Academics

USC Annenberg Minors

This page represents USC Annenberg minors and their requirements as of the most current catalogue year. Students admitted to an Annenberg minor are admitted to the current catalogue year and will see those requirements reflected on their STARS report. For a full list of minors available at USC, see this page under the heading “Programs, Minors, and Certificates.” 

Admission Requirements

Click here for the admission requirements and to apply to an Annenberg minor.

Advertising Minor

The Advertising minor is a journalism/PR minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. 

Overview
The advertising minor is designed for students interested in building a career in, or developing a better understanding of, the field of advertising. It explores the key role played by advertising in today’s global economy. At no time has advertising been more successful or more controversial than it is today, and this program will explore both the positives and the negatives. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the theoretical underpinnings of those practices. Program content includes: the history of advertising; the creation of written and visual advertising elements; the measurement, selection, and analysis of media; the concept of “branding;” the role of advertising in creating and maintaining successful brands; the analysis of advertising campaign case studies; and the creation of integrated marketing communications campaigns. 

Required Courses

  • PR 340 – Introduction to Advertising (4 units)
  • PR 431 – Integrated Media Planning and Buying (4 units)
  • PR 432 – Concepting: Advertising Strategy and Creative Development (4 units)
  • PR 433 – Advertising and Technology (4 units) 

Choose one of the following:

  • MKT 406 – Practicum in Marketing Communication and Promotion Design (4 units)
  • PR 434 – Advertising Campaign Construction (4 units)

Choose one elective:

  • MKT 402 – Research Skills for Marketing Insights (4 units)
  • MKT 405 – Advertising and Promotion Management (4 units)
  • MKT 425 – Marketing in a Digital World (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Communication Policy and Law Minor

The Communication Policy and Law minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
Information and communication practices and technologies have an increasingly powerful impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. From the level of privacy in our personal lives to the way we govern our communities or manage our businesses, the legal and policy issues in the communication field are ever-changing and increasingly complex. To prepare students to navigate this dynamic and complicated world, the minor in communication policy and law combines courses in communication, law, ethics, and the business of communication taught at both the School of Communication and the School of Journalism at USC Annenberg. Students can choose to focus on policy or legal issues that affect communication technologies, strategies and uses. This minor will not only enable students to understand the revolution in media and telecommunications technology and practice, it will ground them in the fundamentals of free speech, intellectual property and the local, state and federal role in the regulation of communication platforms ranging from emerging social media to the legacy media of broadcasting and newspapers. This is an ideal minor for students interested in law or advanced communication scholarship. Admission requirements are a minimum 3.0 grade point average and completion of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Core Courses (8 units)

  • ASCJ 210 – Contours of Change in Media and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 322 – Argumentation and Advocacy (4 units)

Electives (12 units)
Choose three from the following:

  • COMM 345 – Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies (4 units)
  • COMM 371 – Media Censorship and the Law (4 units)
  • COMM 402 – Public Communication Campaigns (4 units)
  • COMM 412 – Communication and Social Movements (4 units)
  • COMM 421 – Legal Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 422 – Legal Issues and New Media (4 units)
  • COMM 427 – Topics in Media Economics, Law and Policy (4 units)
  • COMM 489 – Campaign Communication (4 units)
  • JOUR 462 – Law of Mass Communication (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Communication Technology Practices and Platforms Minor

The Communication Technology Practices and Platforms Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
Students in this minor trace the roots and dynamics of contemporary networked technologies and learn how to participate and excel within media cultures, online networks and organizational workplaces. The minor focuses on three areas: cultures (connecting communication technologies to histories, values, and ethics of social relationships and civic communities); networks (developing qualitative and quantitative skills to model, explain, and influence relationships among media and people at local and global scales); institutions (tracing the legal, organizational, economic and interpersonal contexts that produce and transform communication technologies). The field of communication technology requires individuals who can critique, cultivate, build and influence new relationships among people, platforms, and practices. Whether starting careers in strategic consulting, medical informatics, non-profit management, social media design, public sector service or new media entrepreneurship, students are encouraged to utilize skills and foundational concepts underlying 21st-century communication technologies. 

Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Courses:

  • COMM 309 – Communication and Technology (4 units)
  • COMM 339 – Communication Technology and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 340 – The Cultures of New Media (4 units)

Electives 
Choose two from the following:

  • COMM 310 – Media and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 321 – Communication and Social Media (4 units)
  • COMM 345 – Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies (4 units)
  • COMM 350 – Video Games: Content, Industry, and Policy (4 units)
  • COMM 422 – Legal Issues and New Media (4 units)
  • COMM 431 – Global Strategy for the Communications Industry (4 units)
  • COMM 449 – Perspectives on the Networked Press (4 units)
  • COMM 465m – Gender in Media Industries and Products (4 units)
  • COMM 486 – Human and Technological Systems in Organizations (4 units)
  • COMM 498 – Ethical Issues in Entertainment and Communication (4 units)
  • CTIN 462 – Critical Theory and Analysis of Games (4 units)
  • CTIN 463 – Anatomy of a Game (4 units)
  • CTIN 488 – Game Design Workshop (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Cultural Diplomacy Minor

The Cultural Diplomacy Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
This 20-unit minor focuses on cultural diplomacy and the ways in which consideration of cultural issues and engagement in the cultural sphere can enhance foreign affairs and international interactions. It links existing classes and faculty expertise to expose students to a range of international issues while introducing culturally focused approaches to addressing and rectifying such issues. This minor builds a coherent picture of the power of culture as an essential dimension of foreign policy either as a barrier or a medium for engagement and a common ground. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Core Course:

  • PUBD 369w – Public Diplomacy and Global Citizenship (4 units)

Required Course (4 units)
Choose one of the following courses:

  • PUBD 417 – Global Engagement: Designing Public Diplomacy Strategies (4 units)
  • PUBD 418 – International Exchanges and Public Diplomacy (4 units)
  • PUBD 419 – Public Diplomacy in Los Angeles (4 units)
  • PUBD 420 – Regional Studies in Public Diplomacy (4 units)

Electives (12 units)
Choose three from the following:

  • AHIS 486 – Introduction to Museums: Past, Present, and Future (4 units)
  • ANTH 205g – Introduction to Global Studies and Overseas Research (4 units)
  • COMM 206 – Communication and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 308 – Communication and Conflict (4 units)
  • COMM 310 – Media and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 324mw – Intercultural Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 366 – Designing Media for Social Change (4 units)
  • COMM 392 – Media and Migration in Times of European Crisis (4 units)
  • COMM 405 – From the Ground Up: Communicating About Food (4 units)
  • COMM 412 – Communication and Social Movements (4 units)
  • COMM 413 – Propaganda, Ideology and Public Controversy (4 units)
  • COMM 430 – Global Entertainment (4 units)
  • COMM 445 – Global Networks of Sport (4 units)
  • COMM 475 – Environmental Communication (4 units)
  • CRIT 350gw – Global Art, Design and Visual Culture since 1960 (4 units)
  • CTCS 367 – Global Media (4 units)
  • DANC 342gp – International and Historical Perspectives on Dance (4 units)
  • IR 101gxw – International Relations (4 units)
  • JOUR 484 – American Religion, Foreign Policy and the News Media (4 units)
  • MUSC 372g – Music, Turmoil and Nationalism (4 units)
  • PUBD 418 – International Exchanges and Public Diplomacy (4 units)
  • PUBD 419 – Public Diplomacy in Los Angeles (4 units)
  • PUBD 420 – Regional Studies in Public Diplomacy (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Culture, Media and Entertainment Minor

The Culture, Media and Entertainment Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
This 20-unit minor offers courses that examine the theory, content, social impact and economics of a range of creative, media, culture and entertainment industries. Through the lens of music, film, television, advertising, digital media, games, comics and fashion, students will learn strategies for analyzing popular culture and entertainment texts, mechanisms and platforms of content distribution, as well as the historical, social, cultural and political issues shaping these entertainment fields. Taking into account shifts and disruptions in contemporary media and entertainment, students will further examine consumption, audience engagement and participation that necessarily shape our individual and collective identities. These courses will highlight the production, consumption and meanings inscribed in entertainment media industries and products. Depending on the courses selected, the minor will prepare students for a variety of careers in and/or further critical scholarship about media and entertainment industries.

Admission requirements are a minimum 3.0 grade point average and completion of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Courses:

  • COMM 300 – Entertainment, Communication and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 384 – Interpreting Popular Culture (4 units)

Electives
Choose three from the following:

  • COMM 306 – Innovation, Entertainment, and the Arts (4 units)
  • COMM 307 – Sound Clash: Popular Music and American Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 310 – Media and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 312 – The Business and Culture of Celebrity (4 units)
  • COMM 326 – Latinx Media Studies (4 units)
  • COMM 350 – Video Games: Content, Industry, and Policy (4 units)
  • COMM 355 – Advertising and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 360 – The Rhetoric of Los Angeles (4 units)
  • COMM 363 – Media Consumption (4 units)
  • COMM 395m – Gender, Media and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 396 – Fashion, Media and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 426 – Religion, Media and Hollywood: Faith in TV (4 units)
  • COMM 430 – Global Entertainment (4 units)
  • COMM 432 – American Media and Entertainment Industries (4 units)
  • COMM 433 – Home Entertainment: From Networks to Streaming (4 units)
  • COMM 440 – Music as Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 456 – Entertainment, Marketing and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 457 – Youth and Media (4 units)
  • COMM 458m – Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment and the Arts (4 units)
  • COMM 465m – Gender in Media Industries and Products (4 units)
  • COMM 498 – Ethical Issues in Entertainment and Communication (4 units)
  • CTCS 482 – Transmedia Entertainment (4 units)
  • JOUR 381 – Entertainment, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)
  • JOUR 493 – Comics and Graphic Storytelling (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Food Journalism and Public Relations Minor

The Food Journalism and Public Relations Minor is a journalism/public relations minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism.

Overview
The food journalism and public relations minor prepares students for communication and related careers within organizations involved in food production and service as well as global and local food issues. In addition to the core classes, students take additional courses from throughout USC to build a one-of-a-kind program of study that articulates these areas of expertise. Combined with a practice-area practicum, this minor positions students for an array of successful careers in these food-related fields. Where better to study this than at the intersection of cutting-edge journalism, strategic public relations content development, and the L.A. food mecca. 

Required Courses:

  • JOUR 457 – Food of Our Families (4 units)
  • JOUR 458 – Media, Food and Culture (4 units)
  • PR 444 – Lifestyle Public Relations (4 units)
  • PR 445 – Fundamentals of Food Communication (4 units)

Electives
Choose at least 4 units from the following:

  • AMST 343 – Food, Health and Culture in Los Angeles (4 units)
  • ANTH 312 – Documenting Latinx Los Angeles Food Cultures (4 units) 
  • ANTH 338g – Food in Culture and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 405 – From the Ground Up: Communicating about Food (4 units)
  • HP 230 – Nutrition and Health (4 units)
  • PR 464 – Advanced Lifestyle Public Relations (4 units)
  • SPAN 385 – The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles (4 units)
  • SPAN 396 – Oaxaca and Oaxacalifornia: Food, Culture, Art and Migration (4 units)
  • SWMS 389 – Gender, Sexuality and Food Cultures in the U.S. (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Justice, Voice and Advocacy Minor

The Justice, Voice and Advocacy Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
The 20-unit minor offers courses that prompt students to explore the central role communication, media, news and public relations play in a multicultural society. As a cross-school minor, students will examine questions and perspectives on identity and community through an interdisciplinary lens that centers on theory and praxis, impact and change. The courses in this minor are grouped in order to give students a foundational understanding of the cultural roots and representations of identity, the practice of storytelling in the context of local and disenfranchised communities, as well as various institutional structures and policies that create barriers or avenues of social justice. Familiarity with these important issues serves students on a practical level by improving their ability to understand, anticipate and appreciate diverse viewpoints and audiences. The minor also helps students develop as more engaged, informed and empathetic citizens who are empowered to bring resolution and shared understanding to areas of conflict and difference in their own lives, the broader community and the workplace. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Core Courses (8 units)

  • ASCJ 210 – Contours of Change in Media and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 366 – Designing Media for Social Change (4 units)

Culture and Identity (4 units)
Choose 4 units from the following:

  • COMM 307 – Sound Clash: Popular Music and American Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 322 – Argumentation and Advocacy (4 units)
  • COMM 324mw – Intercultural Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 326 – Latinx Media Studies (4 units)
  • COMM 360 – Los Angeles: Communication and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 392 – Media and Migration in Times of European Crisis (4 units)
  • COMM 395m – Gender, Media and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 412 – Communication and Social Movements (4 units)
  • COMM 414 – Communication and Social Change in China (4 units)
  • COMM 415m – African American Rhetoric and Image (4 units)
  • COMM 426 – Religion, Media and Hollywood: Faith in TV (4 units)
  • COMM 450 – Visual Culture and Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 451 – Visual Communication and Social Change (4 units)
  • COMM 458m – Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment and the Arts (4 units)
  • COMM 479 – Trauma and Communication (4 units)
  • JOUR 465m – Latino News Media in the United States (4 units)
  • JOUR 466m – People of Color and the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 467 – Gender and the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 468m – The American Press and Issues of Sexual Diversity (4 units)
  • JOUR 484 – American Religion, Foreign Policy and the News Media (4 units)

Community Storytelling and Engagement (4 units)
Choose 4 units from the following:

  • COMM 367 – Community Engagement and Service Learning (4 units)
  • JOUR 372 – Engaging Diverse Communities (2 units)
  • JOUR 406 – Social Media Storytelling for Latinx Audiences (2 units)
  • JOUR 470 – Community Journalism (2 units)
  • PR 455 – Public Relations for Non-Profit Organizations (4 units)

Institutions and Policy (4 units)
Choose 4 units from the following:

  • COMM 308 – Communication and Conflict (4 units)
  • COMM 310 – Media and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 385 – Organizational Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 421 – Legal Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 465m – Gender in Media Industries and Products (4 units)
  • JOUR 460 – Social Responsibility of the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 469 – Money, Markets and Media (4 units)
  • LAW 320p – Law, Slavery, and Race (4 units)
  • SOCI 408 – Volunteers, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Everyday Politics (4 units)
  • SOCI 445 – Political and Social Theory (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Latinx News Media Minor

The Latinx News Media Minor is a journalism/public relations minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. 

Overview
The Latinx News Media minor is designed to give students a grounding in the historical, theoretical, social and cultural landscape of Latinx news media. In addition, the coursework will expose students to trends in the development of current and evolving content strategy, distribution and news consumption trends. The minor will prepare students to create content for Latinx communities, media organizations, bilingual news outlets and independent distribution.

Required Courses:

  • JOUR 406 – Social Media Storytelling for Latinx Audiences (2 units) 
  • JOUR 465m – Latino News Media in the United States (4 units) 

Choose one of the following:

  • JOUR 461 – Spanish Language News Media Production (2 units)
  • JOUR 464 – Experiential Journalism in Latin America (2 units)

Electives
Choose at least 8 units from the following:

  • AHIS 128gp – The Arts and Society in Latin America, Colonial to Contemporary (4 units)
  • AHIS 496 – Paintings in the Prado Museum (4 units)
  • AMST 135gmw – Peoples and Cultures of the Americas (4 units)
  • AMST 305 – Art and Performance in the Americas (4 units)
  • ANTH 140g – Mesoamerican Cosmovision and Culture (4 units)
  • ANTH 203 – Global Media (4 units)
  • ANTH 310 – Archaeology of the Americas (4 units)
  • ANTH 314g – The Nature of Maya Civilization (4 units)
  • ANTH 400 – Maya Resilience: Constructing Past and Present Identities (4 units)
  • ANTH 425 – Peoples and Cultures of Latin America (4 units)
  • ANTH 450 – Field Research in Maya Archaeology (4 units)
  • COLT 250g – Cultures of Latin America (4 units)
  • COMM 326 – Latinx Media Studies (4 units)
  • HIST 109g – The Latin American Experience (4 units)
  • HIST 272g – Women and Gender in the Ancient and Spanish Americas (4 units)
  • HIST 353m – Race and Racism in the Americas (4 units)
  • HIST 354 – Mexican Migration to the United States (4 units)
  • HIST 359 – The U.S.-Mexico Border (4 units)
  • HIST 368 – Afro-Latin America (4 units)
  • HIST 370 – Colonial Latin America (4 units)
  • HIST 371 – Culture in Diaspora: The Jews of Spain (4 units)
  • HIST 372 – Modern Latin America (4 units)
  • HIST 374 – History of Mexico (4 units)
  • HIST 451 – The Mexican Revolution (4 units)
  • HIST 473 – Colonial Latin America Seminar (4 units)
  • IR 364 – The Political Economy of Latin American Development (4 units)
  • IR 365 – Politics and Democracy in Latin America (4 units)
  • IR 366 – Mexico and its Relations with the United States (4 units)
  • IR 425 – The New Triangle: China, the U.S. and Latin America (4 units)
  • PORT 250g – Visions of Brazil (4 units)
  • POSC 350 – Politics of Latin America (4 units)
  • SPAN 260 – Advanced Spanish: Arts and Sciences (4 units)
  • SPAN 270 – Spanish for Heritage Speakers (4 units)
  • SPAN 290gp – Introduction to Latin American and Iberian Studies (4 units)
  • SPAN 301 – Introduction to Literature and Film (4 units)
  • SPAN 302 – Screen Cultures: From Film to the Internet (4 units)
  • SPAN 304 – The Art of Fiction (4 units)
  • SPAN 306 – Performance from Street to Stage (4 units)
  • SPAN 308 – The Art of Poetry (4 units)
  • SPAN 311 – Advanced Spanish Through Contemporary Issues: Oral Emphasis (4 units)
  • SPAN 320 – Politics, Thought, Society (4 units)
  • SPAN 321 – Sounds, Images, Objects (4 units)
  • SPAN 341 – Advanced Conversation and Culture (4 units)
  • SPAN 375 – Latin American Cultural and Literary Theory (4 units)
  • SPAN 380g – Literature of Mexico (4 units)
  • SPAN 381 – Narco-World (4 units)
  • SPAN 382 – The Aesthetics of Violence in Latin America (4 units)
  • SPAN 385 – The Culture of Food in Hispanic Los Angeles (4 units)
  • SPAN 391 – Introduction to Contemporary Spanish Literature (USC Madrid Center)(4 units)
  • SPAN 413m – Social and Geographic Varieties of Spanish (4 units)
  • SPAN 460 – Don Quijote: Text and Film (4 units)
  • SPAN 462 – Literary Cartographies of Latin America and Spain, 1810–1898 (4 units)
  • SPAN 464 – Introduction to Contemporary Spanish Theatre (4 units)
  • SPAN 465 – Cultural Perspectives of the Iberian Peninsula (4 units)
  • SPAN 470 – Literature and Media in Latin America (4 units)
  • SPAN 472 – The Sixties in Latin America (4 units)
  • SPAN 481 – Literature and Popular Culture (4 units)
  • SPAN 482 – Literature and the City (4 units)
  • SPAN 483 – Gender and Sexuality (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Media Economics and Entrepreneurship Minor

The Media Economics and Entrepreneurship Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
This 24-unit minor equips students with the skills and critical framework to navigate the ongoing transformation sweeping the media industry. The interdisciplinary curriculum, which includes courses in Communication, Journalism and Entrepreneurship, promotes an understanding of the key economic forces that are reshaping television, film, music and news. The program emphasizes innovation and problem-solving. Above all, it prepares students to embrace the exciting changes that are reshaping the media landscape. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Courses (8 Units)

  • BAEP 450 – Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship (4 units) or
  • BAEP 451 – The Management of New Enterprises (4 units)
     
  • COMM 209 – Communication and Media Economics (4 units)

Electives (16 units)

4 units must be in BAEP:

  • BAEP 452 – Feasibility Analysis (4 units) *
  • BAEP 454 – Venture Initiation: Launching and Scaling Your Startup (4 units) **
  • BAEP 460 – Seminar in Entrepreneurship (2 units)
  • BAEP 465 – Digital Playbook for Entrepreneurs: Creating a Tech Startup (2 units)
  • BAEP 470 – The Entrepreneurial Mindset - Taking the Leap (2 units)
  • BAEP 475 – Entertainment Entrepreneurship (2 units)

Note:
*Prerequisite: BAEP 450 or BAEP 451
**Prerequisite: BAEP 452

4-8 units must be in COMM:

  • COMM 306 – Innovation, Entertainment, and the Arts (4 units)
  • COMM 345 – Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies (4 units)
  • COMM 427 – Topics in Media Economics, Law and Policy (4 units)
  • COMM 429 – The Internet, Economy, and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 430 – Global Entertainment (4 units)
  • COMM 431 – Global Strategy for the Communications Industry (4 units)
  • COMM 454 – Media, Money, and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 465m – Gender in Media Industries and Products (4 units)

4-8 units must be in JOUR or PR:

  • JOUR 380 – Sports, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)
  • JOUR 381 – Entertainment, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)
  • JOUR 469 – Money, Markets and Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 472 – Strategies for Monetizing New Media (4 units)
  • PR 428 – Social, Legal and Ethical Foundations of Public Relations (4 units)*
  • PR 429 – Business and Economic Foundations of Public Relations (4 units)**
  • PR 450 – Advanced Strategic Public Relations (4 units)***
  • PR 491 – Fan Relations (4 units)
  • PR 492 – Personal Branding (4 units)

Note:
*Prerequisite: PR 250
**Prerequisite: PR 351a
***Prerequisite: PR 351 b and PR 463

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

For more information on M{2e} at Annenberg, visit their page here.

News Media and Society Minor

The News Media and Society Minor is a journalism/PR minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. 

Overview
News media and society is a journalism minor that explores the responsibilities, the influence, the ethics and the diversity of the news media. It explores the myths about news media in the United States and explains what the news media are, how they work, what they do wrong and what they do right, and why they are important to a society whose citizens depend on the free and unfettered flow of information. This minor will help all students in all majors to understand one of the most important and misunderstood forces in American society: the news media.

News media and society benefits every student at the university because it gives students a new appreciation and understanding of the news media that so much influence their lives on a daily basis.

Required Core Courses

  • JOUR 200w – The Power and Responsibility of the Press (4 units)
  • JOUR 201 – Culture of Journalism: Past, Present and Future (4 units)

Electives
Choose 12 units from the following:

  • COMM 371 – Media Censorship and the Law (4 units) 
  • JOUR 373 – Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies (4 units)
  • JOUR 375 – The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture (4 units)
  • JOUR 460 – Social Responsibility of the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 466m – People of Color and the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 467 – Gender and the News Media (4 units)
  • JOUR 484 – American Religion, Foreign Policy and the News Media (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Podcasting Minor

The Podcasting Minor is a journalism/PR minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism.

Overview
The minor is designed to give students a grounding in the history, theory, production and business of podcasting. Students will develop a discerning ear for quality audio content and the best practices for effective oral communication. Students will learn practical skills required for the production of a variety of podcast formats, from narrative storytelling to interview/conversational to fictional podcasts. In addition, the coursework will expose students to non-production aspects of podcasting such as branding, marketing, distribution, analytics, monetization and legal issues. The minor will equip students to start a podcast or seek employment for podcast production jobs.

Required Courses

  • CTPR 404 – Practicum in Podcast Production (2 units)
  • CTWR 403 – Writing the Narrative Podcast Series (2 units)
  • JOUR 407 – The World of Podcasting (4 units)
  • JOUR 412 – Podcasting: Origin Stories (2 units)
  • THTR 318 – Creating the Hit Podcast (2 units)

Electives 
Choose at least 4 units from the following:

  • COMM 383m – Sports, Communication and Culture (4 units)
  • COMM 422 – Legal Issues and New Media (4 units)
  • COMM 458m – Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment and the Arts (4 units)
  • CTCS 411 – Film, Television and Cultural Studies (4 units)
  • IML 328 – Sonic Media Art (2 units)
  • IML 428 – Exploring and Creating Sonic Environments (4 units)
  • JOUR 411 – Broadcast and Digital Writing for Video and Audio for Non-Majors (2 units)
  • JOUR 472 – Strategies for Monetizing New Media (4 units)
  • PR 486 – Multimedia PR Content: Introduction to Digital Design Tools (2 units)
  • THTR 306 – Audio-Drama (2 units)
  • THTR 489 – Theatre Internship (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Professional and Managerial Communication Minor

The Professional and Managerial Communication Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication. 

Overview
The ability to succeed in today’s workplace necessitates a growing number of communication skills. As today’s increasingly global and highly competitive marketplace grows in complexity, the need to understand intercultural differences, the power of structure in the workplace, and other issues such as dealing with interpersonal conflicts continue to increase. This minor will provide students interested in the management of people, resources, or products with these necessary tools. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Core Communication Courses

  • COMM 320 – Small Group and Team Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 375 – Business and Professional Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 385 – Organizational Communication (4 units)

Electives 
Choose three from the following:

  • COMM 302 – Persuasion (4 units)
  • COMM 304 – Interpersonal Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 308 – Communication and Conflict (4 units)
  • COMM 315 – Health Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 321 – Communication and Social Media (4 units)
  • COMM 322 – Argumentation and Advocacy (4 units)
  • COMM 324mw – Intercultural Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 345 – Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies (4 units)
  • COMM 388 – Ethics in Human Communication (4 units)
  • COMM 431 – Global Strategy for the Communications Industry (4 units)
  • COMM 486 – Human and Technological Systems in Organizations (4 units)
  • COMM 487 – Communication and Global Organizations (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Public Relations Minor

The Public Relations Minor is a journalism/PR minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism.

Overview
The public relations minor is designed for students interested in building a career in, or developing a better understanding of, the field of public relations. At no time has public relations been more successful or more visible than it is today. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the critical thinking required to be a successful entry-level public relations practitioner.

Required Courses

  • PR 209 – Effective Writing for Strategic Public Relations (4 units)
  • PR 250 – Strategic Public Relations: An Introduction (4 units)
  • PR 352 – Public Relations Media and Content for Non-Majors (4 units)

Elective Courses

  • Choose 12 units of PR or JOUR 300-499 level electives.

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue. For a short video about the public relations minor, please click here. 

Sports Media Industries Minor

The Sports Media Industries Minor is a journalism/PR minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism.

Overview
Organized sports are one of the most popular forms of live and participatory entertainment, and produce vast quantities of mediated content. Virtually all professional sports, and increasingly much of amateur competition, is influenced by the importance of having the competitions shared with a wide range of audiences and utilizing diverse platforms to engage these fans. This content-rich environment highlights how leagues, teams, players and coaches are each independent and interdependent brands, as well as creators and distributors of multimedia content. This volume of sports content creates new challenges for journalistic norms and storytelling techniques as well as new opportunities for the business of sports media management. The Sports Media Industries minor introduces students to a range of professional settings, activities and challenges related to the growth of sports media.

This 20-unit minor requires that students be introduced both to sports journalism as content production and also to the notion of sports media as a unique setting for publicity, advertising, and public relations. Students will develop the skills required to create sports media content, and increase their ability to critically examine sports media’s influence on contemporary culture, particularly issues related to race, gender, class and sexual orientation. The minor will also establish an introductory knowledge of the business of sports and sports media. Elective courses allow students greater opportunity to explore these fields as well as take courses dedicated to specific aspects of sports media.

Required Core Course

  • JOUR 350 – Introduction to Sports Media (4 units)

Electives
Choose at least 16 units from the following:

  • COMM 387 – Sports and Social Change (4 units)
  • JOUR 380 – Sports, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)
  • JOUR 404 – Produce and Host Sports Content in Studio A (2 units)
  • JOUR 432 – Sports Commentary (4 units)
  • JOUR 441 – Sports Reporting (2 units)
  • JOUR 478 – Politics of Sports Writing (4 units)
  • JOUR 479 – Storytelling for Action Sports (4 units)
  • JOUR 480 – Sports and Media Technology (4 units)
  • JOUR 481 – The Athlete, Sports Media and Popular Culture (4 units)
  • JOUR 485 – Sports Investigative Reporting (4 units)
  • PR 453 – Public Relations Strategies for Working with Athletes (4 units)
  • PR 454 – Sports Public Relations (2 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.

Sports Media Studies Minor

The Sports Media Studies Minor is a communication minor housed in USC Annenberg’s School of Communication.

Overview
USC has a unique historical relationship to sports and sports media, and is near the center of the current sports media capital of Los Angeles. The courses examine the role of sports and sports media in culture, how the presentation of sports in media has evolved, has been shaped by cultural issues and, itself, impacted culture. This minor will enhance students’ skills in working and interacting with, sports media.

Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

Required Core Communication Courses

  • COMM 381 – Issues in Contemporary Sport (4 units)
  • COMM 383m – Sports, Communication and Culture (4 units)

Electives 
Choose four from the following:

  • COMM 300 – Entertainment, Communication and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 310 – Media and Society (4 units)
  • COMM 363 – Media Consumption (4 units)
  • COMM 387 – Sports and Social Change (4 units)
  • COMM 444 – Critical Theories of Sport (4 units)
  • COMM 445 – Global Networks of Sport (4 units)
  • JOUR 380 – Sports, Business and Media in Today’s Society (4 units)
  • JOUR 432 – Sports Commentary (4 units)
  • MOR 479 – The Business of Sports (4 units)
  • OT 333 – Sports Ethics (4 units)

For more information on specific courses, visit the course catalogue.