This spring, USC Annenberg college students have the chance to customise their tutorial expertise by way of a variety of electives that replicate the evolving media, communication and expertise panorama. From programs that dive into sports activities, leisure, style and international storytelling to people who study the facility of AI in journalism, public relations and strategic communication, these choices invite college students to discover their pursuits and develop their experience.
Designed for each undergraduate and graduate college students, the electives join classroom studying with hands-on skilled expertise. Students can analyze actual campaigns, collaborate with trade specialists, and develop artistic and data-driven methods throughout topics corresponding to viewers engagement, influencer advertising and marketing, streaming media and social impression communication. With choices spanning subjects like Okay-pop, wellness tradition, organizational communication, and the politics of inclusion, these programs embody USC Annenberg’s dedication to making ready college students to guide and innovate in a quickly altering world.
Students can discover the total checklist of USC Annenberg Spring 2026 electives under and plan their course schedule by consulting their tutorial advisors.
Advertising and Audience Engagement
CMGT 587: Audience Analysis
Leah Gunn
Monday, 6:30–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Examine how audiences suppose, really feel and have interaction throughout media platforms. Use surveys, focus teams, segmentation and digital analytics to remodel information into insights that inform efficient communication methods whereas contemplating ethics, illustration and rising instruments like AI.
DSM 529: The Future of Advertising
Rafael Bracero
Wednesday, 2–4:50 p.m. OR Wednesday, 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Navigate the evolving panorama of digital promoting by way of actual shopper collaborations. Build hands-on experience in media planning, programmatic methods, AI instruments and rising applied sciences which can be redefining the way forward for promoting and model communication.
Artificial Intelligence
JOUR 499: Creating with AI: Multimedia Tools for Journalism
Olivia Smith
Tuesday, 4–5:40 p.m. (2 items)
Explore how AI is remodeling journalism by way of hands-on tasks utilizing instruments like ChatGPT and DALL-E. Learn to create responsibly, detect misinformation and deepfakes, and navigate the moral, authorized and societal challenges of AI-driven storytelling in fashionable media.
PR 499: AI Tools for PR Lab
Fred Cook
Thursday, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. (2 items)
Gain hands-on expertise with the AI instruments reshaping public relations. Create content material, analyze sentiment, design visuals, and use predictive analytics for marketing campaign technique whereas exploring real-world functions and moral concerns of AI in fashionable communication apply.
CMGT 571: Artificial Intelligence and Communication Technologies
Shub A
Two sections: Monday, 6–8:50 p.m. and Thursday 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Examine how AI is remodeling advertising and marketing, media, and organizational communication. Through hands-on tasks utilizing instruments like GPT, DALL·E, and Midjourney, develop strategic, moral, and revolutionary approaches to designing and managing AI-driven communication in real-world contexts.
Creators and Influencers
CMGT 509: Influential Communication within the Marketplace
Ashley Felts
Wednesday, 5:30–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Explore the enterprise and technique behind the creator financial system. Learn how influencers form model storytelling by way of partnerships, negotiations, and NIL offers, whereas analyzing actual campaigns to establish traits, finest practices, and moral concerns in digital advertising and marketing.
Entertainment
COMM 499: The Illusion of Inclusion: Hollywood’s DEI Problem
Stacy Smith
Monday/Wednesday, 12–1:50 p.m. (4 items)
Explore Hollywood’s persistent DEI challenges by way of the groundbreaking analysis of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Analyze information on illustration, hiring and storytelling to uncover why inclusion usually falls brief — and develop evidence-based methods to drive genuine, lasting change throughout the leisure trade.
COMM 494: Research Practicum
TBD (2 items or 4 items)
Join professor Stacy Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative analysis crew to achieve hands-on expertise analyzing illustration in movie, tv, and digital media. Collect actual information, contribute to globally acknowledged studies, and discover how analysis can drive fairness and accountability in leisure.
CMGT 558: International Entertainment Marketplaces
Ted Skidmore
Tuesday, 2–4:20 p.m. (4 items)
Discover how international audiences expertise leisure throughout cultures and areas. Through real-world case research and utilized tasks, discover how studios and streaming platforms adapt advertising and marketing, branding, and viewers engagement methods to convey movies and franchises to worldwide markets.
DSM 599: Streaming Entertainment
Adam Fratto
Monday, 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Dive into the fast-changing world of streaming leisure. Analyze platform methods, viewers algorithms, and enterprise fashions by way of real-world case research — then apply what you be taught by growing and producing your individual unique streaming mission.
Fashion
CMGT 517: Communication within the Luxury Fashion Industry
Alexis Brunswick
Monday, 2–4:20 p.m. (4 items)
Step into the world of luxurious and style communication to uncover how iconic manufacturers construct want and form tradition. Through case research and artistic tasks, find out how storytelling, branding, and media technique drive affect throughout the worldwide style trade.
Health and Wellness
COMM 406: Communicating about Sex
Jillian Pierson
Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30–10:50 am (4 items)
Explore how communication shapes sexual beliefs, behaviors, and well being outcomes. Through open, research-based discussions, analyze cultural taboos, media influences, and interpersonal dynamics to higher perceive how sincere dialogue can enhance sexual well-being and relationships.
COMM 499: Help Yourself: Self-Help and the Wellness Industry
Alison Trope
Monday/Wednesday, 2–3:20 p.m. (4 items)
Examine the booming self-help and wellness trade by way of the lens of media, tradition and commerce. Explore how recommendation, remedy and wellness content material empower and exploit audiences, revealing the advanced intersection of self-improvement, consumerism and social affect.
Journalism and Criticism
JOUR 593: Criticism and Commentary
Oscar Garza
Monday, 12–2:30 p.m. (3 items)
Engage with a few of at present’s most influential cultural critics to higher perceive America’s social and political divides. Through readings, dialogue and writing, develop your individual voice in cultural commentary whereas analyzing how criticism helps make sense of a fractured society.
Okay-pop
COMM 400: Crooked Studies of Okay-pop: Reimagining Okay-pop’s Dominant Discourses Through G-Dragon
Hye Jin Lee
Monday, 2–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Examine Okay-pop by way of a brand new lens by exploring the artistry and cultural impression of G-Dragon. Challenge dominant narratives about authenticity, creativity and movie star whereas analyzing how his work reshaped international perceptions of Korean pop, id and efficiency.
COMM 599: Promoting i-dle within the U.S.
Hye Jin Lee
Wednesday, 2–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Work straight with trade professionals to advertise the worldwide Okay-pop group i-dle within the United States. Gain hands-on expertise in fan engagement, market analysis model partnerships, and digital technique whereas growing skilled deliverables that bridge tradition, creativity and international music advertising and marketing.
Lifestyle
JOUR 457: Food of Our Families
Jennifer Floto
Monday, 2–5:20 p.m. (4 items)
Discover the artwork of meals storytelling by way of writing, images, and digital media. Create TikToks, pitch tales, and seize culinary moments throughout Los Angeles whereas growing a private meals narrative that connects tradition, reminiscence, and group.
PR 464: Advance Lifestyle Public Relations
Jennifer Floto
Wednesday, 6–9:20 p.m. (4 items)
Delve into the fast-paced world of way of life public relations throughout style, meals, journey and more. Through case research, visitor audio system and artistic tasks, develop viewers insights, construct model methods and craft an expert way of life PR portfolio.
Los Angeles
COMM 360: Los Angeles: Communication and Culture
Perry Johnson
Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30–1:50 p.m. (4 items)
Unpack the numerous tales Los Angeles tells about itself by way of media, artwork, music and city life. Examine how tradition, geography and historical past form the town’s id — its desires and inequities — whereas connecting classroom discussions to real-world experiences throughout L.A.
Media
COMM 340: The Cultures of New Media
Julianna Kirschner
Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30–1:50 p.m. (4 items)
Understand how previous applied sciences form at present’s digital tradition whereas constructing sensible abilities for communication in social media and AI-driven areas. Learn to create compelling, strategic content material and navigate evolving platforms with confidence and goal.
DSM 520: Managing Technologies for Digital Media
Emily Kosko
Wednesday, 2–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Master the necessities of managing and scaling digital media ventures within the period of creator platforms and generative AI. Gain expertise evaluating applied sciences, constructing governance frameworks, and guiding cross-functional groups by way of real-world tasks and case research.
DSM 530: Brand Strategy for Digital Media
Jeffrey Hirsch
Tuesday, 2–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Examine how highly effective manufacturers are constructed and sustained in a digital-first world. Analyze positioning, viewers engagement and efficiency metrics whereas crafting methods that steadiness creativity, consistency and measurable impression throughout platforms.
CMGT 574: Streaming Media: Industry Strategies and Practices
Drew Shackleton
Thursday, 6:30–9:20 p.m. (4 items)
Analyze how streaming platforms are remodeling international media industries and viewers conduct. Through case research and strategy-focused tasks, assess platform economics, programming, advertising and marketing, and coverage to know how disruption continues to reshape the enterprise and tradition of leisure.
DSM 599: Social Media Algorithms
Marcela Amiune
Tuesday, 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Uncover how social media algorithms form conduct, tradition and commerce. Through real-world case research and present occasions, analyze and handle algorithmic affect whereas analyzing its results on psychological well being, engagement and digital technique.
DSM 599: Leveraging Social Media for Social Impact
Misha Kouzeh
Wednesday, 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Examine how social media may be harnessed as a pressure for constructive change. Design purpose-driven campaigns that tackle international challenges like local weather change and inequality whereas emphasizing ethics, transparency, analytics and genuine viewers engagement.
Organizational Communication
COMM 385: Organizational Communication
Marlon Twyman
Tuesday/Thursday, 11 a.m.–12:20 p.m. (4 items)
Understand how communication shapes the way in which organizations operate and thrive. Examine office dynamics, management, negotiation and technique whereas growing sensible instruments to navigate skilled relationships, handle complexity and construct effectiveness in numerous organizational settings.
Podcasting
JOUR 412: Podcasting: Origin Stories
Thursday, 2–3:40 p.m. (2 items)
Trace the evolution of podcasting from early radio to at present’s international audio panorama. Explore its cultural impression, numerous storytelling types, and technological roots by way of lively listening, evaluation, and artistic engagement with groundbreaking audio works.
JOUR 525: This California Life
Megan Donis and Sandy Tolan
Wednesday, 11 a.m.–2:20 p.m. (4 items)
Develop superior audio storytelling abilities whereas producing sound-rich, narrative-driven items for main media companions. This yr’s class focuses on “After ICE Comes” — a sequence analyzing the human, social and financial impacts of immigration enforcement on Southern California communities.
DSM 599: Podcasting for Brand Building
Anika Jackson
Monday, 2–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Learn the way to harness podcasting as a strategic device for model progress. Develop abilities in manufacturing, viewers engagement, promotion, analytics, and monetization whereas creating, launching and refining your individual professional-quality podcast.
Political Communication
COMM 489: Campaign Communication
Michael Wissot
Monday/Wednesday, 10–11:50 a.m. (4 items)
Examine how political campaigns are constructed, branded and communicated in at present’s polarized media setting. Analyze messaging, media technique and voter affect whereas finding out actual elections to know how management, ethics and communication form democratic engagement.
Popular Culture
COMM 384: Interpreting Popular Culture
Perry Johnson
Tuesday/Thursday, 9:30–10:50 a.m. (4 items)
Investigate how common tradition each displays and shapes society. Analyze music, media and expertise as websites of that means, id and energy whereas studying to critically interpret how popular culture influences race, gender, class and social change.
Sports
COMM 387: Sports and Social Change
Julianna Kirschner
Tuesday/Thursday, 3:30–4:50 p.m. (4 items)
Analyze how sports activities function a platform for social change and cultural reflection. Study influential athletes and actions, consider the impression of their methods, and develop your individual approaches to addressing modern social points by way of sport.
PR 454: Sports Public Relations
Jeff Moeller
Monday, 6:30–8:10 p.m. (2 items)
Develop sensible expertise within the fast-paced world of sports activities public relations. Learn to craft compelling tales, handle media relationships and navigate disaster communication by way of real-world workout routines, visitor audio system and area experiences with trade professionals.
COMM 499: Body, Justice and the Planet
Rook Campbell
Monday/Wednesday, 2–3:20 p.m. (4 items)
Connect sport, sustainability and social justice by way of hands-on studying throughout Los Angeles. Examine how athletic tradition and trade intersect with environmental and fairness points whereas exploring new methods sport can encourage care, advocacy and duty for the planet.
PR 499: Advertising, PR and Content for a Global Sports Property
Matt Dianella
Tuesday, 5–8:30 p.m. (4 items)
Gain insider perception into international sports activities advertising and marketing by way of the lens of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Analyze actual campaigns from manufacturers, athletes, and governing our bodies whereas growing built-in promoting, PR, and content material methods for large-scale worldwide sporting occasions.
COMM 599: The Road to the Special Olympics 2026 USA Games
Cindy Mori
Monday, 3–6:30 p.m. (4 items)
Go behind the scenes of main occasion manufacturing by way of the lens of the Special Olympics 2026 USA Games. Study how mission, storytelling, logistics and technique intersect to create large-scale occasions that encourage inclusion, accessibility and lasting group impression.
Video Games
CMGT 537: The Industry, Science and Culture of Video Games
Steve Fowler
Tuesday, 6–8:50 p.m. (4 items)
Discover the worldwide online game trade by way of its historical past, tradition and enterprise. Learn how video games are created, marketed and monetized throughout platforms whereas analyzing rising applied sciences, trade traits and profession alternatives in interactive leisure.