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Minor and Honors Programs

Minors in Fine Arts

The Roski School of Fine Arts offers minors in fine arts as supplements to major fields of specialization in other departments and schools for students whose academic programs do not permit the opportunity to pursue one of the school's regular degree options. There are six intensive studio minors -- in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, two-dimensional studies, and digital media-based imaging -- as well as interdisciplinary minors in communication design, 2-D art for games, 3-D animation and 3-D art for games. There is a separate application for fine arts minors available at roski.usc.edu/minors.

Candidates for the minors in the Roski School of Fine Arts will be counseled by an academic advisor in the Roski School of Fine Arts.

Minor in Communication Design
The core of this minor is communication design. In addition to courses in design, visual literacy and digital imaging, this minor includes optional courses in business, communication, journalism and marketing, allowing students to translate their design foundation in ways that are directly relevant to their career paths. The total number of units required for the minor is 24.

REQUIRED COURSES (24 units)UNITS
FA 102Design Fundamentals4

One lower division course (4 units) chosen from the following:
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 202Design II (corequisite: FA 203)4
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4
FA 215Introduction to Digital Video and Interactivity4

Four upper division courses (16 units) chosen from the following:
ACCT 410xAccounting Non-Business Majors4
BAEP 423Management of Small Businesses4
BAEP 451The Management of New Enterprises4
BAEP 454The Entrepreneurial Business Plan4
BUAD 307Marketing Fundamentals4
COMM 321Communication in the Virtual Group4
COMM 339Communication Technology and Culture4
COMM 340The Culture of New Media4
COMM 375Business and Professional Communication4
FA 302Design III4
FA 310Digital Photo Studio4
FA 315Multimedia Studio4
FA 320Video Studio4
FA 332Typography2
FA 402Advanced Design Projects4, max 12
FA 410Advanced Digital Photo Studio4, max 12
FA 415Advanced Multimedia Studio4, max 12
FA 420Advanced Video Studio4, max 12
JOUR 340Introduction to Advertising4
JOUR 342Advertising Media and Analysis4
JOUR 343Advertising Design and Production4
MKT 405Advertising and Promotion Management4
MKT 406Practicum in Advertising and Promotion Design4
MKT 450Consumer Behavior and Marketing4

Minor in Digital Media-based Imaging
This minor deals with art making using new technologies, including digital photography, digital video and computer imaging. Course work includes choice of classes in history of photography, digital media, visual literacy and computer imaging. The professional aspects of this minor assist students in developing careers in fine arts, communication, engineering, film, journalism and in any area where there is a need for flexible and creative imaging using digital media. The total number of units required for the minor is 28.

Required courses (28 units)Units
Lower division
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 209aPhotography4
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4
FA 215Introduction to Digital Video and Interactivity4

Three upper division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
AHIS 373History of Photography -- Pictorialism to Postmodernism4
AHIS 469Critical Approaches to Photography4
CTAN 451History of Animation2
FA 310Digital Photo Studio4
FA 315Multimedia Studio4
FA 320Video Studio4
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
FA 410Advanced Digital Photo Studio4, max 12
FA 415Advanced Multimedia Studio4, max 12
FA 420Advanced Video Studio4, max 12

Minor in Drawing
Students enrolled in the minor in drawing will develop their creativity and technical drawing skills, as well as deepen their understanding of contemporary art. Foundation courses provide the fundamentals of spatial rendering, composition, figure drawing and visual expression. Advanced courses require more ambitious projects, personal direction, research and sustained focus. The minor is available to all USC students who wish to develop their abilities to communicate through visual means, or who wish to develop skills for conceptualization and problem solving. The minor in drawing can assist the students in art-related work, as well as creative pursuits such as printed works with images, Web sites, games and animation. A total of 24 units are required for this minor.

Required Courses (24 units)Units
FA 101abDrawing4-4
FA 201aLife Drawing4

Optional extra lower-division course:
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 201bLife Drawing4

Three upper division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
FA 301Advanced Drawing4
FA 311Printmaking4
FA 331The Human Figure in Narrative Drawing2
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
FA 401Topics in Advanced Drawing4, max 12
FA 411Topics in Advanced Printmaking4, max 12

Minor in Painting
Within both western and non-western traditions, painting has a long history as a site for aesthetic experience and cultural questioning. This minor allows students to immerse themselves in painting, as well as developing a grasp of the critical issues surrounding it. Foundation courses provide the fundamentals of color, composition, medium and drawing. Advanced courses require more ambitious projects, personal direction, research and sustained focus. Students majoring in many areas of the humanities may pursue this minor to augment their understanding of one of the key media in the arts. The minor is available to all USC students who wish to develop their painting skills. A total of 24 units are required for this minor.

Required courses (24 units)units
Three lower division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
FA 101aDrawing4
FA 102Design Fundamentals4
FA 105Painting I4
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I 4 FA 205ab Painting II4-4

Three upper division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
FA 305Advanced Painting4
FA 311Printmaking4
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
FA 405Topics in Advanced Painting4, max 12
FA 411Topics in Advanced Printmaking4, max 12

Minor in Photography
The photography minor provides an in-depth experience in all aspects of photography. The well-equipped darkrooms allow individual hands-on exploration of black and white and color processes, camera types, historical and traditional printing methods, lighting and film technology. It also includes a foundation in photo theory and criticism. This minor is appropriate for students interested in an intense experiential exploration of the medium of photography. The total number of units required for the minor is 28.

Required Courses Units
Lower division courses (16 units)
FA 150 Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 209abPhotography4-4
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4

One upper division course (4 units) chosen from the following:
AHIS 373History of Photography Pictorialism to Postmodernism4
AHIS 469Critical Approaches to Photography4

Two upper division courses (8 units):
FA 309Advanced Photography4
FA 310Digital Photo Studio4
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
FA 409Topics in Advanced Photography4, max 12
FA 410Advanced Digital Photo Studio4, max 12

Minor in Sculpture
This minor focuses on making, organizing and manipulating objects and their spatial relationships in a range of materials such as wood, fiberglass, clay, plaster, latex and metal. Course work includes choice of classes in sculpture, ceramics, visual literacy, public art, moldmaking, metal and casting. The three-dimensional skills taught in this minor intersect with many other disciplines including architecture, cinema-television, special effects, engineering design, urban planning and any other areas where skills in maquette and model building are relevant. The total number of units required for the minor is 28.

Required courses (28 units)Units
FA 106Sculpture I4
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4

Eight lower division units chosen from the following:
FA 101aDrawing4
FA 112Ceramics4
FA 136Modeling and Mold Making2
FA 206Sculpture II4
FA 212Wheel Throwing2
FA 213Clay and Glazes2
FA 2143-D/Actual and Virtual4
FA 236Metal2
FA 246Construction Techniques2

Three upper division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
FA 306Advanced Sculpture4
FA 312Advanced Ceramics4
FA 366Art and Site4
FA 406Topics in Advanced Sculpture4, max 12
FA 412Topics in Advanced Ceramics4, max 12
FA 436Art and Technology4
PAS 400Contemporary Public Art4

Minor in Two-Dimensional Studies
This minor is designed for students who wish to augment their understanding of art in general in two-dimensional areas, rather than complete a minor that focuses on one medium. This minor provides a broad scope of courses in 2-D media and studies. This minor is open to any USC student, especially those interested in animation to sharpen their drawing, color and compositional skills. Students interested in the vast varieties of digital visual communication can develop better color and compositional skills. Total number of units required is 28.

Required courses (28 units)units
Four lower division courses (16 units) chosen from the following:
FA 101abDrawing4-4
FA 102Design Fundamentals4
FA 105Painting I4
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 201abLife Drawing4-4
FA 205abPainting II4-4
FA 207abxTwo-Dimensional Art Workshop2-2
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4
FA 215Introduction to Digital Video and Interactivity4

Three upper division courses (12 units) chosen from the following:
FA 301Advanced Drawing4
FA 305Advanced Painting4
FA 310Digital Photo Studio4
FA 311Printmaking4
FA 315Multimedia Studio4
FA 331The Human Figure in Narrative Drawing2
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
FA 401Topics in Advanced Drawing4, max 12
FA 405Topics in Advanced Painting4, max 12
FA 411Topics in Advanced Printmaking4, max 12

Minor in 2-D Art for Games
This interdisciplinary minor integrates three major disciplines (fine arts, computer science and interactive media) to develop the 2-D visual skills necessary to conceptualize and illustrate images for games. Skills include figure drawing, perspective, camera angles, point of view, story boarding, character development and illustration techniques. Software programs such as Illustrator, InDesign and Flash will be utilized in basic interface and interactive design assignments. Although game genres include 3-D examples, this minor will focus on the 2-D graphics for 2-D games and 3-D interface design. The minor includes fine arts courses as well as game design, game technology, production pipelines and play testing courses in computer science and interactive media. A minimum of 28 units is required for this minor.

REQUIRED LOWER DIVISION COURSES (12 UNITS)UNITS
FA 101abDrawing4-4
FA 102Design Fundamentals4

REQUIRED UPPER DIVISION COURSES (12-14 UNITS)UNITS
FA 436Art and Technology4
CTIN 488Game Design Workshop4
CSCI 491abL*Final Game Project, or
CTIN 491abL**Advanced Game Project4-2

ELECTIVES (4 units chosen from the following)UNITS
CSCI 281Pipelines for Games and Interactives3
CSCI 486Serious Games Development3
CTAN 330Animation Fundamentals2
CTAN 451History of Animation2
CTAN 452Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation2, max 4
CTIN 484LIntermediate Game Development2
CTIN 489Intermediate Game Design Workshop2
CTIN 491bLAdvanced Game Project2
FA 105Painting I4
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 201aLife Drawing4
FA 203Digital Tools for Design2
FA 207abxTwo-Dimensional Art Workshop2-2
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4
FA 331The Human Figure in Narrative Drawing2
ITP 280Video Game Production4

*Both a and b must be taken

**Can take only a, but unless b is also taken, student cannot lead a project.

Minor in 3-D Art for Games
The focus of the 3-D art for games minor is a trans-disciplinary approach that incorporates the creative, technological and team-based communication skills necessary to develop 3-D art skills for video games. It includes a choice of courses from fine arts, computer science, information technology, interactive media and animation and digital arts. In preparation for the transition from the theoretical assignment to professional practice, students will present game prototypes to outside professionals at "Demo Days" at the end of each semester. The minimum number of units is 28.

REQUIRED LOWER DIVISION COURSES (13 UNITS)UNITS
CSCI 281Pipelines for Games and Interactives3
FA 106Sculpture I4
FA 2143-D/Actual and Virtual4
ITP 215x3-D Modeling, Animation, Compositing and Special Effects2

REQUIRED UPPER DIVISION COURSES (11-14 UNITS)UNITS
FA 436Art and Technology4
CTIN 488Game Design Workshop, or4
CSCI 486Serious Games Development3
CTIN 491aLAdvanced Game Project, or4
CSCI 491abLFinal Game Project4-2

ELECTIVES (4 units chosen from the following)UNITS
CSCI 180Survey of Digital Games and Their Technologies3
CSCI 486*Serious Games Development3
CTAN 330Animation Fundamentals2
CTAN 451History of Animation2
CTAN 452Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation2, max 4
CTIN 483Programming for Interactivity4
CTIN 488*Game Design Workshop4
CTIN 489Intermediate Game Design Workshop2
CTIN 491bLAdvanced Game Project2
FA 150Visual Culture and Literacy I4
FA 210Introduction to Digital Photography4
FA 215Introduction to Digital Video and Interactivity4
FA 330Ideas in Intermedia4
FA 350Art Theory and Criticism4
ITP 280Video Game Production4

*Can be taken as elective if not taken as upper-division requirement.

Minor in 3-D Animation
The 3-D animation minor merges theoretical concepts and practical skills to prepare students for a career in their major field of work with incorporation of 3-D animation and interactive technologies. Through integration of three major disciplines (cinema, fine arts and information technology), students gain a solid foundation in a wide range of important industry and academic skills. Two concentrations are available depending on professional goals and career or industry objectives. Refer to the School of Engineering's Information Technology Program for course requirements.

Honors in Multimedia Scholarship

This program offers qualified undergraduate students an opportunity to approach their discipline(s) of study through the critical application of multimedia expression and scholarship. The student experience will be characterized by smaller classes taught by leading faculty members and enriched by a program of lecture series, visiting scholars, symposia and conferences. For complete program requirements, see the Interdisciplinary Programs.