University of Southern California

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.

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

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 is effective for all students entering USC in fall 2015 or later, or transfer students beginning college elsewhere at that time and subsequently transferring to USC. It requires eight courses in six Core Literacies, plus two courses in Global Perspectives (which may double-count with courses in the Core Literacies) and two courses in writing. See the General Education Program for more information.