For additional information on this or any Workforce Innovation course, contact CSI’s Assistant Director for Programs, Casey O’Brien, at caseyo@uwm.edu.
Who This Program Is For
DML 2.0 is built for mid- to senior-level manufacturing professionals who are already dealing with the realities of digital transformation, including evaluating technology investments, building the case for change, and leading teams through adoption. Most participants come with a technical or operations background, though no specific credentials are required. What they have in common is a drive to lead more effectively at the intersection of technology and business strategy.
Description
The Digital Manufacturing Leadership program (DML 2.0),offered through the Connected Systems Institute at UW–Milwaukee, is a 10-week fully online program that moves from strategy and leadership foundations into applied implementation across connected systems, supply chain, reliability, and analytics.
Throughout the program, structured reflections invite participants to think critically about how each module’s concepts apply directly to their own organization. This is learning designed to be immediately relevant, not theoretical.
Content is developed and delivered entirely by industry practitioners doing this work today. This session’s curriculum includes updated content on the use of generative AI in manufacturing.
Instructor Contact
Modules are developed and delivered by an industry practitioner who is actively working in that week’s subject area, not an academic or generalist consultant. Each week’s live online roundtable session gives participants direct access to that instructor, creating space for real questions, relevant use cases, and conversation that goes beyond the recorded content.
Small Learning Cohorts
Cohorts are capped at 25 participants. Spending 10 weeks working through complex topics alongside a small group of peers from across the manufacturing industry creates a level of engagement and candor that larger programs simply cannot replicate. The professional relationships that form along the way regularly outlast the program itself.
Program Topics
The 10 modules are sequenced intentionally, building from strategic foundations in the first half to applied implementation in the second.
- Introduction to Digital Manufacturing
- Drive AI Strategy
- Business Benefit and Case Development
- Connected System Architecture
- Organizational Change Management
- Advanced Reliability Methods
- Digital Supply Chain
- IoT Operations and Governance
- IoT-Enabled Analytics and Actions
- Decision-Making and Implementation Strategy
Each module contains video lectures, approximately 5 hours of reading, and a short assessment.
Program Cost
The Summer 2026 cohort is grant-funded and open to accepted participants at no cost. This is a rare opportunity to access a $2,000 program, taught entirely by active industry practitioners, at no charge.
Future cohorts will cost $2,000 per person. Organizations interested in enrolling multiple participants should contact Tom Hershberger at hershber@uwm.edu or 608-556-4984 to discuss group pricing.
Graduate Credit
Successful completion of DML 2.0 earns two graduate credits from UW-Milwaukee, applicable toward a Master’s degree in Connected Systems. For professionals who want to go deeper, DML 2.0 offers a direct on-ramp into 51ÁÔÆæ’s graduate program in one of the fastest-growing fields in manufacturing.
Digital Badge
Learners who successfully complete this pathway will earn a digital badge so you can share this accomplishment with others. A digital badge validates that the earner has acquired a set of knowledge, skills, or abilities by completing a learning pathway. Earners can easily share badges with their professional networks, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
Contact
The Summer 2026 cohort is filling now. Spots are limited to 25 participants, and selection is based on fit and readiness for the program.
To learn more or apply, contact Tom Hershberger at hershber@uwm.edu or 608-556-4984. We’d love to have you in the cohort.