USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation Partners with 2U for Design@USC, an Online Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology

LANDOVER, Md. and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Southern California's Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation announced today that it is partnering with 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU), to offer Design@USC, an online master of science program in integrated design, business and technology. Design@USC will be the first graduate program offered by the Academy, which was founded in 2013 by a $70 million gift to USC from technology entrepreneurs and music industry icons Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young, also known as Dr. Dre. 

The multi-disciplinary degree program will offer coursework designed by a collaborative team of world-class faculty drawn from the USC Roski School of Art and Design, the USC Marshall School of Business, and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across these three critical disciplines. Instructors will work with and guide cross-disciplinary teams focused on developing solutions to complex design, business and technological challenges; using data and research to create a portfolio of problem-solving approaches; and managing and adapting to uncertainty. The program will create leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to shape and build today's evolving economy. The first cohort is expected to begin in August 2017.

The Iovine and Young Academy joins USC Rossier School of Education and USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work as the third school at USC offering online degrees supported by 2U. USC's online education model enhances the historic role of the traditional university and adapts to the ever-evolving advances of digital technology. USC currently offers more than 99 programs online to approximately 8,000 graduate and executive education students. This model continues to expand educational access globally while simultaneously upholding the all-important standard for academic rigor and quality.

"Design@USC is built on a conceptual understanding of design as a way of thinking and as a universal problem-solving process, and capitalizes on the groundbreaking pedagogical models created by the USC Iovine and Young Academy," said Erica Muhl, founding executive director of the Iovine and Young Academy and dean of the USC Roski School of Art and Design. "This degree will extend the boundaries of a traditional MBA or MS degree, and provide critical new literacies for those in a variety of fields and disciplines around the globe."

"USC was our first partner in 2008, and we are honored to expand our USC partnership to the Academy for this new degree," said Chip Paucek, 2U founder and CEO. "A global center for arts, technology and business, USC has a long history of breaking boundaries to provide in-demand educational opportunities to innovators, leaders and creative thinkers around the world. Design@USC will build on this tradition and we are excited to work with the Iovine and Young Academy to reimagine the future of design, technology and business education."

As the new online program manager, 2U will now support the Iovine and Young Academy in the development, launch and management of this innovative degree program, which will be the first of its kind nationwide. Design@USC will feature live face-to-face online classes taught through a multidisciplinary, studio-based approach, dynamic course content delivered through 2U's Platform, and real-world residential experiences in the Garage, the Academy's unique collaborative creation space, and elsewhere. The Garage features state-of the art learning and networking spaces, maker and fabrication studios with 3D scanning and printing capabilities, high-powered computer work stations, and spaces for individual and group work.

Design@USC is pending internal review by the USC University Committee on Curriculum.  

About USC Iovine and Young Academy

Founded with a visionary gift from entrepreneurs Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young, the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation is an academy designed to teach critical thinking and nurture unbridled creativity at the intersection of three essential areas: art and design; engineering and computer science; and business and venture management.

Conceived as a collaborative environment that brings students, instructors and professional mentors together, the Academy is a transformational presence on one of the nation's most dynamic university campuses. The focus of the program's course of study is on creativity and critical thinking. It draws on the talents and influence of faculty and leaders from multiple disciplines and industries to empower the next generation of disruptors and professional thought leaders who will ply their skills in a global arena. To learn more, go to http://iovine-young.usc.edu/

About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ:TWOU)  
2U partners with leading colleges and universities to deliver the world's best online degree programs so students everywhere can reach their full potential. Our Platform, a fusion of cloud-based software-as-a-service technology and technology-enabled services, provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure they need to attract, enroll, educate, support and graduate students globally. Blending live face-to-face classes, dynamic course content and real-world learning experiences, 2U's No Back Row® approach ensures that every qualified student can experience the highest quality university education for the most successful outcome. To learn more, go to 2U.com.

Media Contacts:

USC
Ellen Evaristo
213 821 6953 
[email protected]

2U
Shirley Chow
858-336-0358
[email protected]

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