Learn with USC Dornsife Faculty in these Continuing Education courses, offered through the USC collaboration with the New York Times Knowledge Network:

Fall 2011

American Politics

As the 2012 Presidential Election gets under way, get insight about the campaign from its beginning stages and learn about the developmental process of campaign messaging with Professor Dan Schnur. Dan is the Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California, where he works to motivate students to become active in the world of politics and encourage public officials to participate in the daily life of USC.

• Campaign 2012 -- An Overview at the Starting Line
• Inside the Campaign -- Message Development
• Inside the Campaign -- Message Delivery
• Inside the Campaign -- Advanced Messaging
• Political Conversations a Monthly Series

Writing and Communication

In this online workshop with Dr. James R. Kincaid, Aerol Arnold Chair of English and professor of English, explore the concept of "childhood" and ways in which children and adolescents are depicted in some histories of childhood, famous short stories, poems, and two classics, "Peter Pan" and "Alice in Wonderland." How is childhood featured in contemporary pop culture: songs, theater, movies and advertisements? How does memory work, and what so we really know about our own childhoods? If you'd like, jumpstart the writing of your personal history with the exploration of the autobiographical form and the roles of memory and narratives capturing childhood experiences.

• Recalling Childhood -- Writing, Thinking, and Misremembering Our Early Years

Spring 2012

Arts and Culture

• Wagner's Ring Cycle 101
• Wagner's Ring Cycle: Meaning, Sources, Influences

Cinematic Arts

• Childhood v. Hollywood: Controversies and Obsessions
• The Allure of the Oscars: We Can't Help Watching

More courses listed here.