Viterbi School of Engineering
Multimedia and Creative Technologies
A minor in interactive multimedia is open to undergraduate students in all majors. This minor provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to apply and develop interactive multimedia tools within a variety of industries. Although this program is geared towards the non-technical student, computer literacy is a key component to being successful in this program.
Students must apply to the program through the Viterbi School of Engineering, and approval of the student’s adviser will be required on the application form. Students are required to complete a minimum of 19 units of course work consisting of both core requirements and elective courses.
Successful completion of the interactive multimedia minor requires a minimum of a 2.0 GPA in the following courses.
Note: The minor in interactive multimedia is scheduled for revision and applications for the program are not currently being accepted.
| Core Courses |
Units |
| CTIN 190 |
Introduction to Interactive Entertainment |
4 |
| EE 320x |
Digital Media Basics for Multimedia |
3 |
| ITP 101x |
Introduction to Information Technology, or |
4 |
| ITP 105x* |
Introduction to Computer Technologies and Applications |
2 |
| ITP 210x |
Multimedia Applications for Windows (corequisite to EE 320) |
2 |
| JOUR 413 |
Introduction to Online Journalism |
4 |
| Total core units: |
13-15 |
| Elective Courses: |
6-8 units |
| Students will choose two elective courses from the following list: |
| Cinematic Arts |
| CTIN 483 |
Introduction to Game Development |
4 |
| CTIN 488 |
Game Design Workshop |
4 |
| Engineering |
| EE 450 |
Introduction to Computer Networks |
3 |
| ITP 301Lx |
Interactive Web Development, or |
4 |
| CSCI 351* |
Programming and Multimedia on the World Wide Web |
3 |
| Journalism |
| JOUR 417 |
Online Journalism Management |
2 |
| Fine Arts (Multimedia Design) |
| FADN 302 |
Design II |
4 |
| FAIN 315 |
Internet Studio: Online Experimentation and Expression |
4 |
| FASC 436 |
Art and Technology |
4 |
Total units required for completion of minor: 19–23 units
Total units including all prerequisite courses: 26–36
Students may earn a specialization in multimedia and creative technologies by completing the general requirements for the Master of Science in computer science and the following additional courses:
Every student must complete CSCI 576 Multimedia Systems Design (3). Students must also complete at least two courses selected from one of the two specialization tracks: Graphics and Vision or Networks and Databases.
| Graphics and Vision Track |
Units |
| CSCI 520 |
Computer Animation and Simulation |
3 |
| CSCI 574 |
Computer Vision |
3 |
| CSCI 580 |
3-D Graphics and Rendering |
3 |
| CSCI 582 |
Geometric Modeling |
3 |
| CSCI 674 |
Advanced Topics in Computer Vision |
3 |
| EE 569 |
Introduction to Digital Image Processing |
3 |
| Networks and Databases Track |
Units |
| CSCI 551 |
Computer Communications |
3 |
| CSCI 558L |
Internetworking and Distributed Systems Laboratory |
3 |
| CSCI 585* |
Database Systems |
3 |
| CSCI 586 |
Database Systems Interoperability |
3 |
| CSCI 694ab |
Topics in Computer Networks and Distributed Systems |
3-3 |
| EE 450 |
Introduction to Computer Networks |
3 |
Suggested Core and Elective Courses
Since this specialization is systems oriented, it is recommended (but not required) that students select CSCI 555 Advanced Operating Systems and EE 557 Computer Systems Architecture as two of their three core courses. Additional electives may be taken from the two tracks or from the partial list of suggestions below.
| CSCI 561* |
Foundations of Artificial Intelligence |
3 |
| CSCI 573 |
Probabilistic Reasoning |
3 |
| CSCI 577ab* |
Software Engineering |
4-4 |
| CSCI 583 |
Computational Geometry |
3 |
| CSCI 588 |
Specification and Design of User Interface Software |
3 |
| CSCI 590 |
Directed Research |
1-12 |
| EE 554 |
Real Time Computer Systems |
3 |
| ISE 571 |
Human Factor Issues in Integrated Media Systems |
3 |
| ISE 575 |
Topics in Engineering Approaches to Music Cognition |
3, max 6 |
Students may earn a specialization in multimedia and creative technologies by completing the general requirements for the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and the following additional requirements:
- At most four units of electives can be taken outside of the Viterbi School of Engineering with adviser approval. Some examples are CTAN 452 Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation (2 units) and CTIN 483 Introduction to Game Development (4 units).
- Computer science courses that are cross-listed with EE can (but do not have to) count toward the 18 EE units. Up to nine units of other CSCI courses that either are or are not cross-listed can also be used. Multimedia and creative technologies draws heavily on concepts and techniques from computer science.
- Students must include the following three courses in their program
| EE 483 |
Introduction to Digital Signal Processing |
3 |
| EE 519 |
Speech Recognition and Processing for Multimedia |
3 |
| EE 569 |
Introduction to Digital Image Processing |
3 |
- A course can be waived if a student can demonstrate equivalent knowledge of the material and if the course instructor will certify it.
- Students must include six courses from the following list of courses in their programs for a total of 18 units.
Approved Courses for the Multimedia Specialization
| Courses in Electrical Engineering |
units |
| EE 450 |
Introduction to Computer Networks |
3 |
| EE 522 |
Immersive Audio Signal Processing |
3 |
| EE 555 |
Broadband Network Architectures |
3 |
| EE 577a |
VLSI System Design |
3 |
| EE 586L |
Advanced DSP Design Laboratory |
4 |
| EE 596 |
Wavelets |
3 |
| EE 619 |
Advanced Topics in Automatic Speech Recognition |
3 |
| EE 669 |
Multimedia Data Compression |
3 |
| Courses in Computer Science |
Units |
| CSCI 455x |
Introduction to Programming Systems Design |
4 |
| CSCI 480 |
Computer Graphics |
3 |
| CSCI 485 |
File and Database Management |
3 |
| CSCI 551 |
Computer Communications |
3 |
| CSCI 571 |
Web Technologies |
3 |
| CSCI 574 |
Computer Vision |
3 |
| CSCI 576 |
Multimedia Systems Design |
3 |
| CSCI 580 |
3-D Graphics and Rendering |
3 |
| CSCI 582 |
Geometric Modeling |
3 |
| CSCI 585 |
Database Systems |
3 |
| Courses from the School of Cinematic Arts |
Units |
| CTAN 452 |
Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation |
2, max 4 |
| CTIN 483 |
Introduction to Game Development |
4 |
| Course in Information Technology |
Units |
| ITP 411x |
Multimedia and Video Production |
3 |
- Students may replace courses in the above list with a combined maximum of multimedia-related EE 599 or CSCI 599 Special Topics courses in their programs. Every course requires prior approval from the faculty adviser, recorded each semester on the plan of study form.
- Students may include a maximum of 6 units of EE 590 Directed Research in their programs. Before registering for these units, the faculty adviser must approve a written description of the intended multimedia research project signed by the faculty member who will supervise the student.
- Students entering this program are expected to have already completed, either at USC or at another institution, formal course work equivalent to USC course EE 364 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Electrical Engineering. If an approved course has either EE 441 or EE 464 as a prerequisite, then the student must first take and pass the placement examination that is given each semester for either EE 441 or EE 464 before taking the approved course. Information about placement exams can be found at ee.usc.edu.
- Although not required, students should be proficient in C or C++ programming, at the level taught in CSCI 455x.
- Although not required, ITP 411x Multimedia and Video Production (3 units) will provide the student with hands-on experience in using multimedia application tools. This will help the student prepare a portfolio, which is expected by the industry from students who major in a multimedia program.
