Majors & Minors

The minor in 3-D animation in cinematic arts offers an introduction to basic animation principles and history, as well as creative and skill-based instruction in 3-D computer animation. Through elective choices students may focus their studies on their specific area of interest, including visual effects, motion capture, virtual reality, modeling or character animation. The program requires 16 units.

To be eligible for the 3-D animation in cinematic arts minor, a student must be in good academic standing and have a declared major. To declare the minor a student must submit a Change of Major/Minor form to the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts in SCB 210.

A minor in 3-Dimensional Design offers USC students in all fields of studies the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in 3-D thinking, imaging and production. Course work will focus on the process behind creating well-designed, expressive functional objects and spaces (both actual and virtual). The minor would be of particular interest to students wishing to further develop specializations such as package design, product design, and environmental design (way-finding, signage, display).

The 3D Computer Graphics and Modeling minor merges theoretical concepts with state-of-the-art techniques to prepare students to apply 3D computer graphics across a wide range of industry applications. Hands-on courses build from a core foundation throughout the spectrum of advanced cutting edge technologies as they are used in real-world application and culminate with the production of a portfolio of work commensurate with the needs of 3D industries.

The minor requires a minimum of 16 units, including a minimum of 12 upper-division units.

A minor in accounting is available to students in all schools and departments except the Marshall School of Business. The minor provides the opportunity for non-business majors to gain an understanding, from the perspective of the user of accounting information, of how accounting is used in the business world.

To be approved for the accounting minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and attained a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Successful completion of the minor requires at least 16-18 units with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the courses applied to the minor.

Scientific study of the nature, causes, consequences, prevention, intervention and treatment of the broad spectrum of addiction and addiction-related problems. 

Additional information: 

The minor is 20 units in total (12 units are assigned, and 8 units are required as electives). The USC Institute for Addiction Science supports collaborative research and education that advances science, awareness, prevention, treatment, and policy to rapidly and significantly reduce the societal burden of addictive behaviors. Our mission is motivated by the unfortunate truth that addiction is a wicked problem and leads to an array of recalcitrant epidemics that plague society. Given the interplay of societal, political, psychosocial, and biological influences on addiction, transdisciplinary approaches are needed to reduce the addiction epidemic. Faculty with addiction expertise are members in dozens of academic units across USC. The Institute for Addiction Science integrates and mobilizes USC's intellectual resources while leveraging the diverse and populous backdrop of Los Angeles to yield evidence with local, state, national and global implications. The majority of courses to be utilized for this major have been approved and are in use within their respective schools (these are denoted by their associated course prefix below). 

The advertising minor is designed for students interested in building a career in, or developing a better understanding of, the field of advertising. It explores the key role played by advertising in today's global economy. At no time has advertising been more successful or more controversial than it is today, and this program will explore both the positives and the negatives. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the theoretical underpinnings of those practices. Program content includes: the history of advertising; creation of written and visual advertising elements; the measurement, selection and analysis of media; the concept of "branding;" the role of advertising in creating and maintaining successful brands; the analysis of advertising campaign case studies; and the creation of integrated marketing communications campaigns.

The interdisciplinary minor in American Popular Culture helps students to assess from a variety of perspectives the icons and ideas they encounter every day, to think critically about the images and assertions of the mass media and commercial culture, and to see the experience of popular culture as it interacts with questions of gender and ethnicity in the American context. Students choose five classes, including one upper-division elective, from a curriculum organized to explore: critical approaches to popular culture; gender and ethnicity in American popular culture; and popular culture in the arts. Twenty units are required, four at the lower-division and 16 at the upper-division level.

Course Requirements

For the minor in American Studies and Ethnicity, five courses in American Studies and Ethnicity, or courses certified for American Studies and Ethnicity credit, are required. The five courses must be distributed as follows: two core requirement courses and three additional elective courses chosen from the courses certified in American Studies and Ethnicity at the 300 level or above.

The minor in animation offers students an introduction to the theory and practice of animation, including its relationship to the history of art and cinema, creative writing and basic film production. It provides students with an opportunity to create both personal and collaborative work in a wide range of genres, from traditional character to contemporary experimental and computer animation. This includes painting, cel, stop motion, collage, mixed media, 2- and 3-D computer animation software and interactive digital media. Successful completion of a final project is required.

Most students will enter the minor in animation program in their sophomore year at USC.

A student enrolled on the undergraduate level at USC may apply to minor in animation if he or she is maintaining normal degree progress.

Animation minor applications are reviewed by a panel of faculty members, with admissions made for the fall semester only. A maximum of 12 students will be admitted per year.

Application Procedures

To be considered for admission to the minor in animation, the applicant is required to submit the following materials: (1) Cinematic Arts departmental application, (2) academic records including current USC transcripts, (3) personal statement, (4) two letters of recommendation, and (5) portfolio (prints, slides, CD, DVD, film and/or video). Applications and admission information can be obtained from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Animation and Digital Arts Program Office, (213) 740-3986 or online at cinema.usc.edu.

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum grade of C (2.0) in each course is required. A grade of C- (1.7) or lower does not fulfill a minor requirement.

The minor in Applied Analytics prepares undergraduate students in the field of data analytics as applied to real-world problems. Applications vary from business to health care, social media to sports. The goal is to educate students to become data analysts. Students in the minor will learn all aspects of analytics: technology infrastructure to stage data, techniques to analyze data, tools to visualize results, and systems to publish and share the findings.

Requirements for minor completion: Minimum units 18