Starting in the spring, the University of Kansas will be the first to offer masters degrees in both interactive design and design management.

In the past, there were only two universities in the country that offered separate masters programs for each.

The ITT Institute of Design in Chicago offers design management and Stanford Institute of Design offers interactive design.

The Board of Regents approved the two new masters in its June meeting. Greg Thomas, chairperson and professor for the department of design, said that the University will offer key classes in the fall semester for the degrees that will count as credit for the spring semester.

“The programs in themselves are very sought after,” Thomas said. “With KU being a state school it will offer a more affordable education than the other two.”

According to their proposal, interactive design is defining and creating how consumers interact with a product. Students will learn how to enhance the usability, usefulness and desirability of a product for consumers and businesses. Design management teaches students management and design skills, which will enhance innovation and product value according to the proposal.

Thomas said the two-year programs are geared toward people who have been in the work force and want to advance in their careers.

“You can only go so far with a B.A. before you want to go up another tier,” Thomas said. “Direct management will allow you to move up another ladder as a working professional.”

As for interaction, Thomas said it was one of the most sought after areas of study today.

“Everything you come in contact with has most likely had the input from an interactive designer,” Thomas said, citing the example of the new iPhone. “If you watch the commercial, the way you use the phone has actually reinvented it.”

Currently, the department of design is trying to collaborate with Zollverein School of Design and Management in Essen, Germany. Thomas said it was one of the first schools entirely dedicated to design management. He also said that businesses in Kansas City, like Sprint and Hallmark, had inquired about the program and wanted to be a part of it.

— Edited by Joe Caponio