American Language Institute
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.
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 that 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 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 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 environment, and helps preserve the planet.
ARCH 206 Shelter (4 units)
Description: Introduction to issues, processes, and roles of the individual in relation to present and future shelter needs and aspirations.
ARCH 220x The Architect’s Sketchbook (2 units)
Description: The architect’s sketchbook as a portable laboratory for perceiving and documenting space introduces the study of the built environment. On-site sessions develop drawing, observation, and visualization skills. Not for professional elective credit for architecture majors.
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.
Art History
AHIS 100 Introduction to Visual Culture (4 units)
Description: The description and analysis of various forms of visual culture, including both mass media and “high” art representations, both Western and non-Western images.
Professor: Lang
AHIS 121g Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern (4 units)
Description: European art and its legacy in the Americas. Painting, sculpture, architecture and other visual media considered in relation to social and cultural history.
Professor: Baker
AHIS 126g Introduction to Asian Art: 1300 to the Present (4 units)
Description: A survey of the art and architecture of India, China, Korea, and Japan from 1300 to the present.
Professor: Reynolds
AHIS 255g Culture Wars: Art and Social Conflict in the USA, 1900-Present (4 units)
Description: Examination of social conflicts and political controversies in American culture through the lens of visual art and photography.
Professor: Meyer
Business
Business Administration
BUAD 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8 units)
Description: Examination of current literature relevant to the total and changing environment in which business operates. Prerequisite: departmental approval.
International Business Law (4 units)
Examines how markets, people and places involved in trade, commerce and exchanges throughout the world influence international business. The effect different cultural, political and economic aspects of business have on each other as well as how international laws affect the way the U.S. and countries throughout the world do business are discussed. Covers topics such as: ethics of international law, international commercial dispute resolution, national import and export regulations, international contract law, financial transactions, transport of goods, law of intellectual rights and antitrust.
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. Prerequisite: BUAD 302.
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.
Finance and Business Economics
FBE 428m Principles of Employment Law (4 units)
Description: Comprehensive survey of employment and labor law topics arising in the contemporary American workplace.
Information and Operations Management
IOM 428 Data Warehousing and Data Mining (4 units)
Description: Introduction to data warehousing, multidimensional database, online analytical processing, and survey of data mining methods that extract useful information from data warehouses: e.g., decision tree. Business applications emphasized.
IOM 431 Business Information Systems (4 units)
Description: Fundamentals of computer networks, protocols, TCP/IP and the Internet; introduction to electronic commerce, Web application development (CGI scripting, Java, and JavaScript); discussion of security issues.
IOM 435 Business Database Systems (4 units)
Description: Computer-based management of data including data structures, logical data models, user-oriented languages, and DBMS. Application development term project.
IOM 542 Developing a Firm's Intellectual Assets (3 units)
Description: Best practices in organizational knowledge creation, valuation and management; search engines, intelligent agents, and collaborative technologies; reengineering knowledge work. Recommended preparation: completion of first year M.B.A. courses.
IOM 543 Global Telecommunications: The Business Perspective (3 units)
Description: The telecommunications industry (current, emerging technologies, strategies, and markets) from three perspectives: industry analyst, telecommunications professional, and corporate customer.
Cinema-Television
Cinema-Television offers more than 50 courses available to non-majors in the following areas: screenwriting, critical studies, film producing/television business, animation, film and video production and interactive media. Please refer to the Cinema-Television Web site (www-cntv.usc.edu) or pick up a brochure in the lobby of the George Lucas Building or from the Office of Student Affairs, CTV G-130.
Communication
COMM 203 Introduction to Mass Communication Theory and Research (4 units)
Description: Survey of mass communication research; history, content, effects, theories and policy implications of various media.
This course will examine the impact of media violence, sexual content, children as a special media consuming audience, first amendment issues surrounding policy and regulation of media messages, the effects of video games on adolescents and framing of television news. It takes an in-depth look at empirical research on the impact of the mass media on individuals’ thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.
COMM 306 The Communication Revolution and the Arts (4 units)
Description: Explorations of the nature of art in a mass media society. Relationships among technology, economy, popular culture, entertainment, “high art,” and aesthetics. Recommended preparation: COMM 200, COMM 201.
COMM 308 Communication and Conflict (4 units)
Description: Nature and functions of communication in human conflict; development of communication skills for managing conflict productively in interpersonal, organizational and intercultural contexts.
COMM 324 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 360 The Rhetoric of Los Angeles (4 units)
Description: Representations of Los Angeles communicated in diverse media; the city as rhetorical text; analysis of cultural identities, art, architecture, and representations in popular culture.
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.
COMM 432 American Media and Entertainment Industries (4 units)
Description: Examines the history, technology, regulations, and business practices of American broadcast and entertainment industries.
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.
Complement your research effort by writing the paper. One should not aim at being possible to understand, but at being 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 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 108Lg Crises of a Planet (4 units)
Description: Impact of civilization on planet earth, and impact of earth’s natural evolution on society: earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, global warming, acid rain, groundwater depletion and pollution; mineral and fossil fuel depletion, formation of the ozone hole. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 2 hours. One all-day or overnight field trip.
GEOL 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 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 460 Love, Self and Gender in Japanese Literature (4 units)
Description: Examines conceptions of love, self, gender, and sexuality in Japanese literature and culture of the modern and pre-modern periods with comparisons to European and Chinese literature.
Education
Education
EDUC 200 Introduction to the Teaching Profession (2 units)
Description: Gateway to the minor in the Teaching Profession and the major in Bachelor of Science in General Studies. Identification and discussion of current issues and trends in schools and the teaching profession. Introduction to the development of a professional portfolio.
EDUC 409 Foundations of Language Education (3 units)
Description: Overview of research and current theories in bilingual, second language, and foreign language instruction.
Education Counseling
EDCO 102xm Human Diversity: People, Power and Politics (4 units)
Description: Social and political power relationships: historical perspectives; factors which maintain dominate and subordinate status within current society; empowerment of persons (groups) in subordinate positions. Not available for major credit.
EDCO 248 Theories of Career Development (2 units)
Description: An exploration into the theories, literature, and techniques in the field of career development and the impact of psychological, sociological, economic, and other variables on career decision-making. Graded CR/NC.
Educational Policy, Planning and Administration
EDPA 202 Culture, Change and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (4 units)
Description: The role of education in the changing cultures and societies of Sub-Saharan Africa studied from historical and contemporary perspectives.
Educational Psychology and Technology
EDPT 310 Parental Influences on Children’s Educational Development (4 units)
Description: Basic principles and theories of child development and learning with emphasis on parent-child, parent-school, and child-school relationships.
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.
Fine Arts
Fine Arts
FA 101a Drawing (4 units)
Description: 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 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.
Public Art Studies
PAS 371 Art in the Public Realm: Contemporary Issues (4 units)
Description: Critical frameworks and theoretical perspectives of contemporary public art issues explored through case studies and discussions with artists, architects, and designers engaging the public realm.
Geography
GEOG 340m Latino L.A. (4 units)
Description: Examines spatial and social patterns of the Latino population in Los Angeles. Emphasis on economic, demographic and cultural processes.
GEOG 350m Race and Environmentalism (4 units)
Description: Relationships between environmentalism, environmental problems and racial-ethnic minorities. Rise of environmental justice movement. Assessment of social science methods used to investigate these relationships.
GEOG 393 Field Techniques (4 units)
Description: Field exploration of physical and cultural aspects of different regions, with emphasis on rural California. Field methods, especially mapping and interviewing.
GEOG 431 Geography of California (4 units)
Description: Type study of a region; distribution of physical and cultural phenomena; delimitation into natural regions; analysis of human-environment interaction in regions of the state. Field trips.
Gerontology
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 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 380m Diversity in Aging (4 units)
Description: Exploring diversity in the older population and variability in the human aging process.
Offered in classroom and Internet online sections.
GERO 416 Health Issues in Aging (4 units)
Description: Physiological, psychological, and social health problems of older people; organizational factors in health care delivery.
Appropriate for pre-health or health administration students.
GERO 437 Social and Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying (2 or 4 units)
Description: Introduction and critical survey of the current issues, concepts, and research of the social and psychological aspects of death and dying.
GERO 475 Ethical Issues in Geriatric Health Care (4 units)
Description: Biomedical ethical issues that are encountered in working with geriatric patients. Examination of ethical theory and the application of theory to clinical settings.
Appropriate for pre-health or health administration students.
GERO 481 Case Management for Older Adults (4 units)
Description: Overview of the concepts, characteristics, skills, and clinical issues of case management in a variety of settings serving older persons.
International Relations
IR 305 Managing New Global Challenges (4 units)
Description: Examines the strategies for managing global issues in the post Cold War period. Explores ways that international institutions, national governments and non-state actors work separately and together to provide order and control over complex international issues areas. Issues that will receive attention could include financial and monetary relations, trade and foreign investment, preservation of the environment, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, population and migration, terrorism and ethic strife.
IR 308 Globalization: Issues and Controversies (4 units)
Description: People, money, things, information, and ideas flow across national borders. How can we understand globalization, its consequences, and how to manage it? Multimedia training is involved.
IR 318 Conflict Resolution and Peace Research (4 units)
Description: Processes of conflict, violence, change, integration, stability, and peace in world society, analyzed primarily through the literature of the peace research movement.
IR 408 Global Democratization (4 units)
Description: Exploration of the global experience with democracy. Meaning of the term “democracy,” explanations of the rise and fall of democracy, its current trends and future challenges.
Journalism
JOUR 371 Censorship and the Law: From the Press to Cyberspace
(4 units)
Description: The study of current and historical battles over the limits of free expression from press and public parks to television, movies, music and cyberspace.
JOUR 407 Newsradio (4 units)
Description: Production of radio news: research, reporting, writing, preparation and treatment of form and content: procedures, problems and practice in producing radio news programs.
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 457 The Role of Celebrity in Public Relations (4 units)
Description: Understanding of the history and application of celebrity in public relations, focusing on the entertainment industry and the notoriety attached to politics and the media.
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.
JOUR 466 People of Color and the News Media (4 units)
Description: Reporting and portrayal of people of color in the United States; impact of racial diversity on media, employment and access, and development of media for individuals and communities of color. Open to non-majors.
JOUR 467 Gender and the News Media (4 units)
Description: Gender and news media evolving images of women and men in print and electronic media. Impact of gender in content and style of news, television and cinema. Open to non-majors.
JOUR 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8 units)
Description: Selected topics in journalism.
Visual Journalism (4 units)
Analyze and explore the phenomenal increase of photographic storytelling in today’s media. Learn how to convey information quickly while developing your ability to spot visual potential in news and feature reporting. Learn the key skills today’s visual storytellers must possess in a world of converging media. Sense, select and perceive visual messages both in the professional and everyday world. The course gives students skills in picture display and presentation, and instills ethical behavior in the professional media world.
Professor: Meyer
Business and the News Media (4 units)
How the news media cover business. How business attempts to influence news coverage. The relationship between business and the news media in society. This course is for anyone interested in knowing more about the historically contentious and contested relationship between the news media and business. Are the news media pro-business? Anti-business? Or fair and balanced? The class examines media portrayals of business, celebrity CEOs, corporate scandals and social responsibility.
Professor: Carroll
Politics and the Media (4 units)
A tour and study of the history, practice, rise and fall of journalism – and the intersection of journalism, politics, government and foreign policy. Among the subjects covered will be: the make-up of the national press corps; its role in politics and public policy; its interaction with the presidency, Congress, the courts and state and local governments; the role of technology in changing the flow, definition and texture of news. For non-majors: the role and role-playing of the nation’s press and politicians – and public opinion – in the governing, economics and diplomacy of the United States and the world it dominates.
Professor: Reeves
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. Words and concepts. Words and social constructs. The processing and the acquisition of words in normal and atypical children and adults.
LING 115g Language, Society, and Culture (4 units)
Description: Discourse patterns among diverse social groups in institutional and interpersonal settings; interrelationships among language practices and gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity; social structures and cultural values as reflected in language policies and practices. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
LING 155 Hindi II (4 units)
Description: Continuation of LING 125. Reading of simple Hindi prose, practice in pronunciation, the grammar essential for reading comprehension and writing. Lecture, classroom drill and laboratory practice. Prerequisite: LING 125.
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 222 Arabic III (4 units)
Description: Continuation of LING 152. Reading of selections from Arabic newspapers and current prose, continued study of grammar for reading comprehension. Lecture and classroom drill. Prerequisite: LING 152.
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 295g The Ancient Near East: Culture, Archaeology, Texts
(4 units)
Description: An investigation of the peoples of the ancient Near East, focusing upon the writings which they produced, their languages and scripts, and their archaeological remains.
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.
Electroacoustic Media
MUEA 474ax Electronic Synthesizer Techniques (2-4 units)
Description: Electronic music procedures in a multi-track studio.
MUEA 474bx Electronic Synthesizer Techniques (2-4 units)
Description: Electronic music procedures in a multi-track studio. Computer applications.
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 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 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 graduate 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)
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.
MUHL 403 Introduction to Armenian Music (2 units)
Description: Folk and church music; text, origins, genres, and general characteristics.
Music Industry
MUIN 372bx 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. Prerequisite: MUIN 372ax.
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, max 8 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, 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 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 444 American Roots Music: History and Culture (4 units)
Description: The history, genres, 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 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.
Occupational Therapy
OT 220 Introduction to Occupational Therapy (2 units)
Description: Exploration of philosophy and practice of occupational therapy (helping the disabled regain independence), including visits to hospitals; designed for students considering a health career.
Explores how choices about daily activity can improve health and wellness. Hands-on opportunities for documenting and interpreting personal patterns of activity; learn about areas of potential practice in life design.
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.
Introduces key themes of occupational science, including the creation of identity through meaningful activity and enhancing health and wellness through how we live each day.
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.
Examines the relationship between creativity and personal projects in response to conflict and change.
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.
Addresses the everyday practices of families by exploring the meanings embedded in acts of daily life and thematic organization of the family.
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 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 of 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 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 B.S., 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 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 372m Public Service in an Urban Setting (4 units)
Description: Voluntary service in an urban, multicultural context: diverse meanings and practices, history, motivations, relationship to charity and change, dilemmas, public policies; service learning project required.
Political Science
POSC 110 Ideology and Political Conflict (4 units)
Description: Modern political ideologies; their assumptions, perceptions, and prescriptions regarding political stability and social injustice: anarchism, communism, socialism, liberalism, conservatism, and fascism.
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. Concurrent enrollment: WRIT 140.
POSC 351 Middle East Politics (4 units)
Description: Political development in the Middle East, emphasizing historical, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions affecting political structures and functions; modernization and countervailing social, economic, and religious forces.
POSC 365 World Political Leadership (4 units)
Description: Comparative analysis of theories of power and leadership; application to leaders from western democracies, Third World, and socialist countries. Societal consequences of their policies.
POSC 381 Sex, Power, and Politics (4 units)
Description: An evaluation of the ways in which different ideologies, institutions, and policies contribute to differences in political power between men and women.
POSC 395 Directed Governmental and Political Leadership Internship (2-8, max 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 444 Civil and Political Rights and Liberties (4 units)
Description: An examination of debates and controversies surrounding the nature and scope of civil rights and civil liberties. Recommended preparation: POSC 340 or POSC 440.
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 295 Theatre in America (2, max 8 units)
Description: Current state of American theatre, through a study of acting, playwriting, criticism, stage design, lighting, and dramatic styles.
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.
THTR 499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8 units)
Description: Studies in selected areas of theater art. Intensive practice in role and script interpretation and its psychological relationship to the audience.
Performance Technique for Presentations (2-4 units)
To learn how to organize and structure a presentation, define its specific objectives and develop individual style and confidence in communicating its message. Developing and practicing performance skills necessary to giving an effective oral presentation. (For non-theatre majors.)
Urban Neighborhood Studies
URBN 475 Urban Practicum (4 units)
Description: Critical assessment of existing urban neighborhoods as a basis for proposing positive social and physical interventions. Recommended preparation: URBN 375.