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 103x Elective Courses in English as a Second Language for International Students (2 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.
The following ALI 103 elective courses are offered: Pronunciation Workshop – 2 units, Dissertation Writing – 2 units, Grammar – 2 units. For more information, contact the American Language Institute at (213) 740-0079 or visit our Web site at www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/ALI.
ALI 258 Writing Workshop (2 units)
Description: Required for international students assessed by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or by completion of a lower level ALI course to be at the post-advanced level in all skills except writing. Graded CR/NC.
This course is also offered as an elective to those international students who want to improve their writing for college-level purposes. Students develop writing skills which will help them complete assignments faster and more effectively. For more information contact ALI at (213) 740-0079 or visit our Web site at www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/ALI.
ALI 259 Oral Skills (2 units)
Description: Required for international students assessed by the International Student English Examination (ISE) or by completion of a lower level ALI course to be at the post-advanced level in all skills except speaking. Graded CR/NC.
This course is also offered as an elective to those international students who want to communicate more fluently, effectively and confidently in spoken English. For more information, contact the ALI at (213) 740-0079 or visit our Web site at www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/ALI.
Architecture
ARCH 106x Workshop in Architecture (2 units)
Description: Introduction to the ways architecture is created and understood, for minors and nonmajors. Hands-on discussion and laboratory session with some drawing and model building. Not available for credit to architecture majors.
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 125g Arts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300 (4 units)
Description: An introduction to the major art forms and monuments of religious art in India, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan from prehistory to 1300.
AHIS 220g Medieval Visual Culture (4 units)
Description: Medieval visual culture as an introduction to the Christian heritage of western civilization and to the interaction of Church and state from the 3rd to the 13th century.
AHIS 250m Modernity and Difference: Critical Approaches to Modern Art (4 units)
Description: Consideration of various categories of “The Modern” as they have been constructed in Western art of the late 19th and 20th centuries.
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 Communication
BUCO 221 Cross-Cultural Business Communication for Non-Native Speakers (2 units)
Description: Written, spoken and cultural business communication skills for non-native speakers of English. Emphasis on individualized skills development according to need. Graded CR/NC.
BUCO 333m Communication in the Working World -- Managing Diversity and Conflict (4 units)
Description: Communication strategies to manage workplace diversity and conflict. Historical, social, legal precedents. Institutional barriers to diversity. Race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disabilities, culture.
BUCO 445 Oral Communication in Business (4 units)
Description: Oral reporting; management briefings; listening; interviewing; conference and committee leadership; employee training in communication; laboratory cases and simulations.
BUCO 460 International Business Communication (4 units)
Description: Interpersonal, cultural and organizational communication skills needed for international or global business settings. Recommended preparation: BUAD 302.
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.
Cinema-Television
Cinema-Television offers more than 50 courses available to non-
majors in the following areas: writing, critical studies/history of film, producing/television business, animation, production and interactive media. Please refer to the Cinema-Television Web site at
www-cntv.usc.edu, or pick up a brochure in the lobby of the George Lucas Building or from the Office of Student Affairs, (213) 740-8358.
Craniofacial Biology
CBY 585 Systematic Research Writing (3 units)
Description: Enhancement of critical research thinking by fulfilling anticipated conceptual components of the journal article; perfection of writing skills by correcting inter- and intrasentence flaws.
One should not aim at being possible to understand, but impossible to misunderstand.
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 125Lxg Earth History: A Planet and Its Evolution (4 units)
Description: Basic principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics used in evaluating clues written in the rock record, and the processes that have shaped our planet. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. At least one field trip required. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
GEOL 130Lxg 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. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
GEOL 150Lxg 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. Not available for major credit to earth or geological sciences majors.
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 335m Literature of the Korean People (4 units)
Description: Examination of the literature of the Korean people, both native writings as well as works written outside of Korea. Focus on issues and topics central to the Korean-American experience, as well as experiences within Korea and throughout Asia.
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, novel and drama; influence of the West on Chinese literature and culture in modern times. Conducted in English.
EALC 365 Studies in Japanese Thought (4 units)
Description: Influence of native traditions and imported Chinese traditions on Japanese civilization; religious, ethical, aesthetic, and political aspects.
EALC 455 Japanese Fiction (4 units)
Description: Japanese fiction from early to modern times; literary, philosophical, and social aspects of tales and novels. Conducted in English.
Engineering
Electrical Engineering
EE 326Lx Essentials of Electrical Engineering (4 units)
Description: Network analysis and theorems; transient analysis; transformers; semiconductor physics and circuits; power amplifiers, modulation and demodulation, and pulse, digital, and switching circuits. Introduction to instrumentation. Not available for credit to electrical engineering majors. Prerequisite: PHYS 152L, MATH 126.
EE 599 Special Topics (2-4, max 9 units)
Description: The course content will be selected each semester to reflect current trends and developments in the field of electrical engineering.
Quantum Communication Theory (3 units) Quantum analog of Shannon’s information theory and its relation to quantum cryptography; asymptotic protocols for compression, communication (classical, quantum and entanglement assisted) and state distillation.
Advanced Topics in Multimedia Compression: Theory and Algorithms (3 units) Surveys new and emerging techniques for multimedia compression and communications, including those incorporated into existing international standards, such as JPEG 2000 and H.264, and others that may be part of future standardization activities, such as multiple description coding and distributed source coding. This course is primarily targeted at students who already have some background on multimedia compression.
Industrial and Systems Engineering
ISE 105aL Introduction to Industrial and Systems Engineering (2 units)
Description: Gateway to the bachelor of science in industrial and systems engineering. A combination of plant tours, laboratory experiences, and lecture are used to introduce the philosophy, subject matter, aims, goals, and techniques of industrial and systems engineering.
ISE 220 Probability Concepts in Engineering (3 units)
Description: Techniques for handling uncertainties in engineering design: discrete and continuous random variables; expectations, probability distributions and transformations of random variables; limit theorems; approximations and applications. Corequisite: MATH 226.
ISE 460 Engineering Economy (3 units)
Description: Utilizing principles of economic analysis for choice of engineering alternatives and engineering systems. Pre-tax and after-tax economy studies. Upper division standing.
Geography
GEOG 255 American Environmentalism (4 units)
Description: Geographic and historic approach to growth of environmental awareness in the United States from Colonial times to the present. Extensive use of case materials.
GEOG 325 Culture and Place (4 units)
Description: Introduction to the study of landscapes of culture; how place creates culture; how cultures produce place.
GEOG 345 Conservation of Natural Resources (4 units)
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.
GEOG 494 The Professional Geographer (4 units)
Description: Integration of intellectual trends in geography within the context of a professional project. Development of professional skills, analytic and field techniques in practice, professional ethics.
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 320 Psychology of Adult Development (4 units)
Description: How psychologists study thinking, memory, emotions, personality, and behavior, and how people change in these throughout adulthood to old age. Recommended preparation: PSYC 100.
GERO 330 Society and Adult Development (4 units)
Description: How social relationships affect adults of different ages; the changing contract across generations; interaction of culture, race, family and social values with adult development.
GERO 340 Policy, Values, and Power in an Aging Society (4 units)
Description: How Americans’ political values affect public policy. Studies of landmark legislation to explore the social contract between generations and role of governments in social welfare.
GERO 350 Administrative Problems in Aging (4 units)
Description: Analysis of the skills, approaches and issues involved in the planning, development, and implementation of programs directed at meeting the needs of older persons.
GERO 380m Diversity in Aging (4 units)
Description: Exploring diversity in the older population and variability in the human aging process.
GERO 421 Managed Care for an Aging Society (4 units)
Description: Examines key legislation, policies, practice, and outcomes of managed care and how population aging affects health care delivery.
GERO 437 Social and Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying (4 units)
Description: Introduction and critical survey of the current issues, concepts, and research of the social and psychological aspects of death and dying.
GERO 496 Introduction to Clinical Geriatrics (4 units)
Description: Medical problems of older adults emphasizing common geriatric syndromes, chronic illness, and alternative approaches to primary health care of older persons and their families. Prerequisite: BISC 220L or BISC 221L; registration restriction: upper division standing.
Journalism
JOUR 190 Introduction to Journalism (2 units)
Description: Survey of all media and outlets including print, broadcasting, public relations and online journalism, plus analysis of what it means to be a professional journalist.
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 373 The Ethics of Television Journalism (4 units)
Description: Ethical questions in television journalism; the application of these moral dilemmas to prepare students for dealing with similar issues in their lives.
JOUR 375 The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (4 units)
Description: The impact of conflicting images of reporters in movies and television on the American public’s perception of newsgatherers in the 20th century. A decade-by-decade evaluation.
“Sob Sisters: The Image of the Female Journalist in Popular Culture” is the emphasis this semester. Students investigate the conflicting images of female reporters in movies, television and fiction, and how journalism offered women one of the few opportunities for an independent career in a male-dominated society. Professor: Saltzman
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 421 Photo Editing for News Media (4 units)
Description: Emphasis on understanding, selection and power of photographs; how they work in concert with words and graphics to inform the public.
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 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.
Kinesiology
EXSC 202L Principles of Nutrition and Exercise (2 units)
Description: Fundamental knowledge of proper nutrition for optimal health performance. Concepts of weight loss, gain; understanding of cardiorespiratory functioning. Laboratory experiments; body composition evaluation, energy metabolism. Laboratory, 2 hours.
EXSC 203 Individualized Exercise Prescription (2 units)
Description: Principles and theories related to exercise prescription; programs of weight-training, circuit-training, aerobics, flexibility, high and low-intensity training guidelines; safeguards and effectiveness.
EXSC 205Lxg The Science of Human Performance (4 units)
Description: The physiological and nutritional basis of human performance. Factors that facilitate and limit athletic achievement. Lectures and laboratory. Not available for major credit.
EXSC 310 Sociopsychological Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity (4 units)
Description: Examination of the individual in a social environment related to sport and physical activity; personality, motivation, attitude, and group behavior viewed in physical activity contexts.
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.
LING 380 Languages of the World (4 units)
Description: Introduction to the world’s linguistic diversity; number of languages spoken and where; grammatical structure and social function of selected languages.<@italics>
LING 405 Child Language Acquisition (4 units)
Description: Universal characteristics of child language; stages of acquisition of phonology, syntax, semantics; processes and dimensions of development; psychological mechanisms; communicative styles.
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 250 Songwriting I (2 units)
Description: Development of musical and lyrical skills, composing, listening, analysis, and critiques of popular original music.
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 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.
Music Ensemble
MUEN 321 USC Concert Orchestra (1 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 521 USC Concert Orchestra (1 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 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 for major credit to B.M. and B.S. music industry majors.
Performance (Guitar)
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.
Performance (Strings)
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.
Performance (Vocal Arts)
MPVA 141 Class Voice (2 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 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 430m Music and the Holocaust (4 units)
Description: Study of the creation and performance of Holocaust-related music from 1933 to the present, including interaction with other arts.
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 in the Sound Era: History and Function (4 units)
Description:
Physical Education
PHED 102a Weight Training (1 unit)
Description: 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.
PHED 104a Self-Defense (1 unit)
Description: Basic instruction of self-defense for beginners; strategies for standing and ground fighting situations with and without weapons.
PHED 106a Physical Conditioning (1 unit)
Description: Improvement in cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition, muscle endurance and flexibility; running, circuit training, resistance exercises; fitness principles and nutrition to develop individualized program.
PHED 110a Swimming (1 unit)
Description: Instruction and practice in basic strokes for beginners and intermediate swimmers; elementary springboard diving; water safety techniques; endurance training as a fitness program.
PHED 120 Yoga (1 unit)
Description: Introduction to meditation, breathing techniques and postures as a means towards relaxation; increase muscle strength and flexibility; understanding of basic anatomy and nutritional guidelines.
PHED 129a Aerobics (1 unit)
Description: Aerobic exercise designed to improve cardiorespiratory endurance; high/low impact aerobics; body sculpting; circuit training; nutritional guidelines.
PHED 131 Step Aerobics (1 unit)
Description: Development of physical fitness components through step aerobics; total body workout utilizing step movements and body sculpting exercises.
PHED 139a Volleyball (1 unit)
Description: Introduction to beginning and intermediate volleyball skills, rules, game tactics, and strategies. Emphasis on the development of: passing, setting, hitting, serving, blocking, and digging.
PHED 140a Tennis (1 unit)
Description: Fundamental instruction of basic strokes for beginners and intermediate players; rules, scoring, court etiquette, strategies; singles and doubles; practice and match play.
PHED 154a Soccer (1 unit)
Description: Development of basic skills for beginners, intermediate and advanced players; rules, positioning elements of play, small group and team tactics; full field scrimmages.
PHED 156a Basketball (1 unit)
Description: Basic skill development in dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding and defense; rules, history, and etiquette; drills and full court games.
Policy, Planning, and Development
PPD 225 Public Policy and Management (4 units)
Description: Institutions, legal context, and processes of public policy and management. Contemporary theories of public policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Public managerial challenges and reforms.
PPD 227 Urban Planning and Development (4 units)
Description: Gateway to B.S., Public Policy, Management and Planning and minor in Planning and Development. City building and development process; who plans, politics of planning and development; major topics include land use, fiscal policy, transportation, sustainability, and economic development.
PPD 230 Introduction to Health Policy and Management (4 units)
Description: Gateway to the minor in Health Policy and Management and the Health Care Policy and Management track of the Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Management. Institutions and processes affecting health care policy and the management of health care delivery in the United States; historical and philosophical roots; access and quality issues; responsiveness to public needs.
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 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 345 International Law (4 units)
Description: Nature, origin, and development of international law; basic principles analyzed and illustrated with cases.
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 395 Directed Governmental and Political Leadership Internship (2-8 units)
Description: Intensive experience in governmental and political offices. Minimum time requirement; evaluation by office and intern report required. Prerequisite: permission of Director of Institute of Politics and Government.
POSC 426 The United States Supreme Court (4 units)
Description: Role of the court in American politics; overview of major decisions; the politics of appointment; the process of decision-making; impact of judicial decisions. Recommended preparation: POSC 130.
Theatre
THTR 122 Improvisation and Theatre Games (2, max 4 units)
Description: Individual and group exercises to free the actor physically and emotionally and to stimulate creativity, imagination, and self-expression.
Have fun, relieve stress and lose your inhibitions through improv and theatre games. Unleash your creativity and child within through movement, character and comedy. This class is “Saturday Night Live” at USC!
THTR 188a International Style Ballroom Dance (2 units)
Description: Representative ballroom dances: waltz, slow foxtrot, tango, and quickstep. Beginning. Graded CR/NC.
This class will include the latest techniques in Latin dances and swing variations, in addition to the ballroom repertoire.
THTR 222 Stage Make-up (2 units)
Description: Principles of stage make-up materials and skills allowing the actors to enhance their features and techniques for moderate and extreme aging, injuries, and character roles.
Couldn’t believe how real that nasty scar looked or you never knew that someone’s nose could grow big? Come train with skilled professional make-up artists. Learn all the secrets to make-up and special effects.
THTR 280 Dance as an Art Form (4 units)
Description: Gateway to the minor in dance. Concepts of art exemplified in dance; origins and evolution of classic and contemporary dance forms; elements of art criticism applied to dance productions. Required attendance at dance concerts and art exhibits.
You don’t have to be a dancer to enjoy this gateway course, which uses the extensive video-footage by award-winning Los Angeles dance critic, Lewis Segal, along with lectures, forms of dance, ancient and modern, that will stretch your perceptions.
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.
See live productions! Theatre in America students attend six theatre productions. This is a great class to take with a friend. ($100 lab fee covers all ticket costs.)
THTR 341x Voice for the Non-Theatre Major (2 units)
Description: Designed for the non-theatre major focusing on the range, color, texture, and projection of the human voice in a variety of situations. Not available for credit to theatre majors.
THTR 365 Playwriting I (4 units)
Description: Essential elements of playwriting through weekly assignments, students’ initiative, occasional productions of scenes, and extensive classroom analysis.
Ever thought about writing a play? This course functions as a beginning writer’s workshop to guide and encourage you through the writing of a short one-act play, under the tutelage of a nationally recognized playwright.
Urban Neighborhood Studies
URBN 375 The Urban Neighborhood (4 units)
Description: Understanding neighborhoods as the fundamental places of everyday urban life from the perspective of the fields of architecture, education, planning and social work.
This course provides an introduction to four disciplines, and can be used to obtain a minor in Urban Neighborhood Studies. It is taught by senior faculty and is an unusually effective way to discover more about urban life and place, and about ideas and ways of thinking outside any single major.