The Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program is a dynamic and innovative honors program offered to undergraduate students who are interested in exploring new forms of scholarship and research. Students encounter the creative and critical use of new media tools, learning how to express ideas through images, sound, video, text, networks, games and interactivity.

Students begin by developing a conceptual and technical foundation for multimedia scholarship, with an introduction to still image manipulation, video capture, editing and interactivity. In subsequent courses, students explore topics and tools in greater depth, developing the ability to communicate across multiple media platforms. More advanced courses in web design, social media and tangible computing are designed not only to hone the students’ technical skills, but also to promote the integration of multimedia into an academic or professional setting.

In their senior year, students complete the Honors Program by creating a media-rich thesis project within their major course of study, which increases and displays their understanding of new media within the context of the discipline they have chosen. Past projects include a dynamic mapping of the national security budget allocation, a web-based analysis of toxin-antitoxin pairing mechanisms, a “spatialized argument” in the virtual world of Second Life analyzing the use of space in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and an interactive documentary on the history of Alexander the Great made with the Korsakow System.

At the IML, Honors students join a dynamic community of scholars that provides unique opportunities for personal and professional growth. In classes, laboratories and apprenticeships, students take the lead in developing new forms of expression, working individually and in groups to create increasingly complex multimedia projects. IML Honors students leave USC with an Honors designation on their transcripts, as well as a competitive edge in a workplace where the demand for multimedia is rapidly growing.

To maintain small classes and allow for extensive discussion and project development, the Honors in Multimedia Scholarship program requires students to be highly motivated; there is extensive reading, writing and multimedia authoring. While students will immediately begin to use multimedia tools, the Program does not require pre-requisites, nor does it expect prior experience with multimedia. Any student with a desire to push the creative boundaries of academic practice is welcome.

Further information
Sonia Seetharaman, Academic Program Coordinator
sseetharaman@cinema.usc.edu // 213-743-2198