USC Will Offer 2 New Degrees in Multimedia

High-tech companies routinely complain that there aren’t enough engineers with special skills in multimedia. The Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC) at USC’s School of Engineering is responding by developing two new bachelor of science degrees for electrical engineers and computer scientists that focus on multimedia. Although students in the new degree programs will need an appreciation of the artistic side of multimedia, they will focus on the underlying technology that makes integrated media possible, said Jerry Mendel, an electrical engineering professor and IMSC’s associate director for education. For instance, he said, students may become experts in digital compression or system design and integration.