission to this major.

International students have additional admissions requirements.

Take The Next Step

You May Also Be Interested In

Art

Available to students at USU Eastern in Price, this associate provides technical skills and knowledge of art for those pursuing other majors. This practical credential can also form the foundation of a later bachelor’s in the field.

Art

Take advantage of faculty who are expert studio artists and scholars as you hone your artistic talents in various artistic areas and participate in group and solo exhibitions, in addition to exploring study abroad opportunities.

Family and Consumer Sciences Education

Take courses in nutrition and foods, clothing and textiles, interior design, child and human development, financial literacy, and more as you prepare to become a family and consumer sciences teacher, in either schools or informal settings.