ACAD-176 Rapid Visualization (M/W 5-7:50pm) 
Techniques, methods, concepts, tools, and materials that are used to quickly visualize and communicate ideas and develop problem-solving skills. 

ACAD-177 Digital Toolbox: Design (T 9-11:50am) 
Basics of industry-standard creative, analytical and presentation software. Applications include design, illustration, presentation and publishing. 

ACAD-178 Digital Toolbox: Motion Graphics (T/TH 12-1:20pm) 
Basics of industry standard software for motion graphics, visual effects, animation design, generative art and interactive visual experiences. 

ACAD-182 Case Studies in Innovation – (M/W 6-7:50pm) Fall Only Class 
Employing a case-study methodology, students analyze the artistic, technological, and entrepreneurial factors and address the conceptual, ethical, and logistical issues that lead to disruptive innovation. 

ACAD-187 Digital Toolbox: 3D Design (TH 9-11:50am) Fall Only Class 
Basics of industry standard software for modeling and rendering 3D materials, objects and lighting. Includes instruction in pipelines for 3D assets. 

ACAD-188 Digital Toolbox: Modeling Products I (T/Th 2-3:50pm- runs weeks 1-8) 
Tools and techniques specific to CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development new products. 

ACAD-189 Digital Toolbox: Modeling Products II (T/Th 2-3:50pm-runs weeks 9-16) 
An investigation of the tools and techniques specific to intermediate CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development new products. 

ACAD-217 Extended Reality Design (T/TH 6-8:20pm) 
Students design and develop live immersive experiences in a variety of mediums including AR, VR and small- to large-scale interactive environments. 

ACAD-245 Designing Products I (T/Th 2-4:50pm) 
An introductory course in learning how to design physical products, including the processes for determining consumer need, market opportunity and competitive product analysis. 

Note: has a pre-requisite of ACAD-176 or DES 102 

ACAD-276 Dev II (T/Th 2-4:50) Fall Only Class 
Fundamentals of server-side scripting and web templates. Design and creation of data structures and 

ACAD-324 The Practice of Design: Ideation to Innovation- Arts GE (T/Th 10am-12:50pm) 
History and application of proven collaborative design processes and methodologies as they relate to ideation and innovation. 

ACAD-345 Designing Products II (T/Th 5-7:50pm) Fall Only Class
A thorough look into developing feasible consumer product through implementing all aspects of the R&D process, including consumer insights, competitive analysis, ideation and manufacturability. 

Note: has a pre- requisite of ACAD-245 and a co-req of ACAD-188 

ACAD-499 Special Topics - Introduction to Interactive Physical Computing (T/TH 11am-1:50pm) 
In this course, students will learn and explore how to leverage the foundations of electronics and computing to create interactive products and artifacts. This course lays the foundational concepts for thinking and prototyping objects that can sense, process, and change their environments. With a mix of electronics, computing, and digital fabrication, students will exit the course with the confidence to plan, problem-solve, and prototype objects with subtle intelligence. 

IDSN-499 Special Topics - Introduction to Data Innovation and Analytics (M/W 5-6:50pm- online course)
In 2022, it was determined that each day more than 2 million megabytes of data are created every day. Hence, the term ‘Big Data’ now exists. Due to this volume of data, it is not feasible for businesses to make sense of their data with traditional methods. This is where data analytics comes to the rescue. Fortune Business Insights reported that the data analytics market in 2021 was $240 billion and estimated the market would be almost $272 billion in 2022. Data driven decision making is the term used when data analytics are applied to a company’s data to gain better insight into future corporate decisions. Knowing how to use and apply data analytics is fundamental for essentially every professional job today. This course will introduce students to various sources of data and discuss how to apply various statistical techniques to mine useful information and knowledge. We will also explore utilizing analytics and deploying them across industries to become more strategic and efficient and will emphasize the design aspects of building innovative data applications that are fueled by analytics in the backend.

D-Clearance required- please request here.

Fall 2023 Course Offerings for Non-Majors

ACAD-176 Rapid Visualization (M/W 2-4:50pm) 

Techniques, methods, concepts, tools, and materials that are used to quickly visualize and communicate ideas and develop problem-solving skills. 

ACAD-177 Digital Toolbox: Design (W 5-7:50pm) 

Basics of industry-standard creative, analytical and presentation software. Applications include design, illustration, presentation, and publishing. 

ACAD-178 Digital Toolbox: Motion Graphics (TH 9-11:50am)

Basics of industry standard software for motion graphics, visual effects, animation design, generative art and interactive visual experiences.

ACAD-180: Digital Toolbox: Audio and Video (T 9-11:50am) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Basics of designing, creating, processing, editing and distributing audio and video.

ACAD-188 Digital Toolbox: Modeling Products I (T/Th 6-7:50pm- runs weeks 1-8) 

Tools and techniques specific to CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development new products. 

ACAD-189 Digital Toolbox: Modeling Products II (T/Th 6-7:50pm -runs weeks 9-16) 

An investigation of the tools and techniques specific to intermediate CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development new products. 

ACAD-217 Extended Reality Design (T/TH 2-4:50pm) 

Students design and develop live immersive experiences in a variety of mediums including AR, VR and small- to large-scale interactive environments. 

ACAD-240 Materials: Denim to Nanotubes (T/Th 2-3:50pm) 

Covers the fundamentals of materials science and introduce students to the principles of designing with specific materials in mind.

ACAD-260 Introduction to Healthcare Innovation (M/W 12-1:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Introductions to various health innovations, including pathways, technology, techniques and outcomes. A framework for innovation in healthcare and overview of tools for health innovators. 

Web page design and creation, web objects, scripting and interactivity. Includes developing skills to design and build interactive websites.

ACAD-324 The Practice of Design: Ideation to Innovation- Arts GE (M/W 2-4:50pm) 

History and application of proven collaborative design processes and methodologies as they relate to ideation and innovation.

ACAD-415: Dev III Designing Applications for Emerging Platforms (M/W 12-1:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

An accelerated approach to object-oriented programming, including foundations of applications for devices, with a focus on user interface design.

ACAD-480: Design Research (M/W 6-7:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Design research methods and techniques; team-based collaborative lab/field research activities; framework design; research protocols; qualitative data synthesis.

Spring 2024 Course Offerings for Non-Majors

The Academy makes many of its most popular courses available to non-majors. Additionally, a number of Academy courses are accepted for GE credit in the A and C categories. See the links below for assistance with registration, clearances, and advisement. Non-Majors can also purchase a semester pass for the Creators Studio.

Iovine and Young Hall Creator Studio Makerspace Semester Access - for Non-Majors*: https://commerce.cashnet.com/IOVINE

 *Includes access to ShopBot CNC Machine, Haas Mini Mill, Protomax water jet cutter, welding equipment, and laser cutters. Mandatory 2 hour training required for access. If you have further questions, please email iyacs@usc.edu

Departmental clearance ("D-Clearance") is permission for a student to register for a class. Class sections with a "D" designation are restricted by the department offering the course, requiring students to obtain the department's permission ("D" clearance) before attempting to register.

Please email iyadvise@usc.edu about course availability for non-majors.

Non-Major Course Offerings

Subscribe to our Newsletter