Oct 03, 2014 02:06 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Southern California (USC), Condé Nast and Wired Magazine are teaming up to create an online master's degree in integrated design, business and technology.

The partnership creates an "unprecedented learning experience," combining the expertise of the editors, writers, and designers at Wired with the academic rigor of USC. The aim of the new degree program is to educate creative thinkers and technologists to better equip them to transform the world of industry and enterprise.

"The pace of technology development requires higher education to continue to respond with programs that are flexible and adaptable, and that meet the needs of future cultural and business leaders," said Erica Muhl, dean of the USC Roski School of Art and Design.

The 18 to 24 month degree program, which offers specially designed coursework from the USC Roski School, the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and other leading programs at the university, represents another first for higher education.

"We've been thinking for years about what a university curriculum with Wired would look like, and now we have a chance to build it with a terrific partner," Scott Dadich, editor in chief of Wired Magazine, said in a statement. "Taking the best from USC and Wired, we can teach discipline and disruption, business fundamentals, and the very latest innovation models from Silicon Valley. This is going to be thrilling."

In addition to the unique curriculum and value of a master's degree from the University of Southern California, the new program's format will offer distinctive opportunities to its participants, including residencies at Wired headquarters; exclusive audiences with Wired leaders and conference speakers; and access to Wired's highly respected editors and writers, as well as leading industry icons.

Students in the program will be immersed in the culture of Wired's award-winning edit and design team, learning how they report, interpret and anticipate the next big breakthroughs in business, science, technology, design and culture.

The first cohort is scheduled to begin in the 2015-2016 academic year.

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