EXPERTISE AT THE OF DESIGN TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

We teach for a world where human experience fuels purpose-driven technology and business innovation. We prepare tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives to lead with empathy and develop sustainable and equitable solutions for societal impact. Our students create such solutions at the intersection of technology, design, business and culture. We embody this intersectionality and practice through diverse collaborations.

WE ARE

> ENTREPRENEURS

> ENGINEERS

> DESIGNERS

> ARTISTS

WE SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY

> INVENTORS

> INNOVATORS

> OUTLIERS

> DREAMERS

In the Extended Realities (XR) Lab, students are introduced to exponential technologies, societal phenomena, decentralized business and future concepts through foundational core classes and maker skills in augmented and virtual reality applications.

Bachelor Of Science

The world-unique Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees build on the Academy’s signature integrated learning framework that is focused on the intersection of human-centered design, technology, entrepreneurship, and communication. Students develop a powerfully agile mindset to analyze challenges, think across disciplinary boundaries, and synthesize diverse ideas to create new technologies, ventures, and humane solutions for purposedriven societal change.

Through the Academy’s Core, students learn applied skills and gain understanding of the theories, concepts, and “languages” common to each area, and the increased potential for innovation where they intersect. The Core allows students to pursue focused coursework in growing areas of the 21st century economy that require intersectional technology, design, and business expertise:

▪ Extended Reality

▪ Design Strategy

▪ Product Innovation

▪ Augmented Intelligence

▪ Physical Computing

▪ Health Innovation

Central to the Academy’s learning experience is inclusive learning pedagogy which cultivates a collaborative environment enriched by including people from all cultures, identities, background, abilities, perspectives, thought and purpose.

Students may select intersectional elective courses from the Academy’s and its partner schools’ broad list of current offerings, or from future offerings as they become available. In consultation with their academic advisor, students may also create unique degree paths by selecting courses from academic units or disciplines at USC that are outside of the Academy (requires formal approval by the Academy). In addition to required courses, students may apply and register for other Academy experiences such as Study Abroad; and Industry and Impact Labs, which place students inside major organizations as design strategists working to solve real-world issues.

Minors

The Academy offers several minor options for majors in other USC schools who wish to deepen their understanding of cross-disciplinary theory, application, and design strategy. Each minor provides access to the Academy’s unique and extensive maker facilities, as well as the breadth of Academy faculty expertise.

▪ Disruptive Innovation

▪ Designing Products

▪ Extended Reality Design and Development

▪ Designing for Live Experiences

▪ Designing for Digital Experiences

▪ Health Innovation

The Academy’s Creator Studio is fit for a wealth of projects: it features a 2D/3D print area, a wood shop, a metal shop, an electronics and textile shop, a spray painting booth, a section for composites and plastics, as well as a finishing room to make the prototypes look sharp.

Throughout their academic career, Academy students have a direct pipeline for learning, mentoring, and feedback from leaders in industry and professional practice. Past speakers include Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS; Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz; Viktoria Modesta, bionic pop artist and creative director; and Jason Mayden, CEO of Trillicon Valley.