Leverage the experience and training SDM students can bring to your organization’s most complex systems.
Engagement with industry and organizations has been a key driver for MIT System Design & Management (SDM) since the program’s founding. Our strong connections to industry allows our students the chance to tackle real-world systems challenges. And companies can access the extensive MIT research network to learn how to apply foundational systems thinking to the complex problems they face in today’s hyper-connected world.
Research & Education
Our students spend the spring semester working on challenges proposed by industry, governmental, and non-profit partners. The teams take a systems thinking approach to engineering, design, and strategic decision making, applying the skills they learn in the core course. Each team works closely with their project partner, which provides real-world context for the problem, reviews progress throughout the semester, and advises on the relevance of the team’s approach.
Past projects have included:
– Envisioning an architecture for drone swarms used in search-and-rescue operations in disaster areas, with Embraer
– Updating the pathology intake process to speed up matching specialists with cases, with the Mayo Clinic
The call for project pitches opens each year in the fall. The call for 2026 spring pitches will be open until December 1, 2025. More information, project submission guides and templates are available on the SDM Core Integrated Team Projects page.
All SDM students write a graduate thesis involving original research, and organizations may partner with students and the department on their research. Typically this involves identifying a topic of concern to the organization, naming a mentor to work with the student, and providing access to relevant data as necessary. Our team can facilitate advising support from an MIT faculty member to address the challenge.
This partnership enables a company to expand its relationship with SDM, work with an SDM fellow and an MIT expert on a relevant project, and expand access to our network for future opportunities.
Please contact Ignacio Vazquez at ignaciov@mit.edu to discuss spring projects or research partnerships.
Work With Students
With an average of eight to ten years of experience prior to joining our program, combined with MIT’s state-of-the-art education in managing complex systems, SDM fellows are among the most highly sought after graduates at MIT. Our graduates go on to hold leadership positions in a wide variety of organizations.
The SDM program helps facilitate the recruiting process for companies seeking to hire current self-funded SDM students for internship or full-time positions. We also share opportunities with our alumni network, giving you access to a global community of talented and driven leaders.
International students at MIT and recent graduates are also able to work in the U.S. if they meet certain requirements:
Most international MIT SDM students with F-1 visas are eligible to participate in a Department of Homeland Security approved educational program called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Curricular Practical Training authorizes international students to work legally in the U.S. during the summer between their two full years of study.
Optional Practical Training is an additional benefit of a student’s F-1 visa status that allows them to pursue additional training by working in the U.S. for up to 12 months after completing their studies. As a STEM-designated program, graduates from SDM are eligible for an additional 24 months’ extension to their OPT status for a total of 36 months of optional practical training.
Our annual employment report profiles graduating self-sponsored students and provides a selected list of employers, sample job titles, and average salaries. PDFs are available for each year’s reports:
Please contact Julie Papp at jpapp@mit.edu with questions about hiring or recruiting SDM students and alumni.
Support Employee Growth
Organizations large and small have reaped the benefits of sponsoring employees as fellows in MIT’s System Design & Management programs. Sponsored fellows are encouraged to work on projects that provide immediate benefit to their organizations, maximizing the investment in their education and their value to the organization.
The 21-month master’s program is ideal for employees who will continue to work while they are enrolled and attending courses on-campus and/or who have demanding family obligations.
The graduate certificate program focuses on systems and product development and is designed for employees working full-time and attending courses remotely. The program culminates in a capstone project that addresses a complex challenge facing their organization.
SDM holds info sessions through the admissions season for people who are interested in applying. You can find upcoming sessions on our Events page. We can also set up an info session for your organization to explain the program and how your employees can benefit from the skills we teach.
Please contact Ignacio Vazquez at ignaciov@mit.edu with questions about sponsoring employee education. For questions about the application process and admissions, contact sdm@mit.edu.
Bring SDM to your organization
Throughout the year SDM organizes Tech Treks, which bring groups of students to visit companies. Current students hear from current employees and executives about how their organizations employ systems approaches, allowing the students to learn how the tools they use in class are employed in a real-world context.
With our campus location in Cambridge, we run multiple New England Tech Treks every semester, giving students access to the innovation and exploration happening in the greater Boston area
During MIT’s spring break in March, SDM travels to the San Francisco Bay Area for a week-long trek. Companies and organizations are selected by students, with visits often including tours and hands-on demos as well as conversations with a wide range of experts.
Please contact Ignacio Vazquez at ignaciov@mit.edu to discuss a potential visit.
In the summer, SDM brings a group of students to the Netherlands. These trips travel to multiple cities and connect SDM fellows with research organizations, non-profits, and industry across this country to gain new perspective on tackling real-world systems challenges.
SDM also supports Innovation Discovery Japan (IDJ), a student-led trip that introduces MIT students to the vibrant innovation ecosystem in Japan. This annual trek brings students to multiple cities and visits several organizations during MIT’s Independent Activities Period in January.
Please contact Ignacio Vazquez at ignaciov@mit.edu if you have questions about our international treks.
To explore any of these options, reach out to our staff:
Ignacio Vazquez Rodarte
Industry and Certificate Director
ignaciov@mit.edu
Julie Papp
Manager, Career Development
jpapp@mit.edu