The courses listed in this section have been chosen by the designated departments as having special interest for students who are not majoring in that particular subject but who might find courses in that discipline both enjoyable and beneficial. For more information, contact the department directly.
- American Language Institute (ALI)
- School of Architecture (ARCH)
- Art History (AHIS)
- Marshall School of Business (BAEP, FBE, IOM)
- Chemistry (CHEM)
- School of Cinematic Arts (CTAN, CTCS, IML, CTIN, CTPR, CTWR)
- Comparative Literature (COLT)
- Earth Sciences (GEOL)
- East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC)
- Roski School of Fine Arts (FA, PAS)
- Geography (GEOG)
- Davis School of Gerontology (GERO)
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies (HP)
- Information Technology (ITP)
- Institute for Multimedia Literacy (IML)
- Journalism (JOUR)
- Linguistics (LING)
- Music (MUCO, MUEA, MUJZ, MUEN, MUHL, MUIN, MPGU, MPKS, MPPM, MPST, MPVA, MUSC)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Physical Education (PHED)
- School of Policy, Planning, and Development (PPD)
- Political Science (POSC)
- Slavic Languages and Literature
- School of Theatre (THTR)
American Language Academy
ALI 103x Elective Courses in English as a Second Language for International Students (2-8 units)
Description: Specialized tutorial classes in listening, speaking, reading, or writing. A maximum of 4 units may be counted toward a degree. Graded CR/NC.
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. (Duplicates credit in former ALI 259.) Graded CR/NC.
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. (Duplicates credit in former ALI 258.) Graded CR/NC.
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 114 Architecture: Culture and Community (2 units)
Description: Introduction to ways architecture represents aspirations of culture, satisfies practical and spiritual needs, shapes the social and urban environments, and helps preserve the planet.
ARCH 307 Digital Tools for Architecture (3 units)
Description: Exploration of digital tools with an emphasis on building information modeling (BIM), parametric modeling, and interoperability including special topics in Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) and sustainable design. Recommended preparation: basic computer skills.
ARCH 370 Architectural Studies–Expanding the Field (2 units)
Description: Survey of opportunities, specializations, and professions related to architecture provides a resource for professional growth for architecture majors, and introduction to the field for non-majors.
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 441 A History of Architectural Theory: 1400-1914 (2 units)
Description: A seminar on architectural history from Alberti to Scott, reviewing primary texts and subsequent criticisms.
ARCH 442m Women's Spaces in History: "Hussies," "Harems," and "Housewives" (4 units)
Description: Methods for studying patterns of spatial differentiation of women throughout history from home to city, embodied in gender specific language and gendered spaces.
ARCH 444 Great Houses of Los Angeles (4 units)
Description: An introduction to the architectural philosophies of seven influential California architects through reading and site visits to significant case studies. (Duplicates credit in former ARCH 322.)
ARCH 561 Architecture in the Urban Landscape: Projects and Places (2 units)
Description: Study of the basic spatial and infrastructure elements of the city, and how urban places are formed. Focus on incremental development, public-private collaboration, community incentives and controls, project implementation strategies.
ARCH 565 Global History of Landscape Architecture (3 units)
Description: Understanding of the global history of landscape design in relation to social, political, religious, environmental and aesthetic principles; current design theory, projects and their historical references are critically reviewed and analyzed. (Duplicates credit in ARCH 465.)
Art History
AHIS 120g Foundations of Western Art (4 units)
Description: European art in its historical, cultural and social context. Painting, sculpture and architecture presented within a theoretical framework that introduces art history as a discipline.
AHIS 128g Arts of Latin America (4 units)
Description: Survey of the art, architecture, and visual culture of Latin America from the colonial period to the present, focusing on connections to culture and society.
AHIS 304m Italian Renaissance Art: Old Masters and Old Mistresses (4 units)
Description: An introduction to Italian Renaissance art with emphasis on the role of gender and sexuality in the creation of "masterpieces."
AHIS 363m Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Art (4 units)
Description: Focuses on issues of race, gender, and sexuality in American art of the last three decades. Recommended preparation: AHIS 121
Business
BUAD 499 Special Topics
Description: Examination of current literature relevant to the total and changing environment in which business operates. Prerequisite: departmental approval.
Communication for Organizations: Exploring Creativity and Innovation – This 2-unit, once-a-week seminar focuses on communication strategies that contribute to intrapersonal, interpersonal and organizational success through an exploration of creativity in business. This course will advance your existing skills as a strategic thinker, writer, speaker, collaborator and innovator while immersing you in a dynamic learning community.
Professor: E.L. Dipprey
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 428m Principles of Employment Law (4 units)
Description: Comprehensive survey of employment and labor law topics arising in the contemporary American workplace.
Chemistry
CHEM 203Lxg Chemistry in Life: Aids Drug Discovery and Development (4 units)
Description: Scientific principles underlying molecular approaches to diagnosis and treatment of diseases, using specific models within a societal (business, legal, ethical) context. Not available for major credit.
Cinematic Arts
ANIMATION
CTAN 443L 3-D Animation and Character Design (2 units)
Description: Principles of 3-D animation and character design combining lectures, aesthetic concepts and techniques demonstrating the use of 3-D animation software and puppet animation. Prerequisite: CTAN 452
CTAN 451 History of Animation (2 units)
Description: In depth survey of historical developments, styles, techniques, theory and criticism of animation as an art form.
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.
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 literary design, performance, visual design, composition, editing, sound design, genre and style. Includes classics such as "Singin' in the Rain" as well as contemporary films such as "A.I." and "Fargo."
Professor: Casper, Drew
CTCS 191 Introduction to Television and Video (4 units)
Description: Exploration of the economic, technological, aesthetic, and ideological characteristics of the television 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 introduces students to the study of television as a unique dramatic form in order to answer questions such as these. Screenings and readings will focus on such topics as [adult swim] and "The Colbert Report."
Professor: Seiter, Ellen
CTCS 400 Non-Fiction Film and Television (4 units)
Description: An international survey of documentary, informational, and independent experimental film, video and television.
What is documentary film? How do documentaries construct and enact "the real?” How do documentary practices compare around the world and over time? This exciting course will engage with each of these questions and with current debates in documentary studies.
Professor: Renov, Michael
CTCS 412 Gender, Sexuality and Media (4 units)
Description: Examines how gender and sexuality are figured in cinema and television with an emphasis on the development of feminist media theory.
This thought-provoking course interrogates the nexus of gender, race, sexuality, and media. Students analyze a diversity of sounds and images that offer insights into how race, gender, and sexuality are constructed and read challenging written texts that explicate important concepts and considerations involving our topic.
Professor: Keeling, Kara
CTCS 464 Film and/or Television Genres (4 units)
Description: Rigorous examination of film genres: history, aesthetics, cultural context, social significance, and critical methodologies.
The Gangster Film (18200). This class will examine the evolution of gangster films from a variety of perspectives: cultural, industrial, stylistic, etc.
The Birth of the Cool (18205). This course will explore the origins of "cool" as a concept, ideology, and style relative to Cold War America at mid-century.
CTCS 466 Theatrical Film Symposium (4 units)
Description: Lectures and readings on creative problems in the motion picture industry; current films; interviews with visiting producers, directors, writers, performers.
Taught by Entertainment Tonight film critic Leonard Maltin, the class previews upcoming Hollywood, Indie, and documentary feature films, followed by Q&A's with the films' writers, directors, cast and crew. In recent semesters guests have included directors Judd Apatow ("Funny People") and Jason Reitman ("Up in the Air").
Professor: Maltin, Leonard
CTCS 467 Television Symposium (4 units)
Description: Lectures and readings on creative problems in the television industry; study of current and historical trends, interviews with producers, directors, writers and performers.
Taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic Howard Rosenberg, every week the class watches and discusses contemporary television programming with the writers/producers responsible for bringing the shows to life. Rcent guests have included Matthew Weiner ("Mad Men") and Diablo Cody ("The United States of Tara").
Professor: Rosenberg, Howard
CTCS 469 Film and/or Television Style Analysis (4 units)
Description: Intensive study of the style of an auteur, studio, film or television making mode in terms of thematic and formal properties and their influences upon the art of film.
The Films of Alfred Hitchcock (18225). A profile of Hitchcock . . . his mordantly ironic and ambivalent take on life . . . his brilliantly daring techniques . . . his wry production methods . . . his widely public and intensely private persona as seen in such masterpieces as"Psycho," "Sabotage," and "The Birds."
CTCS 478 Culture, Technology, and Communications (4 units)
Description: Cultural study of communications technology and its relationship to society. Evaluation of the social and cultural impact of technologies from the telegraph to the Internet.
Are digital media changing how we think and learn? Can new technologies transform what schools look like and how they function? Are video games a learning platform? This project-based course takes up questions such as these, examining the relationship of digital media to education.
Professor: McPherson, Tara
INTERACTIVE MEDIA
CTIN 463 Anatomy of a Game (4 units)
Description: Examine two game products from concept to delivery; introduce students to each of the professional disciplines involved in making digital games. Recommended preparation: CTIN 488
CTIN 464 Game Studies Seminar (2 units)
Description: Rigorous examination of interactive entertainment: genres, history, aesthetics, cultural context, and social significance. Topics vary by semester.
CTIN 482 Designing Online Multiplayer Game Environments (2 units)
Description: Grouped into teams, students will study and design an original multiplayer game environment suitable for online usage.
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.
CTPR 335 Motion Picture Editing (3 units)
Description: Theory, techniques, and practices in picture editing; use of standard editing equipment; individual projects.
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.
CTPR 409 Practicum in Television Production (2, 4 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.
CTPR 484 Advanced Multi-Camera Television Workshop (4 units)
Description: Exercises and practical application for writing and producing a multi-camera television project. Special attention to the development of the sitcom. Recommended preparation: CTPR 371 required for students who wish to direct a sitcom.
WRITING
CTWR 412 Introduction to Screenwriting (2 units)
Description: Introduction to the formal elements of writing the short film.
Comparative Literature
COLT 101g Masterpieces and Masterminds: Literature and Thought of the West (4 units)
Description: A broad introduction to the great works of Western culture from antiquity to 1800.
COLT 302 Introduction to Literary Theory (4 units)
Description: Introduction to general forms of reflection on literary discourse.
COLT 357 The Avant-Garde (4 units, max 8)
Description: Study of the relationship between literary modes and other arts since 1900, focusing on particular avant-garde movements.
COLT 379 Nationalism and Postcolonialism in Southeast Asian Cinema (4 units)
Description: Cinema from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in local and global cultural contexts.
COLT 426 Utopias (4 units)
Description: Examination of selected utopias in their historical context as "no places" whose projections of alternate cultures always comment on their own.
COLT 502 Introduction to Literary Theory (4 units)
Description: Major developments in 20th-century literary criticism, with special attention to theoretical work of the past three decades.
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 107Lxg Oceanography (4 units)
Description: Physical, chemical, and geological character of the oceans and ocean basins. Origin of the oceans. Ocean processes and agents. Economic value of the oceans. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day field trip required. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
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 Languages and Cultures
EALC 110g East Asian Humanities: The Great Tradition (4 units)
Description: Introduction to the major humanities traditions of China, Japan, and Korea through an examination of representative works drawn from literature, aesthetics, philosophy, religion, and historical writing.
EALC 125g Introduction to Contemporary East Asian Film and Culture (4 units)
Description: An introduction to and overview of the contemporary cinemas of East Asia: China (Hong Kong, the People's Republic, and Taiwan), Japan, and Korea.
EALC 350g Chinese Civilization (4 units)
Description: Characteristics and aspects of Chinese civilization; interpretation of philosophy, literature, religion, art, music. 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.
Fine Arts
FA 101a Drawing (4 units)
Description: a: An introduction to drawing, both skill and perception oriented, as the basic tool for all the visual arts.
FA 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.
FA 105 Painting I (4 units)
Description: Practical introduction to oil and acrylic pigments, painting equipment, processes, and media. Also, primary experience in: color, composition and perception through representational and abstract painting.
FA 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.
FA 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.
FA 136 Modeling and Mold Making (2 units)
Description: Introduction to plaster mold making using clay and wax for both ceramics and sculpture. Exploration of casting materials.
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. Not available for major credit to fine arts majors. Graded CR/NC.
FA 207ax Two-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.
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.
FA 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.
FA 335 New Genres (4 units)
Description: Ideas in New Genres, topic changes each semester.
FA 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.
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.
Geography
GEOG 255 American Environmentalism
Description: Geographic and historic approach to the growth of environmental awareness in the United States from Colonial times to the present. Extensive use of case materials.
GEOG 482L Principles of Geographic Information Science
Description: Introduction to evolving science, technology and applications of GIS. Laboratories provide experience with computer processing of geographic information using several GIS software and programming languages.
GEOG 345 Conversation of Natural Resources
Description: Interaction between resource conservation and people based on recent advances, current developments, and future resource utilization. Special attention to the western United States. Field trips.
Gerontology
GERO 200 Gerontology: The Science of Adult Development (4 units)
Description: Introduction to adult development through the lifespan; biological, psychological, and social processes; gerontology as a career for the future.
GERO 380m Diversity in Aging (4 units)
Description: Exploring diversity in the older population and variability in the human aging process.
GERO 452 Economic Issues and the Aged (2 units)
Description: Analysis of economic factors associated with the aged; implications for individuals, society, and the economy; lifecycle economics, retirement, income maintenance, and social security.
GERO 470 Aging and Business (4 units)
Description: An introduction to the dynamic roles of business in an aging society focusing on workplace issues, marketing to mature consumers, and careers for business gerontologists.
GERO 483 Global Health and Aging (4 units)
Description: Overview of the impact aging populations will have on global institutions from a variety of perspectives. Examination of public health policy issues.
GERO 500 Perspectives on a Changing Society: An Introduction to Aging (4 units)
Description: Analysis of physical, mental, and social age-related changes as well as implications of population aging trends for individuals and society.
GERO 502 Marketing and Shifts in Consumer Decision Making (4 units)
Description: Branding, marketing, and consumer behavior through examination of established, transitioning and emerging aging services and organizations.
GERO 505 Behavioral and Social Consequences of Design and Environment (4 units)
Description: Examination of the behavioral and social consequences of design and the environment to create a more satisfying physical environment for both frail and active older adults.
GERO 507 End of Life Care (4 units)
Description: Examination of programs related to end of life care. Cultural competencies in working with a diverse population on end of life issues.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
HP 270 Introduction to Global Health
Description: Introduction to concepts of global health and disease control. Issues of globalization, global governance, emerging diseases, infectious disease treatment, and outbreak challenges.
HP 420 Gender and Minority Health Issues
Description: Examines the nature and roots of health disparities among women, men, and different ethnic and age groups; methods for reducing such disparities; strategies for prevention services.
HP 421 Violence as a Public Health Issue
Description: Patterns and prevalence of violence; psychosocial, environmental, and biological influences on violent behavior; youth gangs; drugs and violence; family violence; and prevention and intervention strategies.
Information Technology
ITP 090x Introduction to Adobe Photoshop (2 units)
Description: Basic concepts of colors; color calibration tools; scanning, importing and exporting images; painting, editing, fill, and type tools; using layers, masks, filters, and color correction. Not available for degree credit. Graded CR/NC.
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.
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.
ITP 215x 3-D Modeling, Animation, Compositing and Special Effects (2 units)
Description: Overview of developing a 3D animation: from modeling to rendering. Basics of surfacing, lighting, animation and modeling techniques. Advanced topics: compositing, particle systems, and character animation. Recommended preparation: knowledge of any 2D paint, drawing, or CAD program.
ITP 216 Web Animation and Interactivity (2 units)
Description: 2-D vector graphics for web and animation. Scripting techniques for interactivity. Action Script syntax, logic and control. Recommended preparation: basic computer knowledge
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.
ITP 320x Enterprise Wide Information Systems (2 units)
Description: The role Information Systems play in an organization and the challenging task of implementing and managing the IS function are both examined in detail. Prerequisite: ITP-101
Institute for Multimedia Literacy
IML 101 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Languages of New Media I (4 units)
Description: An introduction to the expressive range of screen languages in their cultural, historical, and technological contexts.
IML 340 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Praxis of New Media (2 units)
Description: An intermediate level blend of theory and practice that approaches scholarly multimedia work in the context of its cultural and technological environment. Open to all students. Recommended Preparation: IML 101, IML 104 or MDA 140
IML 420 New Media for Social Change (4 units)
Description: Creating real social change through multimedia, working in collaboration with a local nonprofit organization. Recommended preparation: IML 101 or IML 340.
IML 466 Digital Studies Symposium (4 units)
Description: Lectures, presentations, and readings on the critical and creative challenges of contemporary multi-screen digital media practices.
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 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.
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 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.
JOUR 422 Visual Journalism (4 units)
Description: Emphasis on photographic storytelling in print, video and Web-based media; understanding of visual thinking and imagery techniques.
JOUR 432 Sports Commentary (4 units)
Description: Techniques of reporting and writing sports columns and commentary for print, video, radio and Web-based media.
JOUR 433 Writing about Science (4 units)
Description: Techniques of writing about science, including news, profiles, features and commentary.
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 458 Public Relations in Politics and Political Campaigns (4 units)
Description: Application of public relations principles to the context of political campaigns; emphasis on message development and delivery; relationship between candidate, news media, and electorate.
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. Word 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 122 Arabic I (4 units)
Description: Introduction to current Arabic; oral practice, hearing and reading comprehension; the grammar necessary for simple spoken and written expression. Lecture, classroom drill, laboratory practice.
LING 125 Hindi I (4 units)
Description: Introduction to current Hindi. Oral practice, listening and reading comprehension; grammar necessary for simple spoken and written expression. Lecture, classroom drill, laboratory practice.
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.
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.
MUCO 130ax Basics of Music Theory (3 units)
Description: Introduction to music theory; scales, intervals, principles of common practice and popular music harmony; melodic, harmonic, and structural analysis; 20th century developments. Not available for degree credit for Bachelor of Music students except Performance (Popular Music) majors.
MUCO 221ax Composition for Non-Majors (2 units)
Description: Introduction to the composition of concert music. Includes set exercises, free composition, study of selected compositions. Intended for interested, qualified students not majoring in composition. Not available for degree credit to composition majors. Recommended preparation: MUCO 130bx, MUCO 133b.
ELECTROACOUSTIC MEDIA
MUEA 474ax Electronic Synthesizer Techniques (2-4 units)
Description: Electronic music procedures in a multi-track studio. Not available for major credit to electro acoustic media majors.
JAZZ STUDIES
MUJZ 100xm Jazz: A History of America's Music (4 units)
Description: Gateway to the minor in Jazz Studies. Historical evolution of jazz from its origins to present day; elements of musical structures and jazz styles revealed through the study of recorded examples, live performances and video. Not available for credit to jazz studies majors.
MUJZ 150x Beginning Jazz Improvisation (2, max 4 units)
Description: Development of beginning improvisational skills, including modal and the ii-V7-I chord progression, through instrumental performance. Recommended to non-jazz majors. Not available for jazz studies majors. Recommended preparation: demonstration of major scales of eighth notes at a tempo of 120 mm.
MUJZ 252 Individual Instrument Performance Class I (1, max 4 units)
Description: Solo and orchestra repertoire, professional preparation, reed making, and other matters appropriate to group study. Required of all first and second year wind and percussion majors each semester in residence.
MUJZ 419m The Jazz Experience: Myths and Culture (4 units)
Description: An examination of the music, culture, and mythology of jazz revealed through the study of jazz fiction, film, poetry, and recorded examples.
MUJZ 452 Individual Instrument Performance Class II (1, max 4 units)
Description: Solo and orchestra repertoire, professional preparation, reed making, and other matters appropriate to group study. Required of all third and fourth year wind and percussion majors each semester in residence.
MUSIC ENSEMBLE
MUEN 222 Trojan Marching Band (1, max 4 units)
Description: Rehearsal and participation in performances for athletic and other university functions. Graded CR/NC. Open to all students by audition.
MUEN 305 Vocal Jazz Ensemble (1, max 8 units)
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, max 8 units)
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, max 8 units)
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, max 8 units)
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, max 8 units)
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, max 4 units)
Description: Continuation of MUEN 222. Graded CR/NC.
MUEN 505 Vocal Jazz Ensemble (1, max 4, units)
Description: Study and performance of vocal ensemble literature from the Jazz idiom, with emphasis on improvisational techniques. Open to graduate students by audition.
MUEN 507 University Chorus (1, max 8 units)
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, max 4 units)
Description: Rehearsal and performance of choral repertoire from all periods written for male voices. Open to all students.
MUEN 511 USC Oriana Choir (1, max 4 units)
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, max 4 units)
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 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.
MUIN 286 Record Production Management (2 units)
Description: Function of the record producer, studio procedures, music business law, union relations, artist management, copyright and publishing agreements, record company structure.
MUIN 372ax The Business and Legal Aspects of the Music Industry (4 units)
Description: A survey of the major elements that support the music industry. History, copyright, music contracts, radio, record companies, managers, music publishing and communication. Not available for major credit to B.M. and B.S. music industry majors.
MUIN 425 Live Music Production and Promotion (4 units)
Description: A survey of the presentation of the live musical experience. Both classical and popular concert presentation will be examined including venue selection, promotion and security.
MUIN 440 Arts Management (4 units)
Description: A survey of the management of non-profit and for-profit arts organizations with emphasis on funding, donor development tax status and promotion.
MUIN 442 Operation of the Radio Studio (2 units)
Description: An in-depth study of radio studio technical operations. Topics include consoles, microphones, transmission considerations, networks, satellites, and digital and analog production situations. Prerequisite: MUIN 275ab.
MUIN 448 Computer Music Notation and Preparation (2 units)
Description: Techniques and principles of computer music notation including conventions of music notation, idiomatic practices, preparation of significant score types, and MIDI basics. Recommended preparation: the ability to read music.
MUIN 495 Music Industry, Broadcast and the Internet (4 units)
Description: An exploration of the effects of new technologies, laws, economic models, media (Internet, mobile, satellite), the decline of traditional broadcasting, and convergence with the music industry. Recommended preparation: MUIN 360 or MUIN 372bx.
PERFORMANCE
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 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.
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.
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
MPPM 120 Popular Music Performance (2, max 8 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.
MPST 163 Beginning Harp (2 units)
Description: Basic instruction in the fundamentals of solo harp playing, note reading, and basic musicianship. Open to music and non-music majors.
MPVA 141 Class Voice (2, max 4 units)
Description: Introduction to the fundamental principles of singing: breath control, tone production, diction, and the use of appropriate song material.
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 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 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 444 American Roots Music: History and Culture (4 units)
Description: The history, genre, styles, songs, lyrics, and influences of American vernacular music in the 20th century, including the background that spawned these musical genres.
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 460 Film Music: History and Function from 1930 to the Present (4 units)
Description: A survey of the art and craft of film music as practiced by outstanding composers in motion pictures.
Occupational Therapy
OT 220 Lifestyle Design: Introduction to Occupational Therapy (2 units)
Description: Introduction to theoretical concepts concerning the relationship of engagement in activities (occupations) to health and well being. Application of these perspectives to students' own lives.
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.
OT 310x 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. Not available for major credit to occupational therapy majors.
OT 330 Perspectives on the Daily Life of Families (4 units)
Description: Examines family structures and processes, the occupational dimensions of families, and the meanings embedded in the acts of daily life of contemporary families.
OT 350 Disability, Occupations, and the Health Care System (4 units)
Description: Exploration of the ways in which able-bodyism, sexism, racism, classism and homophobia contribute to occupational opportunities or barriers and weave their way into health care.
OT 360 Creating the Self through Narrative: Acts of Life Story Production (4 units)
Description: Analysis of life stories, life histories, and testimonies in social interactions, texts, and films. Life stories are an occupation to re-create the "Self" in response to conflict and change.
Physical Education
PHED 102ab Weight Training (1-1 units)
Description: a: Improvement of body shape, muscle endurance, and muscle strength; understanding of weight training and nutrition principles that can be utilized for future weight training development. b: Training techniques and application of advanced weight training principles through weekly workouts; personal trainer certification exam preparation.
PHED 104ab Self-Defense (1-1 units)
Description: a: Basic instruction of self-defense for beginners; strategies for standing and ground fighting situations with and without weapons. b: Intermediate instruction involving more advanced fighting strategies and techniques.
PHED 106ab Physical Conditioning (1-1 units)
Description: a: Improvement in cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition, muscle endurance and flexibility; running, circuit training, resistance exercises; fitness principles and nutrition to develop individualized program. b: Advanced training methods focusing on continuing gains in fitness level.
PHED 110ab Swimming (1-1 units)
Description: a: Instruction and practice in basic strokes for beginners and intermediate swimmers; elementary springboard diving; water safety techniques; endurance training as a fitness program. b: Advanced instruction and practice of strokes; advanced endurance training.
PHED 120ab Yoga (1-1 units)
Description: a: Introduction to meditation, breathing techniques and postures as a means towards relaxation; increase muscle flexibility; understanding of basic anatomy and nutritional guidelines. (Duplicates credit in former PHED 120.) b: A continuing study of intermediate and advanced yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation as a means toward relaxation and stress-reduction.
PHED 129ab Aerobics (1-1 units)
Description: a: Aerobic exercise focusing on cardiorespiratory endurance encompassing a variety of training methods such as high/low impact aerobics, body sculpting, circuit training and nutritional guidelines. b: Group exercise teaching techniques and application of fitness principles through weekly workouts; group fitness certification exam preparation.
PHED 131 Step Aerobics (1 units)
Description: Development of physical fitness components through step aerobics; total body workout utilizing step movements and body sculpting exercises.
PHED 139ab Volleyball (1-1 units)
Description: a: Introduction to beginning and intermediate volleyball skills, rules, game tactics, and strategies. Emphasis on the development of: passing, setting, hitting, serving, blocking, and digging. b: Advanced techniques; focus on offenses and defenses used in game situations.
PHED 140abc Tennis (1-1-1 units)
Description: a: Fundamental instruction of basic strokes for beginners and intermediate players; rules, scoring, court etiquette, strategies; singles and doubles; practice and match play. b: Reinforcement of basic strokes and instruction of advanced strokes; advanced strategies; singles and doubles; practice and match play. c: Development of strokes and strategies for advanced tournament players; drills and matches.
PHED 143ab Racquetball (1-1 units)
Description: a: Instruction of basic stroke technique for beginners and intermediate players; rules, scoring, game tactics; practice of strokes and competition. b: Development of advanced skills and strategies; singles and doubles practice and competition.
PHED 150 Table Tennis (1 unit)
Description: Fundamental instruction of basic strokes for beginning and intermediate players; rules, scoring strategies; singles and doubles; practices and match play.
PHED 154ab Soccer (1-1 units)
Description: a: Development of basic skills for beginners, intermediate and advanced players; rules, positioning elements of play, small group and team tactics; full field scrimmages. b: Advanced development of skills, positioning, tactics and conditioning.
PHED 155 Golf (1 unit)
Description: Basic skills development and knowledge in stance, grip and swing mechanics; course strategy; use of woods, irons and putting; history rules and etiquette.
PHED 156ab Basketball (1-1 units)
Description: a: Basic skill development in dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding and defense; rules, history, and etiquette; drills and full court games. b: Development of advanced skills; team strategy; offenses and zone defenses; drills and full court games.
Policy, Planning, and Development
PPD 250m Third World Cities (4 units)
Description: Gateway to the B.S., Planning and Development. The transition from traditional to modern cities in the developing world. Primacy and dualism; comparative urbanism as an expression of cultural variation; contrast in Western cities.
PPD 306 Visual Methods in Policy, Management, Planning and Development (4 units)
Description: Introduction to graphic design, photodocumentation, and geographic information systems as employed in planning, policy, and development. Visual explanations. Computer and by-hand applications.
PPD 330 Introduction to Health Care Systems (4 units)
Description: Concepts and determinants of health and illness; health care delivery organizations and programs; the role of the administrator; issues in health care financing and access; quality evaluation; future trends.
PPD 342 Crime and Public Policy (4 units)
Description: Public policy agenda-setting, alternatives formulation, and implementation for crime and criminal justice; analysis of specific issues including crime control, death penalty, and gun control.
PPD 371 The Nonprofit Sector and the Public Interest (4 units)
Description: Theories of the voluntary nonprofit sector in society and its relationship to government and business; public policies toward the sector.
Political Science
POSC 100 Theory and Practice of American Democracy (4 units)
Description: Theoretical, institutional, and functional aspects of American national, state, and local government and politics; contemporary issues. Recommended for freshmen and sophomores.
POSC 120 Comparative Politics (4 units)
Description: Gateway to the major in political science. Comparative analysis of political institutions and processes in selected industrial, developing and socialist countries, in terms of contrasting ideologies, parties, elites, and economies.
POSC 130g Law, Politics and Public Policy (4 units)
Description: Interaction between law and politics; overview of the American legal system; value conflicts and public policy questions which arise within it.
POSC 265g Environmental Challenges (4 units)
Description: Examination of the challenges of environmental problem-solving at the personal, local, national and global scales, focused on the issue of climate change.
POSC 335 Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections (4 units)
Description: Organization and function of political parties, nominations and elections, strategy and tactics of campaigning, professional candidate management finance, political machines, voting behavior.
POSC 340 Constitutional Law (4 units)
Description: Development of constitutional law by the courts; leading cases bearing on major constitutional issues; the federal system; powers of government; civil liberties.
POSC 366 Terrorism and Genocide (4 units)
Description: Comparative analysis of the determinants of political violence, terrorism, and genocide and their social and moral consequences; application of theories to contemporary case studies.
POSC 448a The Politics of Peace (4 units)
Description: Issues of social justice, large-scale social change, high technology, impacts on human survival, and uses of national and international institutions. a: Human rights.
Slavic Languages and Literature
SLL 330g Russian Thought and Civilization (4 units)
Description: Russian cultural identity from its beginnings until today. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, its traumatic confrontation with Western culture, and their continuous interaction. Concurrent Enrollment: MDA 140.
SLL 345 Literature and Philosophy: Dostoevsky (4 units)
Description: Dostoevsky's novels as psychological and philosophical analyses of modern alienated man. Readings in Dostoevsky and selections from Gide, Kafka, Camus, and Sartre. Conducted in English.
Theatre
THTR 122 Improvisation and Theatre Games (2 units)
Description: Individual and group exercises to free the actor physically and emotionally and to stimulate creativity, imagination, and self-expression.
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 421 Effective Oral Presentation (2 units)
Description: Developing and practicing performance skills necessary to give an effective oral presentation.
THTR 486 Creating Characters (4 units)
Description: A writing workshop devoted to the creation of living, breathing characters, exploring a range of techniques designed to develop authenticity.