School of Cinematic Arts

Media Arts and Practice

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Practice offers a robust curriculum centered on the history, theory and practice of digital media in creative and scholarly contexts. Students will study the evolution of media in concert with new cinematic technologies, from the work of early innovators such as Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, through the pioneering experiments in information theory embodied by thinkers such as Claude Shannon, Norbert Wiener and Vannevar Bush, and on to the experiments of artists and designers working with interactivity, immersion, stereoscopy and performance for over a century. Students will also learn how to understand the relationship among media forms, emerging technologies and culture, and how to author in diverse media platforms for both critical and creative practice. The media arts and practice major is ideal for students who are interested in the expanded array of cinematic technologies that can be used for the creative and critical expression of ideas, as well as those who want to develop skills in visual communication for use in diverse fields.

General Education Requirements

The university’s general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This program requires six courses in different categories, plus writing, foreign language and diversity requirements, which comprise the USC Core. See The USC Core and the General Education Program for more information.

Thesis Sequence

The media arts and practice major culminates in a digital thesis project that students research, develop and construct during their senior year. These projects will engage a key issue faced by contemporary media arts practitioners. Building on the success of the capstone projects created by students in the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program, and taking advantage of the rich network of leading faculty advisers, these theses will represent the convergence of conceptual excellence and digital innovation.

Required Courses		Units
CNTV 101	Reality Starts Here	2
IML 102	Digital Studies Studio I	4
IML 103	Digital Studies Studio II	4
IML 295L	Race, Class and Gender in Digital Culture	4
IML 310	Professionalism for Media Arts	2
IML 340	The Praxis of New Media: Digital Argument	2
IML 346	Methods in Digital Research	2
IML 388	Computational Thinking and Design	4
IML 400	Creative Coding for the Web	4
IML 404	Tactical Media	4
IML 422	Information Visualization	4
IML 441	Advanced Thesis Project I	4
IML 444	Thesis Project II	4
IML 466	Digital Studies Symposium	4

Choose one of the following courses:
CTCS 478	Culture, Technology and Communications	4
CTCS 482	Transmedia Entertainment	4

Choose one of the following courses:
IML 309	Integrative Design for Mobile Devices	4
IML 420	New Media for Social Change	4
IML 450	Critical Play and Documentary Games	4
Total: 56 units

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in all required and prerequisite courses. A grade of C- (1.7) or lower will not satisfy a major requirement.

Curriculum Review

Media arts and practice majors are expected to meet with an academic adviser every semester to review their progress. Contact the Media Arts and Practice Program at map@cinema.usc.edu for an appointment.

Honors in Multimedia Scholarship

Program Overview

A century of mass media and the advent of digital communication have transformed the way ideas are expressed and understood across the university. 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. The Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program offers students an opportunity to learn new approaches to the production of knowledge through the critical application of multimedia.

The program includes a systematic introduction to the history, theory and practice of multimedia scholarship within a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts. Students develop and refine their abilities to conduct research and publish work in formats appropriate to their field of study: video, audio, image, Web or some integration of these forms. The program is open to students from all disciplines.

In the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program, students are expected to integrate theory into the practice of multimedia scholarship; for this reason, courses include discussion of historical and theoretical material, instruction in basic research practices, as well as opportunities to develop skills in multimedia authorship, collaboration, leadership and creative thinking.

Students earn Honors in Multimedia Scholarship by completing a minimum of 16 units of required course work culminating in a capstone thesis seminar during their final year.

To maintain small classes and allow for extensive discussion and project development, the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program requires students to be highly motivated; there is extensive reading, writing and multimedia authoring. The required courses are not available for pass/no pass registration.

Information about courses and other program offerings can be obtained by emailing the Media Arts and Practice Program at map@cinema.usc.edu.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS		Units
4 units (minimum) from the following:
IML 104	Introduction to Digital Studies	2
IML 140	Workshop in Multimedia Authoring	2, max 4
IML 201	The Languages of Digital Media	4

All of the following:
IML 346	Methods in Digital Research	2
IML 440	Thesis Project I	4
IML 444	Thesis Project II	4

2 units (minimum) from the following:
IML 140*	Workshop in Multimedia Authoring	2, max 4
IML 295L	Race, Class and Gender in Digital Culture	4
IML 340	The Praxis of New Media: Digital Argument	2, max 4
IML 400	Creative Coding for the Web	4
IML 420m	New Media for Social Change	4, max 8
IML 422	Information Visualization	4
IML 466	Digital Studies Symposium	4
Total units (minimum): 16 units

Note: Students in good standing may elect to take graduate (500-level) IML courses, pending departmental approval.

Doctor of Philosophy in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts and Practice)

The Ph.D. in Media Arts and Practice program offers a rigorous and creative environment for scholarly innovation as students explore the intersection of design, media and critical thinking while defining new modes of research and scholarship for the 21st century. Core to the program is its transdisciplinary ethos; after completing foundational course work, students design their own curricula, drawing on expertise across all divisions and research labs within the School of Cinematic Arts.

Admission

A bachelor’s or master’s degree in media arts, or a closely related field, is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. In addition to submitting an application to USC Graduate Admissions, applicants for the Ph.D. must submit the supplemental application and materials to the Media Arts and Practice Division. For specific instructions, contact the School of Cinematic Arts Office of Admission, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211, (213) 840-8358, or online at cinema.usc.edu/imap.

Course Requirements

Each Ph.D. candidate must complete 64 units beyond the bachelor’s degree, exclusive of CNTV 794 Doctoral Dissertation. (Up to 28 units may be transferred from graduate work completed at other institutions.) At least two-thirds of the units applied towards the degree (including transfer work and not including CNTV 794) must be at the 500 level or higher. The required units will include 8 to 16 units in a minor area. The minor will be chosen by the student in close consultation with the adviser and will be in an academic field that supports the student’s dissertation topic and project. Each student must complete the following course work:

(1) CNTV 501 (1), CNTV 600 (4), CNTV 601 (4), CNTV 602 (4), CNTV 603 (1-1), CNTV 604 (4). These courses should be taken before the screening procedure.

(2) At least 8 units in theory based course work within Cinematic Arts.

(3) At least 14 units in practice-based course work within Cinematic Arts. Courses outside of Cinematic Arts will be considered for approval by the student’s adviser. The above courses should be taken before the qualifying exam.

(4) At least 4, but no more than 8 units of CNTV 794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation.

Screening Procedure

The Graduate School requires that programs administer an examination or other procedure at a predetermined point in the student’s studies as a prerequisite to continuation in the doctoral program. The screening procedure in the School of Cinematic Arts is designed to review the student’s suitability for continuing in the chosen Ph.D. program. Two separate screening procedures will measure a student’s progress at two points in their work toward the degree. The first screening will occur no later than the end of the student’s third semester of graduate course work beyond the master’s degree or after 46 units of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree. The second screening will occur no earlier than one-half of a semester following the first screening. The screening procedure process will include the following steps:

(1) First screening. Prior to the first screening, the student will select a faculty adviser and formulate a provisional course of study. The student will also select a subcommittee of media arts and practice faculty to review his or her work. At the first screening, the student will be interviewed and his or her progress in the program will be reviewed by the faculty to determine if the student will be approved for additional course work. Following a successful first screening, the student, in consultation with the faculty adviser, will formally establish a five-member qualifying exam committee. The composition of the qualifying exam committee will be as specified by the Graduate School. For the Ph.D. in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts and Practice), the committee is ordinarily composed of four cinematic arts faculty members and an outside member from the candidate’s minor area.

(2) Second screening. Working closely with the faculty adviser and qualifying exam committee, the student will prepare to present his or her dissertation project proposal to a subcommittee of media arts and practice faculty. This will be a formal written proposal detailing the proposed topic, three fields for examination derived from the general dissertation topic area (complete with bibliographies, filmographies and mediographies for each area). Formal presentation of the dissertation project proposal will occur no later than the end of the semester prior to taking the qualifying examinations. The qualifying exam committee must approve the dissertation topic. Once the dissertation topic has been approved, the student will complete a Request to Take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination form available from the program coordinator.

Qualifying Exam Committee

Following a successful screening procedure, the student, in consultation with the qualifying exam committee chair and the Media Arts and Practice faculty, will formally establish a five-member qualifying exam committee. The composition of the qualifying exam committee will be as specified by the Graduate School. For the Ph.D. in Cinematic Arts (Media Arts and Practice), the committee is ordinarily composed of four cinematic arts faculty members and an outside member from the candidate’s minor area.

Foreign Language Requirement

The cinematic arts faculty will advise each student as to whether or not a foreign language is required. This requirement is determined by the student’s dissertation topic. The requirement must be met at least 60 days before the qualifying examination.

Dissertation Proposal Presentation

Working closely with the qualifying exam committee chair, the student will prepare to present his or her dissertation proposal to the full faculty. This will be a formal written proposal which will include a statement of the proposed topic, three fields for examination derived from the general dissertation topic area (including a field from the minor area), a detailed bibliography and an appropriate and comprehensive screening list of prior work in the field of inquiry. Formal presentation of the dissertation proposal will occur no later than the end of the semester prior to taking the qualifying examinations. The qualifying exam committee must approve the dissertation topic. Once the dissertation topic has been approved, the student will complete a Request to Take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination form available from the program coordinator.

Qualifying Examinations

Written and oral examinations for the Ph.D. are given twice a year, in November and April. Questions for the written portion of the examination will be drafted by members of the qualifying exam committee who will also grade the examination. The qualifying examination comprises three examinations administered one day each for three days over a five-day period. The oral examination will be scheduled within 30 days after the written examination. All qualifying exam committee members must be present for the oral portion of the qualifying examination.

Admission to Candidacy

A student is eligible for admission to candidacy for a Ph.D. degree after: (1) passing the second screening procedure; (2) presenting the dissertation proposal and having it approved; (3) satisfying the language requirement, if applicable, (4) completing at least 24 units in residence; and (5) passing the written and oral portions of the qualifying examination. Admission to candidacy is by action of the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.

Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee is composed as specified by regulations of the Graduate School. A dissertation based on original investigation and showing technical mastery of a special field, capacity of research and scholarly ability must be submitted.

CNTV 794

Registration for dissertation units, CNTV 794ab, in the two semesters following admission to candidacy is the minimum requirement. These units cannot be applied towards the required 64 unit total. The student must register for CNTV 794 each semester after admission to candidacy until the degree requirements are completed. No more than 8 units of credit can be earned in CNTV 794.

Defense of Dissertation

An oral defense of the dissertation is required of each Ph.D. candidate. The dissertation committee will decide whether the examination is to take place after completion of the preliminary draft or the final draft of the dissertation. The oral defense must be passed at least one week before graduation.

Policies

The following policies apply to each student admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Residency Requirements

At least one year of full-time graduate study (24 units excluding registration for CNTV 794) must be completed in residence on the main USC campus. The residency requirement may not be interrupted by study elsewhere. Residency must be completed prior to the qualifying examination.

Grade Point Average

An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for all graduate work. Courses in which a grade of C- (1.7) or lower is earned will not apply toward a graduate degree.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence may be granted under exceptional circumstances by petitioning the Graduate School the semester before the leave is to be taken.

Change of Committee

Changes to either the qualifying exam or dissertation committee must be requested on a form available from the Graduate School.

Completion of All Requirements

Everything involved in approving the dissertation must be completed at least one week before graduation. Approval by the dissertation committee, the Office of Academic Records and Registrar, and the thesis editor must be reported on the triple card and submitted to the Graduate School by the date of graduation.

Time Limits

The maximum time limit for completing all requirements for the Ph.D. degree is eight years from the first course at USC applied toward the degree. Students who have completed an applicable master’s degree at USC or elsewhere within five years from the proposed enrollment in a Ph.D. program must complete the Ph.D. in six years. Extension of these time limits will be made only for compelling reasons upon petition by the student.

When petitions are granted, students will be required to make additional CNTV 794 registrations. Course work more than 10 years old is automatically invalidated and cannot be applied toward the degree.

Graduate Certificate in Digital Media and Culture

Contemporary scholarship is undergoing profound shifts as new technologies alter how scholars interact, conduct research, author and visualize their work, as well as how they teach. The certificate program in digital media and culture explores the shifting nature of scholarly expression, pedagogical practice and research in the 21st century, combining seminars with hands-on, lab-based workshops in order to facilitate sophisticated critical thinking and practice in and through multimedia.

Open to graduate students interested in emerging modes of creative, networked and media-rich scholarship, the program will be offered both on-site as a complement to work students are already doing in different programs across campus, as well as a fully online experience for distance learners. Overall, whether on-site or online, the program seeks to provide participants with a sophisticated conceptual framework for considering the emerging landscape of scholarship in the digital age, as well as a broad overview of contemporary scholarly multimedia as it intersects with media art, information design, interactive media and communication studies.

Required Courses		Units
Choose a minimum of 12 units from the following:
IML 500	Digital Media Tools and Tactics	2, max 4
IML 501L	Seminar in Contemporary Digital Media	4
IML 502	Techniques of Information Visualization	4
IML 535	Tangible Computing in the Humanities and Sciences	4
IML 555	Digital Pedagogies	4
Total units		16