ACAD 177: Digital Toolbox: Design (2.0 units) (Th 12:00pm- 1:50pm)  

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

ACAD 182: Case Studies in Innovation (M/W 10:00am-11:50am) 

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 189: 3D Tools for Product Design (2.0 units) (T 2:00pm-3:50pm)  

Investigation of a range of tools and techniques specific to intermediate CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development of new products. 

ACAD 190: Making with Materials (2.0 units) (W 10:00am-11:50am) 

Material properties, fabrication processes and their interdependencies; the transformation of ideas into reality through simulated and traditional fabrication techniques. 

ACAD-217: Extended Reality Design (M/W/F 8:00am-9:50am)  

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

ACAD 230: Introduction to Interactive Physical Computing (M/W 12:00pm-1:50pm)  

Design and development of physical computing prototypes within the intersection of electronics, computing, design, consumer electronics and product design. 

ACAD 276: Dev II (T/Th 4:00pm-5:50pm)  

Fundamentals of server-side scripting and web templates. Design and creation of data structures and databases. Visualize analytics and data. 

ACAD 309g: Dreams and Madness: The Art of Japan's Golden Age of Animation (W 4:00pm- 6:50pm)  

An in-depth look at the art, politics, and cultural impact of several Japanese filmmakers including Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Hosoda and Makoto Shinkai. 

ACAD 406: Purpose-Driven Innovation Incubator (2.0 units) (M 5:00pm- 6:50pm IN-PERSON) 

Evolve student projects into investor-ready ventures through exposure to industry best practices including market sizing, defining/pursuing key performance indicators, customer development, validated learning and innovation accounting. 

ACAD 422: Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust in Connective Healthcare (M 2:00pm-4:50pm)  

Digital health technologies, cybersecurity and privacy challenges of data, integrity of healthcare delivery systems, policies, regulations, and practices to protect healthcare data. 

ACAD 444: Designing Products for Industry (T/Th 2:00pm- 3:50pm) 

Prerequisite: 1 from (ACAD 245 or IDSN 524) 

Develop desirable, feasible and viable solutions for specific industry prompts, implementing all aspects of R&D including consumer insights, competitive analysis, ideation, prototyping, testing and manufacturability. 

Fall 2025 Course Offerings for Non-Majors

ACAD-176: Rapid Visualization (T/Th 8:00am-9:50am)

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 (2.0 units, W 2:00pm-3:50pm)

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

ACAD-189: 3D Tools for Product Design (2.0 units, T 4:00pm-5:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS 

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

ACAD-217: Extended Reality Design (M/W/F 2:00pm-3:50pm)

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

ACAD-222: Introduction to Machine Intelligence (M/W 2:00pm-3:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning through programming models, training models with several methodologies, support vector machines, decision trees, ensemble learning and random forests. 

Note: the pre-req can waived for this course. Please email iyadvise@usc.edu  to request.

ACAD-245: Fundamentals of Product Design (T/Th 2:00pm-3:50pm)  

An introductory course in learning how to design physical products, including the processes for determining consumer need, market opportunity and competitive product analysis.  

ACAD-260: Introduction to Healthcare Innovation (M/W 12:00pm-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.

ACAD-275: Dev I (T/Th 2:00pm-3:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

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

ACAD-280: Information Design (M/W 10:00am-11:50am) SPRING ONLY CLASS 

Designing elegant and powerful graphic user interfaces for interacting with visual displays of quantitative information. 

ACAD-281: Constructing Experiences (T/TH 10:00-11:50am) SPRING ONLY CLASS 

Experience-based solutions for the design of digital and physical environments, and the development of entertaining, informational and inspirational interactions based on human behavior. 

ACAD-302: The Hacker Imagination: from Ancient Greece to Cupertino (M/W 12:00pm-1:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Exploring issues in innovation, design and invention from the perspective of the hacker imagination.

ACAD-309: Dreams and Madness: The Art of Japan's Golden Age of Animation (W 6:00pm-9:20pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

An in-depth look at the art, politics, and cultural impact of several Japanese filmmakers including Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Hosoda and Makoto Shinkai.

ACAD-402: The Community Playbook for Brands and Businesses (2.0 units, W 10:00am-11:50am) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Learn the playbook for how to architect authentic communities and why it is fundamental to building a loyal following and scaling a business.

ACAD-415: Dev III Designing Applications for Emerging Platforms (T/Th 10:00am-11:50am) SPRING ONLY CLASS

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

ACAD-431: Devices and Systems for Body Computing (Th 2:00pm-4:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Insights from health devices and enabling software; applying concepts from big data, machine learning and Al to Lifecare data.

ACAD 432: Collaborative Prototyping in Health Innovation (T/Th 12:00pm-1:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

Health innovation collaborative capstone project; ideating, prototyping and evaluating a health innovation prototype driven by an industry-based or community-based prompt/project.

ACAD-445: Designing Products for Licensing (T/Th 12:00pm-1:50pm) SPRING ONLY CLASS

An understanding of bringing a product to market through the process of determining consumer pain points, competitive analysis, marketability, feasibility, and the supporting business model.

Note: has a pre-requisite of ACAD-245 or IDSN-524

ACAD-499: Advanced Materials (M/W 12:00pm-1-50pm)

This advanced course on materials science intends to bridge the gap between design and engineering technical language and introduce sustainability and emerging technologies.

Spring 2025 Course Offerings for Non-Majors

ACAD-176 Rapid Visualization (M/W 2-3:50pm)
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 10-11:50am)
Basics of industry-standard creative, analytical and presentation software. Applications include design, illustration, presentation and publishing. 

ACAD-178 Digital Toolbox: Motion Graphics (M 10-11:50am)
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 10-11:50am) 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-188 Digital Toolbox: Modeling Products I (T 4-5:50pm)
Tools and techniques specific to CAD design and design improvements, focused on the ideation and development new products.

ACAD-207 Narrative Technology and the Human Experience (T/Th 10-11:50am)
Exploring craft and innovation in communicating concepts, products and experiences. Students employ video narration, interaction and augmented reality in service of engaging an audience.

ACAD-217 Extended Reality Design (M/W 8-9:50am)
Students design and develop live immersive experiences in a variety of mediums including AR, VR and small- to large-scale interactive environments.

ACAD-220 Introduction to Data Innovation and Analytics (M/W 3-4:50pm)
Introduction to data innovation and analytics, converting data to knowledge and insights, statistical techniques, analytics models, implementing data analytics through real-world examples and situations.

ACAD-230 Introduction to Interactive Physical Computing (M/W 12-1:50pm)
Design and development of physical computing prototypes within the intersection of electronics, computing, design, consumer electronics and product design.

ACAD-245 Designing Products I (M/W 9-11:50am)
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 databases. Visualize analytics and data.

ACAD-324 The Practice of Design: Ideation to Innovation- Arts GE (T/Th 9-11:50am)
History and application of proven collaborative design processes and methodologies as they relate to ideation and innovation.

ACAD-422 Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust in Connective Healthcare (M 2-4:50pm)
Digital health technologies, cybersecurity and privacy challenges of data, integrity of healthcare delivery systems, policies, regulations, and practices to protect healthcare data.

ACAD-432 Collaborative Prototyping in Health Innovation (T/Th 2-3:50pm)
Health innovation collaborative capstone project; ideating, prototyping and evaluating a health innovation prototype driven by an industry-based or community-based prompt/project.

ACAD-444 Designing Products for Industry (M/W 2-4:50pm)
Develop desirable, feasible and viable solutions for specific industry prompts, implementing all aspects of R&D including consumer insights, competitive analysis, ideation, prototyping, testing and manufacturability.

ACAD-190/ACAD-499 Special Topics – Making with Materials (T 2-3:50pm) 
Material properties, fabrication processes, and their interdependencies; the transformation of ideas into reality through simulated and traditional fabrication techniques. 

Note: Not recommended for those who previously took ACAD-240

Fall 2024 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. 

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

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

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 databases. Visualize analytics and data.

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

The Academy makes many of its most popular courses available to non-majors. See the links below for assistance with registration, clearances, and advisement. 

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.