Designs for deep ultraviolet (DUV) edge emitting laser diodes (LDs) based on the wurtzite III-nitride (III-N) material system are presented. A combination of proprietary and commercial advanced semiconductor LD simulation software is used to study the operation of III-N based DUV LDs theoretically. Critical factors limiting device performance are identified based on an extensive literature survey. A comprehensive design parameter space is investigated thoroughly with the help of advanced scripting capabilities. Several design strategies are proposed to eliminate the critical problems completely or partially. A DUV LD design is proposed based exclusively on AlInN active layers grown epitaxially on bulk AlN substrates because AlInN offers a promising alternative to AlGaN for the realization of LDs and LEDs operating in the DUV regime. The proposed AlInN-based design also features a tapered electron blocking layer (EBL) instead of a homogeneous one. Tapered EBLs redistribute the interfacial polarization charge volumetrically throughout the entire EBL thickness via compositional grading, and eliminate the parasitic inversion layer charge. AlGaN based DUV LD designs are explored also because at present, it may be difficult to grow AlInN epitaxially with superior crystalline quality. Polarization charge matching is proposed to improve electron and hole wavefunction overlap within the active region. Although the strategy of polarization charge matching has already been proposed in the literature to enhance performance of visible wavelength LEDs and LDs, the proposed design presents the first demonstration that polarization charge matching is also feasible for DUV LDs operating at sub-300 nm wavelengths. A lateral current injection (LCI) LD design is proposed featuring polarization-charge-matched barriers and regrown Ohmic contacts to avoid a group of issues related to the highly inefficient p-type doping of wide bandgap III-N materials in vertical injection designs. The proposed design partially decouples the problem of electrical injection from that of optical confinement. Although the idea of an LCI LD design has been proposed in the literature in the 90s to be used as longer wavelength active sources in optoelectronic integrated circuits using GaInAsP/InP and related material systems, the proposed design is the first theoretical demonstration that this concept can be applied to DUV LDs based on III-N material system. To solve the problem of hole transport in vertical injection designs, a DUV LD design based exclusively on AlGaN material system is presented, featuring an inverse-tapered p-waveguide layer instead of an EBL. Several EBL designs are investigated, and compared with conventionally-tapered EBL design. Through judicious volumetric redistribution of fixed negative polarization charge, inverse tapering may be exploited to achieve nearly flat valence band profiles free from barriers to hole injection into the active region, in contrast to conventional designs. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the inverse tapered strategy is a viable solution for efficient hole injection in vertical injection DUV LDs operating at shorter wavelengths (< 290 nm).