Course registration for the Spring 2027 semester is already underway. However, putting together a course calendar often feels like solving a puzzle: Students must balance degree requirements and time management; for many, a fun elective is one way to make the semester more memorable.

USC’s Spring 2027 offerings include classes that stray far beyond the traditional lecture hall. Some take students to the ocean, while others place cameras, film and even scents in their hands. For Trojans with room for an elective, here are six classes to further explore new interests.

PHED 115: Surfing

Living near the Pacific Ocean doesn’t automatically mean knowing how to surf. “Surfing” gives students a place to start.

The one-unit course covers fundamental surfing skills, water safety, wave recognition, surf etiquette, board selection and physical conditioning. Students must pass a swim test before being admitted to the class. 

The class, taught by senior lecturer Ian Culbertson in the spring, has two sections on Fridays at Santa Monica Beach. The sections run from 8 to 9:50 a.m. or 10 to 11:50 a.m.

NAUT 301a: Seamandship and Navigation

For students who want to stay a bit more dry but still take advantage of being near the water, “Seamanship and Navigation” offers the chance to learn aboard a sailing vessel.

This two-unit class introduces students to vessel construction, sailing theory, oceanography, charting and navigation. After classroom instruction and a dockside demonstration, students apply what they learn during a two-day overnight voyage departing from the ports of Los Angeles.

No previous sailing experience is required. The Price School of Public Policy offers “Seamanship and Navigation” during both the spring and fall semesters, with classroom sections meeting on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:50 p.m. Each voyage limits the number of students on board so each student has an opportunity to help operate the vessel.

ART 149: Black and White Film and Darkroom Photography

“Black and White Film and Darkroom Photography” takes students back to a time before an image could be captured, filtered and posted within seconds.

Students will learn to use film cameras, develop negatives and make prints through traditional darkroom techniques. The four-unit course also discusses photography history and theory. 

Two sections of the course will run this spring, taught by professor of teaching, art and art 4D Julia Paull. 

PHED 118: Sleep for Peak Performance

For Trojans whose sleep schedules sometimes collapse due to assignments and late-night club meetings, USC offers a class devoted to rebuilding them.

The two-unit course examines how sleep affects physical and mental performance. Students will study sleep systems and disorders while practicing breathing and meditation techniques intended to support healthier sleep. 

Four sections of the class will run in spring, taught by associate teaching professor of physical education and mind-body health Marcos Briano, master lecturer Steve Hsu, and assistant teaching professor of physical education and mind-body health Eden Goldman are listed as the Spring 2027 instructors. 

IML 427: DIY Music Videos from Critique to Creation

Ever watched a music video and thought it could be better? “DIY Music Videos from Critique to Creation” lets students test that theory.

This four-unit course is offered Tuesdays from 3 to 5:50 p.m. and combines the history and cultural analysis of music videos with hands-on production. Students identify a song or musician they are interested in, then write a script, create a storyboard, shoot footage and edit a final music video. The semester will conclude with a screening of the completed projects.

This class also counts toward the minor requirements of digital studies, future cinema, and media and social change. 

IML 418: Sensory Design

Movies usually ask audiences to look and listen; however, this four-unit class asks what happens when a media experience can also be smelled, touched or tasted.

In “Sensory Design,” students explore ways to build media projects that extend beyond sight and sound by incorporating scent, taste, touch or other sensory systems. They will workshop their ideas throughout the semester and produce a film, an installation or something more creative as their final project.