Courses of Interest

American Language Institute

ALI 242 High Intermediate Pronunciation (3 units)

Description: Required for international students whose pronunciation skills are assessed at the high intermediate level by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or previous ALI course.

Students will receive individual help to identify and address their pronunciation needs. The course covers word stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns, and the mechanics of articulating consonants and vowels. Fun and useful activities help students to increase their confidence and intelligibility in speaking English.

ALI 252 Advanced Pronunciation (2 units)

Description: Required for international students whose pronunciation skills are assessed at the advanced level by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or previous ALI course.

For those who want to achieve more native-like pronunciation, this course covers how to link words and phrases, produce accurate stress patterns, and convey meaning using proper intonation. Students work on their individual “target areas” and exchange recordings with the instructor, who offers weekly feedback and tips.

ALI 254 Advanced Oral Skills (2 units)

Description: Required for international students whose oral skills are assessed to be at the advanced level by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or previous ALI course. Graded CR/NC.

This class is for high-intermediate and advanced level students who want to communicate more fluently, effectively, and confidently in spoken English. Students will work on the oral skills needed for everyday conversations as well as class discussions and short oral presentations.

ALI 255 Advanced Writing Skills (2 units)

Description: Required for international students whose writing skills are assessed to be at the advanced level by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or previous ALI course. Graded CR/NC.

For advanced level students who want to write clearer, more effective English for college-level purposes. In this class students receive extensive feedback on multiple drafts of academic research papers with a focus on revising and editing while focusing on resilience with vocabulary and grammatical structure.

ALI 275 Writing for Publication and Dissertations (2 units)

Description: Elective course for international graduate students focusing on conventions of advanced academic writing and problems in syntax, vocabulary, and register for writing and/or publishing dissertations. Graded CR/NC.

This course is designed to help international students with advanced writing projects such as theses, dissertations, and papers for publication. Individualized instruction covers conventions of academic writing, syntax and vocabulary. Students will work on their own projects.

School of Architecture

ARCH 106x Workshop in Architecture (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the ways architecture is created and understood, for minors and non majors. Hands-on discussion and laboratory session with some drawing and model building. Not available for credit to architecture majors.

ARCH 214a World History of Architecture (3 units)

Description: A world-wide perspective of architectural history as a product of social, cultural, religious, and political dimensions, a: 4500 BCE to 1500 CE.

ARCH 220 The Architect’s Sketchbook (2 units)

Description: The architect’s sketchbook as a portable laboratory for perceiving and documenting space introduces the study of the built environment. On-site sessions develop drawing, observation, and visualization skills.

ARCH 306 Shelter (4 units)

Description: Investigation of issues, processes, and roles of individuals, groups and communities in relation to present and future shelter needs and aspirations.

ARCH 404 Topics in Modern Architecture in Southern California (3 units)

Description: Investigation of modern architecture in Southern California within its cultural and historic contexts.

ARCH 419 Architectural Sustainability Tools and Methods (3 units)

Description: Lectures, comparative studies and exercises on international architectural sustainability rating and certification systems.

ARCH 421 Digital Architectural Photography (2 units)

Description: Perceiving and documenting the built environment through the perspective and frame of the digital camera. Mastering the basic principles of the digital image though an understanding of frame, light, exposure, color correction, and printing output.

ARCH 422 Architectural Photography (2 units)

Description: Perceiving and documenting the built environment through the perspective and frame of the camera. Abilities with 35mm and large format cameras, lighting, and black and white lab techniques will be developed. Recommended preparation: knowledge of 35mm camera.

ARCH 440m Literature and the Urban Experience (4 units)

Description: Post-industrial revolution urban environments and dynamic relationships in cities such as Manchester, Paris, St. Petersburg, New York, and Los Angeles, as revealed in novels, architecture, and urban forms.

ARCH 481 Furniture Design (2 units)

Description: An investigation into 20th century furniture design and its relationships to architecture, art and design.

ARCH 520 Housing and Community Design for an Aging Population (2 units)

Description: Exploration of the role design plays in enhancing independence and well-being for older people by examining cross-cultural models of housing and community design.

ARCH 529 Urban Housing: Programs, Precedents, and Recent Case Studies (2 units)

Description: Historical overview of the major domestic and international housing developments and innovations since the early 20th century. Case study format examining a wide range of issues that determine the form of urban housing in various cultures. Major emphasis on the detail analysis of social, technical, and design factors affecting recent housing developments. Recommended preparation: two years of undergraduate architectural studies.

ARCH 531 The Natural Landscape (3 units)

Description: Lectures, laboratory exercises and field trips introducing basic knowledge of the continually transforming landscape as a base for human settlement.

ARCH 538 Urban Plant Ecology: California Plant Communities (3 units)

Description: Emphasizes plant material vocabulary regarding native plants of Southern California in relation to ecological conditions of urban settings.

ARCH 550 Heritage Conservation Policy and Planning (3 units)

Description: Conservation practice within an economic, political, and cultural context looking at the regulatory environment, public advocacy and policy, real estate development, heritage tourism, environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, and interpretation. Recommended preparation: ARCH 549.

ARCH 551 Conservation Methods and Materials (3 units)

Description: Concepts and techniques for building conservation including identification of treatments, recordation and research, material properties and behavior, building forensics, and project implementation. Recommended preparation: ARCH 549.

Marshall School of Business

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

BUCO 450 Communication for Organizations: Exploring Creativity (2 units)

Description: Development of individual creative thinking and problem-solving skills; exploration of workplace creativity; advancement of managerial communication skills necessary to foster organizational innovation.

Professor: Ellen-Linnea Dipprey

BUCO 458 Managing Communication and New Media (4 units)

Description: Individual and team exploration of 21st century media tools and their impact on communication strategies in business. Course uses social media, collaborative software, virtual immersion, and video conferencing.

BUCO 460 International Business Communication (4 units)

Description: Interpersonal, cultural and organizational communication skills needed for international or global business settings. Recommended preparation: BUAD 302.

Professor: Peter Cardon

BUCO 485 Business Communication Management for Nonprofits (4 units)

Description: Communication environment; communication activities for fundraising and visibility; research and evaluation methods; grant proposals; strategies for communicating social mission to media, government and for-profit partners.

Professor: James Owens

BUCO 533 Managing Communication in Organizations (3 units)

Description: Analyze, design, develop, and present theory-based communication solutions and strategies to sophisticated interpersonal, group, organizational, and environmental communication issues and problems. Recommended preparation: GSBA 502 or GSBA 523 or GSBA 542.

Professor: Jim Gosline

FINANCE AND BUSINESS ECONOMICS

FBE 400x Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Development (4 units)

Description: Case analysis examining economic and financial aspects of real estate decisions for non-business majors. Focuses on dynamics of financing, markets and the development process. Open to all majors. Not available for credit as a senior options course for business majors or for students in the real estate option.

FBE 429 International Business Law (4 units)

Description: Introductory course on the legal and regulatory environment of international business transactions.

INFORMATION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

IOM 424 Business Forecasting (4 units)

Description: A variety of forecasting techniques used by a variety of businesses. Emphasis on learning to apply these techniques to real data. Prerequisite: BUAD 310.

IOM 435 Business Database Systems (4 units)

Description: Computer-based management of data including data structures, conceptual data modeling, logical data modeling, structured query language (SQL), and physical optimization of high performance databases.

IOM 547 Designing Spreadsheet-Based Business Models (3 units)

Description: Application of decision analysis, simulation and optimization techniques to managerial problems. Students learn how to create and present useful spreadsheet models to analyze practical business models. Recommended preparation: completion of first-year M.B.A. courses.

IOM 580 Project Management (3 units)

Description: Applications of systems theory and concepts, matrix organizational structures, PERT/CPM project modeling, and management information systems to the management of complex and critical projects. Recommended preparation: GSBA 504b or GSBA 534.

IOM 581 Supply Chain Management (3 units)

Description: Issues in supply chain management. Supply chain performance and dynamics. Tools for planning, control and coordination. Supply chain design and strategy. Recommended preparation: GSBA 504b or 534.

IOM 583 Operations Consulting (3 units)

Description: Development of conceptual and analytic skill for improving operations. Analysis of business strategy, formulating and implementing operations strategy, process analysis and design, and project management. Recommended preparation: GSBA 504b or GSBA 534.

MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

MOR 472 Power, Politics and Influence (4 units)

Description: Theories and practices about how power, politics and influence affect organizational life. Knowledge and skills for diagnosing and managing these features of an organization.

Chemistry

CHEM 103Lx General Chemistry for the Environment and Life (4 units)

Description: Chemistry for environmental studies, neuroscience and other life sciences: organic and inorganic structures, nomenclature, stoichiometry, solutions, gases, non-covalent interactions, equilibria, acid-base and redox reactions. Not for major credit in chemistry.

CHEM 205Lxg Chemical Forensics: The Science, and Its Impact (4 units)

Description: Scientific principles underlying forensic approaches to the investigation of crimes and its societal impact on law, culture and media. Not available for major credit.

School of Cinematic Arts

ANIMATION

CTAN 330 Animation Fundamentals (2 units)

Description: An introduction to the fundamentals of animation, covering such topics as timing, anticipation, reaction, overlapping action, and metamorphosis.

CTAN 432 The World of Visual Effects (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the expanding field of visual effects; topics include magic lanterns shows, stop-motion fantasies and animation combination films employing the latest digital technologies.

CTAN 450a Animation Theory and Techniques (2 units)

Description: Methods for creating animation blending traditional techniques with contemporary technologies.

CTAN 452 Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation (2, max 4 units)

Description: Lecture and laboratory in computer animation: geometric modeling, motion specification, lighting, texture mapping, rendering, compositing, production techniques, systems for computer-synthesized animation.

CTAN 462 Visual Effects (2 units)

Description: Survey of contemporary concepts and approaches to production in the current state of film and video effects work. Digital and traditional methodologies will be covered, with a concentration on digital exercises illustrating modern techniques.

CTAN 465L Digital Effects Animation (2 units)

Description: All aspects of digital effects animation, including particles, dynamics, and fluids. Creating water, fire, explosions, and destruction in film. Includes an introduction to the rich procedural capabilities of Houdini, the standard application used in the industry for effects animation. The course will encompass a series of hands-on exercises, so a prior basic working knowledge of Maya or other 3-D application is essential. Prerequisite: CTAN 452 or CTAN 462.

CTAN 503 Storyboarding for Animation (2 units)

Description: Focus on film grammar, perspective, and layout, staging and acting as it relates to storyboarding for animation.

CTAN 550 Stop Motion Puppet and Set Design (2 units)

Description: Puppet and set design for stop motion animation while providing guidance on armature rigs that allow the character to be animated effectively.

CRITICAL STUDIES

CTCS 190 Introduction to Cinema (4 units)

Description: Gateway to majors and minors in cinema-television. Technique, aesthetics, criticism, and social implications of cinema. Lectures accompanied by screenings of appropriate films.

Rated one of the top six “USC classes you cannot afford to miss”(Saturday Night Magazine, 2004), this course explores the formal properties of cinema, such as literary design, performance, and film design. Films may include Raging Bull, Sunset Blvd., Singin’ in the Rain, All About Eve, and No Country for Old Men.

Professor: Robert Thomas Buerkle

CTCS 191 Introduction to Television and Video (4 units)

Description: Exploration of the economic, technological, aesthetic, and ideological characteristics of the televisual medium; study of historical development of television and video including analysis of key works; introduction to TV/Video theory and criticism.
Are we doomed to a future of wall-to-wall reality television? Will YouTube replace network TV? This course studies television as a unique dramatic form. Screenings will run the gamut from “I Love Lucy” to “Weeds” to “Mad Men.”

Professor: Ellen Seiter

CTCS 192m Race, Class, and Gender in American Film (4 units)

Description: Analyzes issues of race, class and gender in contemporary American culture as represented in the cinema.

One of the most popular classes offered at USC, this course focuses on the relationship between film and American society in order to address issues of race, class, and gender in contemporary Hollywood cinema. This course satisfies the university’s diversity requirement.
Professor: Todd E. Boyd

CTCS 407 African American Cinema (4 units)

Description: Intensive survey of African American cinema; topics include history, criticism, politics, and cinema’s relationship to other artifacts of African American culture.

Exploration of the history, debates, and controversies surrounding the often limited space afforded Black or African American films within the Hollywood Studio System and the independent Black cinema that arose in response. Screenings may include Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, She’s Gotta Have It and Precious.
Professor: Garrett Evan Bane Thompson

CTCS 414 Latina/o Screen Cultures (4 units)

Description: Examination of Latino/a moving image production including film, video, and digital media in the context of the politics of race, class, gender, sexuality, and international relations.

What makes a Latina/o film Latina/o? This course will explore the history of Latina/o film and media from a variety of perspectives, including how Latina/os have been represented in mainstream U.S. films. Readings on specific films will be supplemented by readings in literature, history, sociology and anthropology.
Professor: Laura Isabel Serna

CTCS 464 Film and/or Television Genres (4, max 8 units)

Description: Rigorous examination of film genres: history, aesthetics, cultural context, social significance, and critical methodologies.

LOL! New Approaches in Film and Television Comedy (18118) — We will consider the dominant themes, characteristics, personalities, and formal aspects of screen comedy in American and global comedy, and the diverse ways in which comedians have shaped our notions of humor and influenced a dominant mode of filmmaking.
Professors: Nitin P. Govil, Benjamin Wright

CTCS 501 History of Global Cinema Before World War II (2 units)

Description: Historical survey of global cinema from its beginnings until the advent of World War II.

This course surveys the history of cinema’s first half-century. Lectures, discussions, readings and screenings will explore the formal diversity of international cinema and examine the impact of global circulation and the complicated dominance of the American film industry.
Professor: Laura Isabel Serna

CTCS 517 Introductory Concepts in Cultural Studies (4 units)

Description: Introduction to central concepts, key theories, and/or leading figures in cultural studies, particularly as they relate to issues of popular culture and visual media.

We will examine the different theories and theorists that make up the world of cultural studies, as well as various methods academics use to decode the objects and ideas that surround us. The class will specifically focus on the role of identity politics and narratives of race, class, and gender within contemporary society.
Professor: Denise McKenna

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

CTIN 309 Introduction to Interactive Entertainment (4 units)

Description: Critical vocabulary and historical perspective to analyze and understand experiences with interactive entertainment; students imagine and articulate their own ideas.

Lectures will address the cultural history and theories of videogames. Students will play, analyze, interpret and discuss works from 1961 to the present, while cultivating a critical language for videogame aesthetics.
Professor: William Huber

CTIN 404L Usability Testing for Games (2 units)

Description: Concepts and methods of usability assessment. The emphasis will be on understanding the issues surrounding game interfaces, and utilizing usability assessment methods.

As games become more sophisticated in their visual design, features, and cultural impact, the study of how we interact with them and understand them becomes an essential aspect of our media literacy. The emphasis will be on understanding game interfaces and translating them into design recommendations.
Professor: Heather Desurvire

CTIN 405L Design and Technology for Mobile Experiences (2 units)

Description: Critical and pragmatic insights into designing mobile experiences and technology. Design groups will develop a mobile project using principles from readings and class discussions.

CTIN 406L Sound Design for Games (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the techniques, terminology, and implementation of sounds in games, including establishing a sense of place and concepts of realistic sound.
Professor: Vincent Derina Diamante

CTIN 462 Critical Theory and Analysis of Games (4 units)

Description: Formal, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of digital games, critical discourse around gameplay, and the relationship of digital games to other media. Recommended preparation: CTIN 488.
Professor: William Huber

CTIN 488 Game Design Workshop (4 units)

Description: Theory and evaluation of interactive game experiences and principles of game design utilizing the leading software approaches and related technologies. Recommended preparation: CTIN 309, CTIN 483.

Students will experience the fundamentals of game design through the study of classic games in both traditional and electronic form, as well as design their own games. Designed to provide the foundation of knowledge for becoming a professional game designer.

MULTIMEDIA SCHOLARSHIP

IML 140 Workshop in Multimedia Authoring (2, max 4 units)

Description: Introduction to the expressive potential of multimedia as a critical and creative tool, supplementing traditional forms of academic work.

IML 201 The Languages of Digital Media (4 units)

Description: An in-depth investigation of the close interrelationships among technology, culture and communication to form a solid foundation for digital authoring.

IML 340 The Praxis of New Media: Digital Argument (2, max 4 units)

Description: An intermediate level course which approaches archived material from multiple perspectives, in order to develop new avenues of expression, education, and research. Recommended preparation: IML 104, IML 140 or IML 201.

IML 420m New Media for Social Change (4, max 8 units)

Description: Creating real social change through multimedia, working in collaboration with a local nonprofit organization. Recommended preparation: IML 104, IML 140 or IML 201.

PRODUCTION

CTPR 327 Motion Picture Camera (3 units)

Description: Use of motion picture camera equipment; principles of black-and-white and color cinematography. Individual projects.

The magic of creating images on film, from using cameras, lenses, and filters to photographic processes and the role of the cinematographer in interpreting story. Hands-on projects put theory into practice.

CTPR 335 Motion Picture Editing (3 units)

Description: Theory, techniques, and practices in picture editing; use of standard editing equipment; individual projects.

Exploration of aesthetics, theory, history and procedures of motion picture editing for many styles of film. Students view award-winning shorts and sections of features to illustrate different editing styles, and edit a series of scenes using the latest Avid Express DV equipment.

CTPR 385 Colloquium: Motion Picture Production Techniques (4 units)

Description: Basic procedures and techniques applicable to production of all types of films; demonstration by production of a short film from conception to completion.

Motion picture production from writing of the script to planning, shooting, and completion of a movie. The class will write, direct, and shoot a digital video.

CTPR 409 Practicum in Television Production (2, 4, max 8 units)

Description: Television production: laboratory course covers operating cameras, creating graphics, technical operations, controlling audio and floor-managing live productions. Students plan and produce actual Trojan Vision programs.

CTPR 426 The Production Experience (2 units)

Description: To provide students with basic working knowledge of both the skills of the motion picture set and production operations through classroom lectures and hands-on experience.

Learn the fundamentals of episodic TV drama and participate in the shooting of an episode written and directed by students. Positions available in producing, camera, sound, production design, or editorial.

WRITING

CTWR 321 Introduction to Television Writing (2 units)

Description: The fundamentals of writing for episodic television. Writing scenes from popular television shows and examination of television story structure. Prerequisite: CTWR 106b, CTWR 412 or CTWR 413.

CTWR 411 Television Script Analysis (2 units)

Description: In-depth analysis of the craft of writing prime-time episodic television. Examination of situation comedies and dramas through weekly screenings and lectures.

CTWR 412 Introduction to Screenwriting (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the formal elements of writing the short film.

Learn the basic building blocks of any screenplay — visualization, character, dialogue, scene structure, conflict, and sequence. After writing short premises, students will progress to combining scenes into sequences and a short script.

CTWR 417 Script Coverage and Story Analysis (2 units)

Description: Evaluation of completed scripts prior to their production. Coverage and analysis of scripts as potential properties from the perspective of a production company.

CTWR 431 Screenwriters and Their Work (2, max 6 units)

Description: Detailed investigation of a specific screenwriter’s style and the works they’ve influenced. Lectures include screenings and visiting screenwriters.

Sex, Violence, Crime and Paranoia: Great Screenwriters of the ’70s looks at the work of four screenwriters — Robert Towne, Francis Coppola, Waldo Salt and Mardik Martin — who responded to the passions, people and problems of a turbulent decade with originality, rebelliousness and a storytelling verve that redefined American cinema and forged a new foundation for the art form and the culture. Revered as a golden age of the director/filmmaker, the 1970s was also an era of extraordinary screenwriting. This course shines a light on the unforgettable writing in films like Midnight Cowboy, The Godfather, Chinatown, The Conversation, Mean Streets and Apocalypse Now and analyzes how the lives, art and collaborative partnerships of four writers helped a country make sense of a mad decade and transform motion pictures forever.

Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

JOURNALISM

JOUR 201 History of News in Modern America (4 units)

Description: Understanding news today. A survey of how news is gathered, weighed, and disseminated and how historical events have shaped news in the 20th century.
Professor: E. Smith

JOUR 210x Basics of Broadcast Newsroom Production for Non-Majors Only (2 units)

Description: Introduction to broadcast newsroom production; preparation and treatment of form and content; procedures, problems, ethics, and practice in planning and producing a nightly newscast. Open to non-journalism majors only. Not available for credit to journalism majors. Graded CR/NC.
Professors: A. Mittelstaedt, S. Scholder, Willa Seidenberg

JOUR 330 Photojournalism (4 units)

Description: Emphasis on fundamental skills necessary for photojournalism including camera techniques, story ideas and digital darkroom.

JOUR 340 Introduction to Advertising (4 units)

Description: History and development of advertising; basic advertising campaigns showing relationships of marketing, creative, print and electronic media.

JOUR 373 The Ethics of Television Journalism (4 units)

Description: Ethical questions in television journalism; the application of these moral dilemmas to prepare students for dealing with similar issues in their lives.
Professor: H. Rosenberg

JOUR 380 Sports, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)

Description: An inside look at the symbiotic relationship of sports and the media — from the interdependence of sports and media, to the coverage of sports in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The economic and ethical issues involved, the conflicts of interest, the history and current status of sports coverage in American media today.
Professor: J. Fellenzer

JOUR 381 Entertainment, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)

Description: An examination of the symbiotic relationship of the entertainment business and the media; press coverage of the entertainment industry; Hollywood’s relationship with news media.
Professor: M. Murphy

JOUR 454 Sports Public Relations (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the field of sports information and promotion, including lectures, media assignments, role-playing, and presentations by sports professionals. Junior standing.

JOUR 460 Social Responsibility of the News Media (4 units)

Description: News media as instruments of constructive social change; standards of ethics and aesthetics: interactions between news media and cultural settings; social responsibility of news media personnel.
Professor: P. Seib

JOUR 466m People of Color and the News Media (4 units)

Description: Reporting and portrayal of people of color in the United States; impact of racial diversity on media, employment and access, and development of media for individuals and communities of color. Open to non-majors.
Professor: F. Gutierrez

JOUR 468m The American Press and Issues of Sexual Diversity (4 units)

Description: Examines how news media reflect and affect perception of gay/lesbian issues; provides historical-contemporary context; arms students to bypass rhetoric and knowledgeably evaluate facts.

JOUR 469 Money, Markets and Media (4 units)

Description: Practical approach to understanding and writing about economic concepts through current events, case studies and historical examples.
Professor: G. Kahn

JOUR 477 Web Analytics for News and Nonprofit Organizations (2 units)

Description: Introduction to using Web traffic and other audience behavior data to manage Websites and social media for news and nonprofit organizations.
Professor: D. Chinn

JOUR 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8 units)

Description: Selected topics in journalism.

Editing in a Multimedia World (21454, 4 units).
Professor: A. Herold

JOUR 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 8 units)

Description: Seminar in selected topics in journalism.

Reporting on Globalization (21562, 3 units).
Professor: M. Parks

School of Dramatic Arts

THTR 124ax Character Acting (2 units)

Description: Concentration of imaginative processes which develop the individual characteristics of a dramatic role. Not available for credit to theatre majors.

THTR 222 Stage Make-up (2 units)

Description: Principles of stage make-up materials and skills allowing the actors to enhance their features and techniques for moderate and extreme aging, injuries, and character roles.

THTR 295 Theatre in America (2, max 8 units)

Description: Current state of American theatre, through a study of acting, playwriting, criticism, stage design, lighting and dramatic styles.

THTR 421 Effective Oral Presentation (2 units)

Description: Developing and practicing performance skills necessary to give an effective oral presentation.

THTR 476m African American Theatre, Dance, and Performance (4 units)

Description: A survey of African American theatre and cultural performance traditions as a reflection of both African American culture and American history.

Earth Sciences

GEOL 105Lg Planet Earth (4 units)

Description: Geologic structure and evolution of planet earth. Principles of plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, processes of mountain building, continent and ocean formation, earthquakes, volcanism, development of landforms by running water and glaciers. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or two-day field trip required.

GEOL 108Lg Crises of a Planet (4 units)

Description: Impact of civilization on planet earth, and impact of earth’s natural evolution on society: earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, global warming, acid rain, groundwater depletion and pollution; mineral and fossil fuel depletion, formation of the ozone hole. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or overnight field trip.

GEOL 130Lg The Nature of Scientific Inquiry (4 units)

Description: Examination of the scientific process: what constitutes science; evolution of ideas about the nature of space, time, matter, and complexity; paradigm shifts in the biological and earth sciences. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

GEOL 150Lg Climate Change (4 units)

Description: Climate systems from the beginning of earth history to the present; tools and techniques used to reconstruct prehistoric climate records; effects of climate variations on development of life forms on earth.

East Asian Area Studies

EASC 150g East Asian Societies (4 units)

Description: Main patterns of change in modern China, Japan, and Korea; historical framework and the insights of geography, economics, political science, and other disciplines.

For the spring 2013 semester, this course will be taught by Jacques Hymans, Associate Professor of International Relations, and will also include comparisons of China, Japan and Korea to other Asian countries.
Professor: Jacques Edson Hymans

East Asian Languages and Cultures

EALC 342g Japanese Literature and Culture (4 units)

Description: Japanese literature from the earliest times to the present; development of prose, poetry, and the novel; evolution of theatre; Japanese literature under Western influence. Conducted in English.

EALC 352g Chinese Literature and Culture (4 units)

Description: Readings of Chinese poetry, prose, novels and drama; influence of the West on Chinese literature and culture in modern times. Conducted in English.

EALC 428 Nature and the Environment in Japanese Literature and Culture (4 units)

Description: Examination of cultural perceptions about nature and how they affect attitudes toward the environment: includes comparisons to Euro-American as well as other East Asian traditions.

Viterbi School of Engineering

ASTRONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

ASTE 280 Astronautics and Space Environment I (3 units)

Description: Solar system, two-body problem, orbits. Hohmann transfer, rocket equation, space environment and its effects on space systems, sun, solar wind, geomagnetic field, atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere. Prerequisite: MATH 226 and PHYS 152.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

ITP 101x Introduction to Information Technology (4 units)

Description: Introduction to computer hardware, operating systems, networks, programming. Survey of application software in business and industry. Computer issues in the work place and society.

ITP 104x Internet Publishing Technologies (2 units)

Description: Basic Internet publishing using HTML and other Web technologies. Concepts and theory of Web publishing and production. Introduction to page layout and design. Not available for major credit in electrical engineering or computer science.

ITP 109x Introduction to Java Programming (2 units)

Description: Introduction to object-oriented software design for business problems. Creation of console applications, windowed applications, and interactive Web applets. Not available for major credit in electrical engineering or computer science.

ITP 115 Programming in Python (3 units)

Description: Learn how to program using Python. With its high level data structures and clear syntax, Python is an ideal first language.

ITP 125Lx From Hackers to CEOs: Introduction to Information Security (2 units)

Description: Introductory course in computer security. Fundamentals of information security management. Threats to information integrity. Ethical hacking concerns and practice. Policies and Procedures. Not available for major credit in engineering.

ITP 140 Mobile Application Technologies (2 units)

Description: Technologies, devices, operating systems, and tools of mobile applications, as well as the mobile industry. Students will use tools to create apps for different mobile devices.

ITP 215Lx 3D Modeling, Animation, and Special Effects (2 units)

Description: Developing a 3D animation from modeling to rendering: Basics of surfacing, lighting, animation and modeling techniques. Advanced topics: compositing, particle systems, and character animation. Not available for major credit in engineering. Recommended preparation: Knowledge of any 2D paint, drawing, or CAD program.

ITP 230x Video Game Quality Assurance (4 units)

Description: Survey game software development through quality assurance and in-depth analysis of the development cycle with a focus on bug testing systems and methodologies. Not available for major credit in electrical engineering

ITP 280 Video Game Production (4 units)

Description: History of video games; overview of game genres; phases of video game development (concept, preproduction, production, post-production); roles of artists, programmers, designers, and producers.

ITP 320x Enterprise Wide Information Systems (3 units)

Description: The role Information Systems play in an organization. Integration of Business Processes by using Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). Not available for major credit in engineering.

ITP 411x Interactive Multimedia Production (3 units)

Description: Interactive multimedia title development cycle. Programming a time-based authoring tool; design, develop, and deliver a multimedia title on the Web and state-of-the-art storage media.

Environmental Studies

ENST 100 Introduction to Environmental Studies (4 units)

Description: Gateway to the majors and minors in environmental studies. Provides students with an overview of how government agencies and societal institutions address (or fail to address) the interrelated social and scientific aspects of environmental problems and policies.

Exercise Science

EXSC 202L Principles of Nutrition and Exercise (2 units)

Description: Fundamental knowledge of proper nutrition for optimal health performance. Concepts of weight loss, gain; understanding of cardiorespiratory functioning. Laboratory experiments; body composition evaluation, energy metabolism. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

EXSC 203L Individualized Exercise Prescription (2 units)

Description: Principles and theories related to exercise prescription; programs of weight-training, circuit-training, aerobics, flexibility, high and low-intensity training guidelines; safeguards and effectiveness. Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 2 hours.

EXSC 310 Sociopsychological Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity (4 units)

Description: Examination of the individual in a social environment related to sport and physical activity; personality, motivation, attitude, and group behavior viewed in physical activity contexts.

Roski School of Art and Design

CERAMICS

FACE 112 Ceramics (4 units)

Description: Practical and theoretical exploration of the nature of surface, form, volume and mass as fundamental elements of clay sculpture and the ceramic object.

DESIGN

FADN 102 Design Fundamentals (4 units)

Description: Introduction to the basic elements and processes of visual communication and design. Instruction includes studio projects, lectures and readings. Various media used.

INTERMEDIA

FAIN 220 Introduction to Video and Time-based Experimentation (4 units)

Description: An introductory course exploring contemporary processes and practices of video experimentation including the camera, desktop production, and editing. Experimentation with multiple modes of execution, presentation, and distribution.

FINE ARTS

FA 140x A Cultural Guide to Los Angeles (2 units)

Description: An experiential and critical survey of the cultural phenomena that make up Los Angeles: dance, music, theater, film; emphasis on visual arts. Graded CR/NC. Not available for major credit to fine arts majors.

FA 208ax Three-Dimensional Art Workshop (2, max 8 units)

Description: Studio practice to develop standards of judgment and appreciation of the visual arts. Not available for credit to studio majors.

PAINTING

FAPT 105 Painting I (4 units)

Description: Practical introduction to oil and acrylic pigments, painting equipment, processes and media. Primary experience in color, composition, and perception through representational and abstract painting.

PUBLIC ART STUDIES

PAS 371 Art in the Public Realm: Contemporary Issues (4 units)

Description: Critical frameworks and theoretical perspectives of contemporary public art issues explored through case studies and discussions with artists, architects, and designers engaging the public realm.

SCULPTURE

FASC 106 Sculpture I (4 units)

Description: Practical and theoretical introduction to sculpture as dimensional manipulation. Primary exploration of form, mass, gravity, surface, structure and associative recognition in three-dimensional art.

FASC 136 Modeling and Mold Making (2 units)

Description: Introduction to plaster mold making using clay and wax for both ceramics and sculpture. Exploration of various casting materials.

FASC 436 Art and Technology (4 units)

Description: An interdisciplinary course between art and engineering that addresses creative thinking in the manipulation of media and the communication of ideas.

Davis School of Gerontology

GERO 340 Policy, Values, and Power in an Aging Society (4 units)

Description: How Americans’ political values affect public policy. Studies of landmark legislation to explore the social contract between generations and role of governments in social welfare.

Learn how the political values and actions of Americans affect public policy and help (or hinder) successful aging. Empower yourself by studying the landmark legislation that illustrates the social contract between generations as well as the multifaceted role the government plays in social welfare.

GERO 380m Diversity in Aging (4 units)

Description: Exploring diversity in the older population and variability in the human aging process.

Perfect for business-minded students and future entrepreneurs, this course offers key insights into the multicultural world of aging. Anyone can benefit from an in-depth glimpse into the needs and concerns of older adults of every culture. Also counts towards the university’s diversity requirement.

GERO 411L Physiology, Nutrition, and Aging (2 or 4 units)

Description: Explores nutritional needs and the physiological, psychological, and sociological relationships to nutrition. Laboratory experiments in assessment and evaluation.

With real-life benefits far beyond the classroom, this course helps empower students to recognize the complex links between what we eat and drink and how we age, and to make healthful changes in their own lives, both today and tomorrow.

GERO 412L Exercise and Aging: Principles and Programs (2 or 4 units)

Description: Physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of exercise. Laboratory involvement in assessment and evaluation of fitness.

GERO 414 Neurobiology of Aging (4 units)

Description: Age-related changes in nervous system structure and function; relationship of brain changes to changes in cognitive function and perception; Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: BISC 220L or BISC 221L.

Students who take this course will gain an in-depth understanding of the fuller picture of what the nervous system and brain undergo as they change with age, including a focus on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Fascinating and applicable to everyone, this course shines a light on a process constantly happening.

GERO 416 Health Issues in Adulthood (4 units)

Description: Physiological, psychological, and social health problems of adults as they are impacted by health choices throughout life.

Learn about the short- and long-term effects of health choices as well as their ramifications, which provides enormous benefit not only for each students’ health and well being, but for that of all the older adults and older-adults-to-be in their life.

GERO 423 Psychological Development through Autobiography (4 units)

Description: Introduction to autobiography as a source of individual psychological development, with emphasis on integration of cognitive, emotional, and decision processes.

Pioneered by James Birren, Ph.D., this course explores the use of guided autobiography as a tool for individual psychological development. Students will experience firsthand the intersection of science and art.

GERO 435m Women and Aging: Psychological, Social and Political Implications (4 units)

Description: Problems and resources of the middle-aged and older woman in a changing society; including discrimination, stereotypes, employment, social interaction, etc.

Society’s complex view of women is changing. Seen as a minority but in fact the growing majority, women are an integral market for any business. Those who study the unique factors facing women of all ages will benefit not just in their own lives but also in their careers.

GERO 437 Social and Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying (2 or 4 units)

Description: Introduction and critical survey of the current issues, concepts, and research of the social and psychological aspects of death and dying.

GERO 440 Biodemography of Aging (4 units)

Description: Consideration of the biological and social-cultural factors that govern the evolution of life spans and the life of humans and selected animal models. Prerequisite: BISC 112, BISC 113, BISC 120 or BISC 121; recommended preparation: statistics.

GERO 475 Ethical Issues in Geriatric Health Care (4 units)

Description: Biomedical ethical issues that are encountered in working with geriatric patients. Examination of ethical theory and the application of theory to clinical settings.
Professor: Robert Michael Tager

GERO 481 Case Management for Older Adults (4 units)

Description: Overview of the concepts, characteristics, skills, and clinical issues of case management in a variety of settings serving older persons.

Fascinating for a variety of disciplines, this course provides a powerful lens through which students examine best practices and real-world applications for serving older adult clients.

Judaic Studies

JS 180 Introduction to Judaism (4 units)

Description: Jewish beliefs, practices, and history from the biblical period to the present; Judaic contributions to Western civilization.

JS 382 Judaism as an American Religion (4 units)

Description: The development of American expressions of Judaism as part of the American religious context, from the perspective of the social scientific study of religion.

Linguistics

LING 110Lg In a Word (4 units)

Description: Words as a gateway to the human mind. How words are stored, comprehended and retrieved. How words are constructed. Words and concepts. Words and social constructs. The processing and the acquisition of words in normal and atypical children and adults.

LING 115g Language, Society, and Culture (4 units)

Description: Discourse patterns among diverse social groups in institutional and interpersonal settings; interrelationships among language practices and gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity; social structures and cultural values as reflected in language policies and practices. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.

LING 210 Introduction to Linguistics (4 units)

Description: Empirical study of the sounds and structures of human language; syntax and semantics; language change; linguistic universals.

LING 275Lg Language and Mind (4 units)

Description: Language within cognitive science: speech physiology and acoustics, language acquisition, reading, language disorders, perception and mental representation of words, linguistic diversity and computer analysis of speech.

LING 450 New Horizons in Forensic Speaker Identification (4 units)

Description: Overview of methods used to identify voices on the basis of their characteristic speech patterns.