PDF version of this chapterInterdisciplinary Programs
Interdisciplinary Programs
Honors in Multimedia Scholarship
EGG 200
(213) 743-4421
Fax: (213) 749-4236
Email: honors@annenberg.edu
www.iml.annenberg.edu
Director: Anne Balsamo
Program Overview
Honors in Multimedia Scholarship offers qualified undergraduate students an opportunity to approach their discipline(s) of study through the critical application of multimedia expression and scholarship. The program is based on the premise that a century of mass communication and the advent of digital communication have transformed the way ideas are expressed and understood across society. As a result, the notion of literacy, which has traditionally referred to the reading and writing of printed materials, has fundamentally expanded to include new forms of expression.Over the four-year course of the students' undergraduate experience, the program will gradually expose them to the history, theory and practice of multimedia scholarship within a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts, developing and refining their abilities to research, author and publish work in methods appropriate and specific to their field of study.
Students accepted into the Institute for Multimedia Literacy Honors Program in Multimedia Scholarship participate in smaller classes taught by leading faculty members. The program enrolls entering freshman students, and a limited number of sophomore students, who will integrate multimedia courses into their curriculum throughout their four-year university education.
Each course within the program is designed to develop student facility with the theory and practice of genres of multimedia scholarship and provide opportunities to develop skills in multimedia authorship, collaboration, leadership and creative thinking.
Year 1: Foundational study of the contexts, concepts and competencies of multimedia literacy, embodied in the languages of new media.
Year 2: Beginning integration of multimedia approaches within chosen disciplines and within the general education liberal arts structure.
Year 3: Development of proficiency with multimedia as a scholarly tool within a student's own discipline or cognate fields of study.
Year 4: A year-long project that demonstrates mastery in the area of discipline-based multimedia authorship.
Upon successfully completing IML 101, students will fulfill the other requirements through IML-specific courses in the general education program and courses in their major, minor or cognate field of study. Students complete the honors with a culminating capstone course.
To maintain small classes and allow for extensive discussion and project development, the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program requires an individual application process for each student. Students must be highly motivated which should be reflected in their personal statement, cumulative SAT scores of 1400 or above and an A- high school GPA. The program is rigorous and requires extensive reading, writing and multimedia authoring. Honors in Multimedia Scholarship (IML) courses are not available for pass/no pass registration.
Information about courses for the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship and other program offerings can be obtained from advisors in the Institute for Multimedia Literacy offices.
| Course Requirements | units | |
|---|---|---|
| IML 101 | Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Languages of New Media I | 4 |
| General education course | 4 | |
| General Education Category I course offered exclusively for Honors in Multimedia Scholarship students. (Indicated in the Schedule of Classes each semester.) | ||
| 300/400 level course | 4 | |
Upper-division course in major, minor or cognate field of study that incorporates or supports multimedia expression of the subject matter. (Indicated in Schedule of Classes or by prior agreement with professor.) | ||
| IML 440 | Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Multimedia Honors Thesis Project I | 4 |
| IML 444 | Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Multimedia Honors Thesis Project II | 4 |
| 20 | ||
| Electives | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| IML 104 | Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Languages of New Media II | 2 |
| IML 346 | Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Methods in Scholarly Multimedia | 2 |
Multimedia Scholarship (IML)
101 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Languages of New Media I (4, FaSp) An introduction to the history, theory, and languages of new media. Open to students in the Honors Program in Multimedia Scholarship only.
104 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: The Languages of New Media II (2, FaSp) An introduction to the expressive range of screen languages in their cultural, historical, and technological contexts. Open to students in the Honors Program in Multimedia Scholarship only. Prerequisite: IML 101.
346 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Methods in Scholarly Multimedia (2, max 4, FaSp) Emphasizing rigorous student multimedia authorship, this course explores the impact of multimedia on disciplinary conventions. Concurrent with upper division course with research component in student's major/minor. Open to students in the Honors program in Multimedia Scholarship only. Prerequisite: IML 101; recommended preparation: IML 104.
440 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Multimedia Honors Thesis Project I (4, FaSp) Exploration of theoretical and practical concerns of advanced level interdisciplinary multimedia research and authorship. Open to students in the Honors Program in Multimedia Scholarship only. Senior standing. Prerequisite: IML 101.
444 Honors in Multimedia Scholarship: Multimedia Honors Thesis Project II (4, FaSp) Production of Multimedia Honors thesis. Open to students in the Honors Program in Multimedia Scholarship only. Prerequisite: IML 440.
Urban Initiative
The USC Urban Initiative offers an undergraduate minor in urban neighborhood studies and a graduate certificate in urban and global studies. Faculty from across the university's professional schools and USC College actively engage in inter- and trans-disciplinary scholarship that bridges basic and applied research.
Faculty and students undertake applied and theoretical urban scholarship in an environment that promotes inquiry, introduces principles and values and teaches the skills necessary to work on complex urban problems in multidisciplinary environments and to develop the common language essential to effective collaboration.
Minor in Urban Neighborhood Studies
The focus of this minor is on the quality of urban life at the scale of the neighborhood or district. This is the location of the places of residence and work, of education and religion, of everyday life. Neighborhoods are the fundamental building blocks of cities.The minor is supported by the four "urban schools" of USC: Architecture, Education, Social Work, and Policy, Planning, and Development. The core studies are "hands-on" as a practicum in learning about neighborhoods and learning how the disciplines of the four schools provide the means for understanding and treating urban issues. The core courses are team taught by faculty from the collaborating schools.
This minor should be of interest to students generally, but especially to those interested in the nature of urban life and the policies and actions directed toward the improvement of cities.
The requirements for the minor include two required courses and 12 units of elective courses, including at least one from each of three of the Schools of Architecture, Education, Social Work, and Policy, Planning, and Development.
One of the listed geography courses may be substituted for a course from one of the sponsoring schools. At least 8 of the 12 elective units must be upper division. Students in the School of Architecture and in the School of Policy, Planning, and Development may not apply more than one core course toward their major and must take all of their elective courses outside their major.
| Required Courses | 8 Units | |
|---|---|---|
| URBN 375 | The Urban Neighborhood | 4 |
| URBN 475 | Urban Practicum | 4 |
| Elective Courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| One course each selected from three of the four schools: | ||
| ARCH 114 | Architecture: Culture and Community | 2 |
| ARCH 206 | Shelter | 4 |
| ARCH 432 | People, Places, and Culture: Architecture of the Public Realm | 4 |
| ARCH 450 | Fundamentals of Historic Preservation | 4 |
| EDPA 302 | Global Education | 4 |
| EDPA 308 | Politics and American Education | 3 |
| GEOG 325* | Culture and Place | 4 |
| GEOG 340* | Latino L.A. | 4 |
| GEOG 410* | Urban Geography | 4 |
| PPD 350 | Urban Institutions and Policies | 4 |
| PPD 372 | Public Service in an Urban Setting | 4 |
| PPD 417 | History of Planning and Development | 4 |
| PPD 425 | Designing Livable Communities | 4 |
| PPD 439 | Housing and Community Development | 4 |
| SOWK 200 | Institutional Inequality in American Political and Social Policy | 4 |
| SOWK 304 | Children and Families in Urban America | 4 |
| SOWK 400 | Children and Families in Urban America Capstone Course | 4 |
Graduate Certificate in Urban and Global Studies
The Urban and Global Studies certificate provides an intense, interdisciplinary, intellectual educational, research and training experience focused on cities in global context to doctoral students from diverse professional and academic disciplines.Urban challenges today are complex, often global problems that defy solutions from one discipline. The Urban and Global Studies certificate seeks to train a new generation of scholars with the skills to bridge basic and applied research, work collaboratively across disciplines, and think beyond national or local spheres to discover better solutions to complex problems. It offers scholars from interdisciplinary and disciplinary fields a unique opportunity to exchange respective methodologies and develop an enlarged community of communication.
A critical component of participation in the Urban and Global Studies certificate will be an international research project in the summer of the second year of the Ph.D. program. This will provide the student cohort with critical international comparative experience.
Admissions Criteria
Applicants for admission to the Urban and Global Studies certificate must be full-time currently enrolled students in good standing in a USC Ph.D. program. Applicants will be expected to have completed one year of full-time study in their respective schools prior to admission (generally, students will apply in the spring of their first year of study; however, other applicants further along in their Ph.D. studies will also be considered). Admitted students will generally enroll in the certificate courses during the second and third year of their Ph.D. studies.
Admission to the certificate program is highly selective and competitive. Preference is given to those with professional and academic qualities favoring success in interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarship around complex problem-solving.
Applicants must supply (1) a one-page statement of their professional and academic background and interests and career goals related to the certificate; (2) a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who knows the student's work well; and (3) a brief letter from the departmental chair (for applicants in USC College departments) or program advisor (for professional school applicants) indicating that the applicant is a currently enrolled student in good standing. Applications must be signed by the dean or a designated signer.
For specific information on admission requirements, application procedures and urban and global fellowships contact the Urban Initiative office at (213) 740-8181.
Urban Studies (URBN)
375 The Urban Neighborhood (4, Fa) Understanding neighborhoods as the fundamental places of everyday urban life from the perspective of the fields of architecture, education, planning and social work. (Duplicates credit in former ARCH 375.)
475 Urban Practicum (4, Sp) Critical assessment of existing urban neighborhoods as a basis for proposing positive social and physical interventions. (Duplicates credit in former ARCH 475.) Recommended preparation: URBN 375.
601 Pro-Seminar in Urban and Global Studies (1, max 3, FaSp) Introduces students to the issues and problems of global cities and a range of urban scholars via the Urban Initiative lecture series. Open to Urban and Global Studies students only. Graded CR/NC.
603 Comparative Urbanism: Theory, Method, Policy (4, Fa) A critical overview of the city in history, past and present approaches to urban theory, the dynamics of contemporary urbanization and urban outcomes, and prospects for managing urban growth and change. Open to Urban and Global Studies students only. Concurrent enrollment: URBN 601.
605 Interdisciplinary Methods of Inquiry in Urban and Social Problems (3, Fa) Engages participants in discourse about the characteristics of urban problems and intellectual foundations of ways to solve them. It offers communication and language skills across disciplines. Open to Urban and Global Studies students only. Prerequisite: URBN 603; concurrent enrollment: URBN 601.
700 Grand Challenge Integrative Seminar (3, Sp) Seminar builds on knowledge and assignments of the Grand Challenge courses. Students describe, analyze and compare the work they did in their separate Grand Challenge courses. Open to Urban and Global Studies students only. Prerequisite: URBN 603, URBN 605.