Courses of Interest

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 420 Concept Design for Animation (2 units)

Description: Creating characters and environments for animation, live action, and video games.

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 436 Writing for Animation (2 units)

Description: Workshop exploring concept and structure of long and short form animated films through practical writing exercises.

CTAN 448 Introduction to Film Graphics – Animation (4 units)

Description: An introduction to methods for creating analog animation through experimentation with imagery, concepts and materials. Emphasis on basic timing principles and hands-on techniques.

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 460 Character Design Workshop (2 units)

Description: The basics of character design for animation: anatomy, poses, facial expressions, silhouettes, and anthropomorphism. Development of a portfolio.

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 470 Documentary Animation Production (2 units)

Description: Examination of the history, techniques, and methods of documentary animation production. Collaboration on a short film project.

CTAN 495 Visual Music (2 units)

Description: Experimental animation providing the opportunity to produce individual or group projects. Focus is non-conventional techniques for image creation and collaboration between composer and visual artist. Not open to freshmen and sophomores.

CTAN 497L Generative Animation (2 units)

Description: Introduction to software packages and practices exploring current animation techniques that leverage simulation systems. Artificial intelligence as a tool for animation.

CTAN 502L Experiments in Immersive Design (2 units)

Description: An in-depth exploration of aesthetics and techniques involved in the conceptualization, design and creation of immersive media and stereoscopic imaging. (Duplicates credit in former CTAN 502a.)

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 508L Live Action Integration with Visual Effects (2 units)

Description: Survey of the digital techniques required to successfully marry live action shooting with CGI elements and green screen footage.

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.

CTAN 551 Stop Motion Performance (2 units)

Description: Incorporating classic stop motion techniques for puppet performance and animation. Emphasis on timing, performance, movement, animation and gesture.

CTAN 565L Motion Capture Performance (2 units)

Description: The art of directing, acting, and creating story for motion capture will be explored while learning the technology behind bringing virtual actors to life.

CTAN 577b Fundamentals of Animation (2 units)

Description: The exploration of the techniques of the art of character animation with an emphasis on discipline, performance and personality observation, specializing in classical Hollywood animation. Open only to Animation and Digital Arts master students.

CTAN 592 Master Class (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 units)

Description: A special projects course in which students produce a major work through weekly meetings with a master artist/animator. Topics must be approved prior to enrollment. Recommended preparation: Previous advanced animation production experience.

CRITICAL STUDIES

CTCS 190g 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: Drew Casper

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: Nitin P. Govil

CTCS 192gm 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 464 Film and/or Television Genres (4 units)

Description: Rigorous examination of film genres: history, aesthetics, cultural context, social significance, and critical methodologies.
Section 18118: American Film Comedy
Professor: Drew Casper

Section 18120: Crime TV
Professor: Ellen Seiter

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

CTIN 190 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. (Duplicates credit in former CTIN 309.)
Professor: Jeffrey Brian Watson

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 444 Audio Expression (2 units)

Description: Foundational aesthetic principles and creative technologies for game audio. Processing, mixing, and controlling sound for games for expressive effect. Recommended preparation: CTIN 406L.
Professor: Chanel-France Summers

CTIN 479 Documentary and Activist Games (2 units)

Description: How interaction design and games document reality. The unique abilities of interactive media in the realms of non-fiction, documentary, and activism. Recommended preparation: CTIN 190, CTIN 488 or CTIN 541.

Documentary films can illuminate unseen processes, broaden our awareness of the past and present, and challenge us to make a better future. How might games achieve similar ends? What can interactive media do in the realms of non-fiction, documentary, and activism that other kinds of media cannot?
Professor: Jeffrey Brian Watson

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.
Professor: Jane Pinckard

CTIN 499 Special Topics (2, 3, 4 units)

Description: Detailed investigation of new or emerging aspects of cinema, television, and/or interactive media; special subjects offered by visiting faculty; experimental subjects.

Level Design Workshop. In this class you will be making many levels on paper and for many different game engines, and the levels you create will be tangible portfolio pieces that you can show to potential employers as examples of your design abilities. Recommended preparation: CTIN 483, CTIN 488.
Professor: Scott Rogers

CTIN 510 Research Methods for Innovation, Engagement and Assessment (2 units)

Description: Planning, designing, and analyzing a research study for a digital media project. Production of a written report and presentation. Recommended preparation: CTIN 506, CTIN 5417 and CTCS 505.

Theory and evaluation of interactive game experiences and principles of game design utilizing the leading software approaches and related technologies. Students will learn to plan, design, collect/analyze results, and report results for a research study for a digital media project.
Professor: Dennis Wixon

MEDIA ARTS AND PRACTICE

IML 104 Introduction to Digital Studies (2 units)

Description: An introduction to the expressive range of screen languages in their cultural, historical, and technological contexts.

IML 295Lm Race, Class and Gender in Digital Culture (4 units)

Description: Critical analysis of the categories of race, class and gender within the diverse digital spaces of contemporary culture, from video games to the digital divide.

IML 309 Integrative Design for Mobile Devices (4 units)

Description: Hands-on investigation of opportunities and challenges offered by mobile interaction within both cultural and ideological contexts. Recommended preparation: IML 102 or IML 104 or IML 201.

IML 385 Design Fiction and Speculative Futures (4 units)

Description: The history, theory and methods of design fiction, focusing on design videos and physical prototypes as tools for exploring contemporary social, political and ethical life.

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.

PRODUCTION

CTPR 288 Originating and Developing Ideas for Film (2 units)

Description: Exercises in observation, imaginative association, visualization, etc., that deepen the creative process, leading to ideas, stories, characters, and images for narrative, documentary, and experimental films.

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 340 Motion Picture Editing (3 units)

Description: Techniques and aesthetics for recording production sound, editing dialogue, sound effects, music, Foley and preparing for the mix. For film, television, and other media.

Course explores the aesthetics, theory, history and procedures of sound editing for many styles of film and TV.

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 386 Art and Industry of the Theatrical Film (4 units)

Description: Detailed analysis of one theatrical film from conception through critical reception to develop an understanding of motion pictures as art, craft, and industry.

Examines aspects of filmmaking with in-depth study of all facets–screenplay to completion: the anatomy of a film. A major current film is examined in detail and guest speakers involved in the making of the film describe each phase of production. Films previously studied include The Avengers and The Sessions.

Professor: Jason E. Squire

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 410 The Movie Business: From Story Concept to Exhibition (2 units)

Description: Examination of the industry from story ideas, through script development, production and exhibition; evaluation of roles played by writers, agents, studio executives, marketing and publicity.

Covers the gamut of the movie business, from story concept to film exhibition. Guest speakers and lectures will cover the role of the writer, agent, studio executive, producer, director, marketing, and distribution.
Professor: Peter G. Exline

CTPR 422 Makeup for Motion Pictures (2 units)

Description: Examination of the industry from story ideas, through script development, production and exhibition; evaluation of roles played by writers, agents, studio executives, marketing and publicity.

Introduction to makeup for film, TV, and theater, exploring glamour, old age, gore, fantasy, and prosthetic techniques. Students learn through lectures, demos, and hands-on workshops.

Professor: Ian Goodwin

CTPR 423 Introduction to Special Effects in Cinema (2 units)

Description: Introductory workshop in the aesthetics and practices of special effects, embracing both the classical and contemporary modes.
Introduction to makeup for film, TV, and theater, exploring glamour, old age, gore, fantasy, and prosthetic techniques. Students learn through lectures, demos, and hands-on workshops.
Introduction to special effects techniques, cost, and operational characteristics. Workshop environment where students experience time and complexities involved with effects/techniques now in popular use industry-wide. Great for aspiring production managers, directors, and camera and effects specialists.

CTPR 425 Production Planning (2 units)

Description: Theory, discussion, and practical application of production planning during preproduction and production of a film.
From script to screen: practical application of methods and tools for the scheduling, budgeting, and planning of a film.
Professor: Robert L. Brown

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.

CTPR 454 Acting for Film and Television (4 units)

Description: Intensive examination of skills and techniques necessary for successful performances in film and television. Practical application through in-class exercises and assigned projects.

Learn and apply prominent theories of performance and how they relate to film and television. Students gain understanding of the tools of performance, as derived from the stage, and how they relate to film and television.

CTPR 456 Introduction to Art Direction (2 units)

Description: Introduction to computer drafting, set design, rendering and model-making for students with diverse abilities. Guest lecturers, group discussions and hands-on projects.

CTPR 460 Film Business Procedures and Distribution (2, 4 units)

Description: Financing, budgeting, management as applied to films; problems of distribution, including merchandising, cataloging, evaluation, and film library management.

Introduces film economics, exhibition, distribution, and production. Budgets, financing, television/non-theatrical and theatrical films, production and distribution agreements, copyright and legal considerations will also be covered.

CTPR 461 Managing Television Stations and Internet Media (2 units)

Description: Managing electronic media, including radio and television stations, broadcast and cable networks, and the Internet.

Executives from all areas of the TV industry address class each week to provide first-hand information about a wide range of areas, including news production, sales, marketing, syndication, and networks.

Professor: Richard Block

CTPR 470 Practicum in On-Screen Direction of Actors (4 units)

Description: Concentration on the basic skills in working with actors from a director’s point of view.

Students learn to experiment and discuss the many choices in directing actors, including laboratory and scene analysis. Also covered: breaking down a script from the emotional point-of-view of the actor.

CTPR 474 Documentary Production (4 units)

Description: Pairs produce, direct, shoot, and edit a short documentary on a subject of their choice. Finished projects will be suitable for broadcast/festivals.

Students are encouraged to form pairs before class; individual students form partnerships at the beginning of the term. Students must come prepared with two to three documentary ideas.
Finished films will be approximately 15 minutes in length.

Professor: Bill Yahraus

WRITING

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 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.

Loners, Stoners, Mean Girls, and Jocks: Writing the High School Film and TV Series.
In this course we will watch high school films and TV series from 1955 to 2015, examining how writers like Cameron Crowe, John Hughes, Tina Fey, and John Singleton brought their own unique voices and takes to the high school story.

Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

COMMUNICATION

COMM 200 Communication and Social Science (4 units)

Description: Social scientific inquiry into human communication; core theories of message production and reception in interpersonal, group and organizational contexts.

COMM 201 Rhetoric and the Public Sphere (4 units)

Description: Humanistic approaches to inquiry in communication; qualitative research techniques; core theories of message production and reception in social, political, cultural and mediated contexts.

COMM 202 Communication and Technology (4 units)

Description: Survey of cultural, social, political, and economic impacts of new communication technologies, including written language, the printing press, the telephone, television, and cyberspace.

COMM 203 Communication and Mass Media (4 units)

Description: Survey of mass communication research; history, content, effects, theories and policy implications of various media.

COMM 204 Public Speaking (4 units)

Description: Principles and practices of effective oral communication; analysis of the speaking-listening process; selection and organization of speech materials; use of new presentation technologies.

COMM 206 Communication and Culture (4 units)

Description: Examines cultural institutions, ideologies, artifacts, and productions; role of culture in everyday life; cultural studies as methodology; culture and power.

COMM 300 Entertainment, Communication and Society (4 units)

Description: Theoretical foundation for understanding the construction, consumption, and consequences of entertainment from classical to contemporary times; situates entertainment within the ecology of information and communication.

COMM 304 Interpersonal Communication (4 units)

Description: Analysis of face-to-face interaction; role of communication in the development, maintenance and destruction of relationships; communication processes in managing interpersonal conflict.

COMM 310 Media and Society (4 units)

Description:Interplay between media and society, including family and children’s socialization, inter-group relations and community, pornography and violence, gender and race, media ethics, conduct of politics.

COMM 324m Intercultural Communication (4 units)

Description:Cultural variables and social psychological processes that influence intercultural interaction; relationship between communication and culture in diverse settings including business, medicine, and education.

COMM 383m Sports, Communication and Culture (4 units)

Description: Rhetorical and critical approaches to sports and public discourse; application to sports organizations, the news and popular media; representations of gender and race in sports.

COMM 384 Interpreting Popular Culture (4 units)

Description: Popular culture as an indicator of cultural values, a producer and reflection of cultural meaning, and a means of communication; theory and case studies.

COMM 395m Gender, Media and Communication (4 units)

Description: Issues of gender in communication, including: media representations of femininity and masculinity; and gender’s role in communication at the interpersonal, public, and cultural levels.

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.

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 343 Advertising Design and Production (4 units)

Description: Production of advertising materials; emphasis on the creation and design of advertising elements. Prerequisite: JOUR 340.

JOUR 373 Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies (4 units)

Description: Ethical issues facing journalists in the complex world of legacy media, social media and the Internet as dramatized in the movies and in the newsroom.

Professor: Joe Saltzman

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.

JOUR 401L Online Site Management and Production for Journalists (4 units)

Description: Work as Executive Producers and manage NeonTommy.com, a major website; operate its content management system, produce, curate and aggregate journalism.

JOUR 440 Environmental Journalism (4 units)

Description: Techniques of reporting and writing about the environment. Includes both theory and practice needed for reporters specializing in this area of journalism.

JOUR 452 Public Relations in Entertainment (4 units)

Description: Public relations in the design, promotion, and presentation of popular entertainment, including films, broadcasting, music, expositions, amusement parks, resorts and arenas.

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 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 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.

JOUR 486 Multimedia PR Content: Introduction to Digital Design Tools (2 units)

Description: Hands-on lab; producing multimedia content; basic principles of design; tools and techniques to create digital images and layouts.

JOUR 487 Multimedia PR Content: Introduction to Audio/Video Tools (2 units)

Description: Hands-on lab; audio/video tools for conceiving, shooting, editing, delivering and archiving compelling stories for online audiences; personal brand building; digital storytelling trends and applications.

JOUR 491 Transmedia, New Media and Strategic PR/Communication (4 units)

Description: Study of the new rules of message development and dissemination in strategic communication and marketing: Participatory Culture, Transmedia Branding, Spreadable Media, and Crowdsourcing. Open only to seniors and master students in public relations and strategic public relations.

JOUR 563 Promotional and Product Public Relations (3units)

Description: Planning, managing and evaluating integrated communications campaigns utilizing public relations strategies in concert with advertising and other marketing disciplines; emphasis on research, case studies and campaign development.

JOUR 565 Corporate Public Relations and Reputation (3 units)

Description: Planning, managing and evaluating strategic public relations campaigns that achieve corporate business goals by effectively communicating with key constituencies and managing organizational reputation.

JOUR 568 Crisis Management in Strategic Public Relations (3 units)

Description: Focuses on theories, concepts and practices in risk assessment, issues monitoring, and crisis anticipation/management in a wide variety of organizational contexts, and from multiple perspectives.

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 295 Theatre in America (2 units)

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

THTR 421 Public Speaking as Performance: A Course for Non-Actors (2 units)

Description: Public speaking approached as performance, using acting techniques to communicate with confidence, clarity and charisma.

Thornton School of Music

COMPOSITION

MUCO 101x Fundamentals of Music Theory (2 units)

Description: An introductory course in music theory required for those majors in need of remedial training, and available to the general student who wishes to develop music writing skills. Not available for credit to B.M. and B.A. music majors. Recommended preparation: ability to read music.

JAZZ STUDIES

MUJZ 150 Beginning Jazz Improvisation (2 units)

Description:Development of beginning improvisational skills including underlying principles of theory, harmony, jazz ear training, and jazz style.

MUJZ 218a Afro-Latin Percussion Instruments (2 units)

Description: Instruction in the performance of percussion instruments associated with African, South American, and Caribbean music traditions, with special emphasis on adaptation to jazz music.

MUJZ 218b Afro-Latin Percussion Instruments (2 units)

Description: Instruction in the performance of percussion instruments associated with African, South American, and Caribbean music traditions, with special emphasis on adaptation to jazz music. Prerequisite: MUJZ 218a.

MUJZ 450 Intermediate Jazz Improvisation (2 units)

Description: Development of intermediate improvisational skills including underlying principles of theory, harmony, jazz ear training, and jazz style. Recommended preparation: MUJZ 150.

MUSIC ENSEMBLE

MUEN 222 Trojan Marching Band (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and participation in performances for athletic and other university functions. Open to all students by audition. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 305 Vocal Jazz Ensemble (1 unit)

Description: Study and performance of vocal ensemble literature from the Jazz idiom, with emphasis on improvisational techniques. Open to all students by audition. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 307 University Chorus (1 unit, max 8)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of choral literature from all periods of music history. Open to all students. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 308 USC Men’s Chorus (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of choral repertoire from all periods written for male voices. Open to all students. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 311 USC Oriana Choir (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of advanced chamber music written for women’s voices. Open to all students by audition. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 321 USC Concert Orchestra (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of orchestra repertoire. Open to all students, faculty, staff and members of the community. Audition not required. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 322 Trojan Marching Band (1 unit)

Description: Continuation of MUEN 222. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 324 University Band (1 units)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of standard repertoire. Open to all students by audition. Graded CR/NC.

MUEN 505 Vocal Jazz Ensemble (1 unit)

Description: Study and performance of vocal ensemble literature from the Jazz idiom, with emphasis on improvisational techniques. Open to all graduate students by audition. (Duplicates credit in MUEN 405.)

MUEN 507 University Chorus (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of choral literature from all periods of music history. Open to all graduate students.

MUEN 508 USC Men’s Chorus (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of choral repertoire from all periods written for male voices.

MUEN 511 USC Oriana Choir (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of advanced chamber music written for women’s voices. Open to all graduate students by audition.

MUEN 521 USC Concert Orchestra (1 unit)

Description: Rehearsal and performance of orchestra repertoire. Open to all graduate students. Audition not required.

MUSIC HISTORY AND LITERATURE

MUHL 315x Music and Culture (4 units)

Description:Gateway to the B.A. degree in music. Western and non-Western music in its sociocultural context. Not available for credit to B.M. majors. Ability to read music highly recommended.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

MUIN 272x Basics of the Music Industry (4 units)

Description: Introductory survey of the music business. Topics include: copyright, record companies, contracts, music publishing, performance rights societies, managers, agents, and other artist team/income considerations. Not for major credit for music industry majors. (Duplicates credit in former MUIN 372ax.)

MUIN 372x Business and Legal Aspects of the Music Industry (4 units)

Description: An intermediate-level survey of music law, artist contract analysis, case studies, modern/emerging business models and the business of music licensing. Prerequisite: MUIN 272x. Not available for credit for music industry majors. (Duplicates credit in former MUIN 372bx.)

MUIN 495 Web Design for the Music Industry (4 units)

Description: A hands-on experience in which students work in teams to create web sites specifically designed to promote, market, and sell musical artists products online.

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

MTEC 245 Introduction to MIDI Sequencing (1 unit)

Description: Introductory course where students will learn to use professional MIDI sequencing software to sequence, edit, and realize music compositions.

MTEC 246 Introduction to Audio Recording and Editing (1 unit)

Description: Introduction to the techniques and applications of recording, editing and mixing sound on personal computers.

MTEC 248 Introduction to Music Notation (1 unit)

Description: Introduction to the skills and techniques required to prepare musical scores and parts using industry standard music notation software.

MTEC 249 Introduction to Web Design for Musicians (1 units)

Description: Introductory course where students will learn to use professional web languages, tools, and techniques to create musical artist and band websites.

MTEC 277x Introduction to Music Technology (4 units)

Description: A survey of the technology used to create, prepare, perform, and distribute music, with an emphasis on recording, MIDI, music production, mastering and Internet technologies. Not available for major credit to B.M. and B.S., Music Industry majors. (Duplicates credit in former MUIN 277.)

MTEC 392a Acoustics and Speaker Design (2 units)

Description: Principles of acoustics relating to studio construction, wall treatment, and furnishings; natural reverberation, speaker materials, passive and active crossovers and time alignment. Prerequisite: MTEC 275. (Duplicates credit in former MUIN 392a.)

PERFORMANCE (GUITAR)

MPGU 120a Beginning Pop/Rock Guitar (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the performance technique of pop/rock guitar as well as music theory fundamentals, exploring repertoire by artists such as The Beatles and Dave Matthews.

MPGU 120b Beginning Pop/Rock Guitar (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the performance technique of pop/rock guitar as well as music theory fundamentals, exploring repertoire by artists such as The Beatles and Dave Matthews.

MPGU 120c Beginning Pop/Rock Guitar (2 units)

Description: Introduction to the performance technique of pop/rock guitar as well as music theory fundamentals, exploring repertoire by artists such as The Beatles and Dave Matthews.

MPGU 121 Intensive Beginning Pop/Rock Guitar (4 units)

Description: Introduction to the performance technique of pop/rock guitar as well as music theory fundamentals, exploring repertoire by artists such as The Beatles and Dave Matthews. (Duplicates credit in MPGU 120abcd.)

MPGU 125 Beginning Fingerstyle/Chord Guitar (2 units)

Description: Basic fingerstyle guitar, learned through the study of such pieces as “Greensleeves,” “Malaguena,” and “Minuet” (Bach); song accompaniment patterns and music notation for the beginner.

MPGU 126 Easy Fingerstyle Beatles (2 units)

Description: Techniques of classical guitar applied to the study of five to eight Beatles songs, from “Hey Jude” to “Blackbird.” No guitar or music background required.

PERFORMANCE (KEYBOARD STUDIES)

MPKS 150a Beginning Piano (2 units)

Description: Techniques of performance, note reading, and basic musicianship. Not open to music majors.

MPKS 150b Beginning Piano (2 units)

Description: Techniques of performance, note reading, and basic musicianship. Not open to music majors. Prerequisite: MPKS 150a.

PERFORMANCE (POPULAR MUSIC)

MPPM 120 Popular Music Performance I (2 units)

Description: Study of musical elements appropriate to the performance of popular music in a collaborative, interactive environment.

MPPM 240 Drumming Proficiency for the Popular Musician (2 units)

Description: Beginning and elementary instruction in drum set techniques.

MPPM 340 Intermediate Drum Set Proficiency (2 units)

Description: Intermediate level instruction in drum set performance including accompaniment techniques, fills, beat and brush patterns in jazz, Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian styles, interpreting drum charts. Recommended preparation: MPPM 240.

PERFORMANCE (STRINGS)

MPST 163 Beginning Harp (2 units, max 8)

Description: Basic instruction in the fundamentals of solo harp playing, note reading, and basic musicianship. Open to music and non-music majors.

PERFORMANCE (VOCAL ARTS)

MPVA 141 Class Voice (2 units, max 4)

Description: Introduction to the fundamental principles of singing: breath control, tone production, diction, and the use of appropriate song material.

MPVA 241 Intermediate Class Voice (2 units, max 4)

Description: Continued development of the fundamentals of singing, diction, and repertoire building. Prerequisite: MPVA 141.

MPVA 402 Musical Theatre Workshop (2 units, max 8)

Description: Stylistic and technical features of dramatic and musical elements involved in performance of American musical and standard operetta repertory; staging of scenes.

SACRED MUSIC

MSCR 475 Introduction to Jewish Music (2 units)

Description: Development of Jewish music from biblical times to the present, with emphasis on liturgical practices, traditions of itinerant musicians and the adaptability of community song.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

MUSC 255 Songwriting I (2 units)

Description: Development of musical and lyrical skills, composing, listening, analysis, and critiques of popular original music.

MUSC 355 Songwriting II (2 units)

Description: Continuation of Songwriting I; particular emphasis on the analysis of the techniques of important popular songwriters and the application of these techniques to original songs. (Duplicates credit in former MUCO 252.) Prerequisite: MUSC 255.

MUSC 400m The Broadway Musical: Reflection of American Diversity, Issues, and Experiences (4 units)

Description: Selected Broadway musicals serve as a catalyst for inquiry into human diversity, cross-culturalism, and significant social and political issues.

MUSC 410m Electronic Dance Music (4 units)

Description: The study of EDMs origins and development, focusing on the cultural and technological contexts that have influenced the genre.

MUSC 420 Hip-Hop Music and Culture (4 units)

Description: A history of hip-hop music from its inception to the present: its musical processes and styles, as well as attendant social, political, and cultural issues.

MUSC 422 The Beatles: Their Music and Their Times (4 units)

Description: Music, lyrics, recordings, production techniques, career strategy, social ramifications, and especially the technological impact of the musical group known as The Beatles.

MUSC 423 Classic Rock: Popular Music of the Sixties and Seventies (2 units)

Description: Critical examination of the lyrics, structure, associated mythology, technology, and evolving styles of popular music reflecting the turbulent societal changes during the Sixties and Seventies.

MUSC 424 Iconic Figures of Popular Music (2 units, max 8)

Description: Music, life, recordings, and attendant musical, cultural and political influences of a seminal musician or group in 20th or 21st century popular music.

MUSC 450m The Music of Black Americans (4 units)

Description: The musical contribution of Africans and African Americans to American society. Musical genres and the relationship between music and society will be topics for examination.

MUSC 455 Songwriting III: The Performing Songwriter (2 units)

Description: Continuation of Songwriting I and II with emphasis on the development of performance skills of original popular music in preparation for songwriting showcases.

MUSC 465 Music, Television and American Culture (4 units)

Description: An exploration of the social and cultural impact of music written for, popularized by, or exploited by American television from the 1950s through today.

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

OCCUPATIONAL SCIENCE AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

OT 220 Lifestyle Design: Introduction to Occupational Therapy (2 units)

Description:Discover strategies that enable you to be your ideal self, make the most of your college life, and help create a healthy living environment and lifestyle to fully maximize all of your potential.

OT 250 Introduction to Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (4 units)

Description: Introduction to concept of occupation and overview of human drive for meaningful activity; impact of occupations on health and well-being; analysis of personal occupational patterns; selected therapeutic applications.

What you choose to do or not do, minute by minute, day by day and year by year shapes who you will become and how healthy you will be. Develop expertise in lifestyle design, starting with your own.

OT 300 Occupational Expressions of Diverse Identities and Lifestyle (4 units)

Description: Exploration of the diverse ways occupational practices become central to identity, reify standard social ideologies, and are manipulated to redress conventional standards.

When you participate in activity every day, you create, manage, shift and mold your identity. Learn how activities, identity, society and culture all combine in the construction of you.

OT 310 Creativity Workshop (2 units)

Description: Theories and practice of the creative process in varied media, genres and occupations. Explores creativity in the arts, sciences, professions, evolution, daily life, and culture.

Explore your creative side while you discover all that you have in common with famous writers, cartoonists, artists and performers.

OT 333 Sports Ethics (4 units)

Description: Critically examines ethical issues central to the world of sports that range from matters of fair play and cheating to performance-enhancing drugs and gene-doping.

Every day in the news we hear about ethical dilemmas involving sports and athletes. Critically examine ethical issues central to the world of sport, such as fair play, cheating, performance-enhancing drugs, gene-doping, and womens sports equality.

OT 355 Occupational Reconstructions and Social Transformations (4 units)

Description: The use of occupations-meaningful, purposeful activities-to restore identity, agency, health, well-being, skills, and political power to populations in problematic situations, such as wars and natural disasters. Not available for graduate credit.

Occupations can help motivate and restore hope after war or natural disaster. Examine issues of human rights and how meaningful activities are important to identity, agency, health and political power in the wake of tragedy.