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Eight Can’t-Miss Marshall Classes for Spring 2025

Eight Can’t-Miss Marshall Classes for Spring 2025

With registration deadlines right around the corner, Marshall is offering fascinating classes on topics from sports to entertainment to AI in accounting.

by: Alexander Bernard
12.20.24
Students walking through campus

Student registration ends on January 10, 2025.

[USC Photo / Andre Niesing]

Featured

  • Janna Wong

    Janna Wong
    • Senior Lecturer in Business Communication
  • Abby Fifer Mandell

    Abby Fifer Mandell
    • Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship
  • Lorena Martin

    Lorena Martin
    • Assistant Professor of Clinical Data Sciences and Operations

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Spring semester is nearly here, and the deadline to register for classes is January 10, 2025. With so many cutting-edge USC Marshall courses to choose from, it can be difficult to select only a few to fill your schedule.

Check out these eight intriguing courses offered in spring 2025:


BUCO 461: Strategic Communication in the Entertainment Industry
Th 2–3:50 p.m.
(Janna Wong, senior lecturer in business communication)

Sitting in the heart of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, the USC Marshall School of Business is uniquely situated to teach the business of film, television, and media. In BUCO 461, Hollywood veteran and Marshall professor Janna Wong will explore with students the do’s and don’ts of communication within the dynamic field. With decades of experience as a story analyst and consultant, Wong will provide her class a firsthand look at the industry and teach them how to prepare deliverables across the entertainment industry.


BAEP 471: Social Innovation Design Lab
M/W 10–11:50 a.m.
(Abby Fifer Mandell, senior lecturer in entrepreneurship)

Many startups fail because they cannot find a market. In BAEP 471, students will practice the concept of “user-centered design,” conducting research and surveys to generate innovative ideas that address the needs and values of potential customers. Built to support students’ individual passions and goals, the intensive course offers participants the chance to observe consumers in context, prototype new products, and co-create enterprises that are lasting and financially scalable.

DSO 499: Sports Data Science and Management
M/W 4–5:50 p.m.
(Lorena Martin, assistant professor of clinical data sciences and operations)

Data science is inextricably linked with success in sports. Now, students have the chance to get a headstart on the analytics revolution with DSO 499. Professor Lorena Martin will highlight the many avenues of data collection, from on-field metrics and statistical analysis to the use of wearable technology to improve performance. Martin and her students will apply these findings to management skills with an eye toward efficiency and organizational success. Anyone with a passion for sports, data, or leadership has the opportunity to 100-meter-dash to Sports Data Science and Management to gain skills in a fast-moving industry.


FBE 440: Trading and Exchanges
M/W 12–1:50 p.m.
(Larry Harris, Fred V. Keenan Chair in Finance)

From 2002 to 2004, Harris served as the chief economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and published his book Trading and Exchanges: Market Microstructure for Practitioners, considered a “must-read” among those entering the securities industry. In Trading and Exchanges, students will focus on market economics and learn the theories, practices, and technologies that shape the complex field. They will also review the volatility and profitability of the industry, while analyzing the institutional changes brought on by domestic and international policy.

MOR 499: Essentials for Leading Product Management Teams
T 2–5:50 p.m.
(Gordon Ho, professor of the practice in management and organization)

As companies manage rapid technology changes and the explosion of AI, they must increasingly rely on effective product teams and their product managers to define their strategies, align stakeholders around a product vision, and ultimately ensure the delivery of the product on-time and on-budget. In MOR 499, students will assume a managerial role and learn how to guide these teams through technological advancements. Supported by guest speakers, case simulations, and Ho’s experience as a former executive at Disney Studios and Princess Cruises, the course will provide specialized knowledge in the ever-evolving profession of product management.


MKT 499: Marketing in the Gaming Industry
T/Th 4–5:50 p.m.
(Franco De Cesare, adjunct professor of marketing)

Each year, the gaming industry produces hundreds of billions of dollars. In the past decades, major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon have joined traditional powers like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft in the flourishing industry. In Marketing in the Gaming Industry, students will dissect the unique nature of the gaming market and the role advanced technology (AR/VR) may play in reshaping the landscape. By identifying current trends through market research, the course will explore the distinct role marketing plays in a field that melds brand, art, and science.

RISK 387: Risk Management in Entertainment, Sports, and the Arts
T/Th 2–3:50 p.m.
(Lanore Larson, educational program director)

Risk management has never been more critical to the fields of entertainment, sports, and the arts, all of which have faced significant disruptions in recent years thanks to new market entrants and novel technologies. Through case studies, guest lectures, and research, students will explore macro and micro issues within the industries, such as assessing the risks of casting celebrities in film and television productions, securing an open-air stadium, and protecting an invaluable art collection from fires, earthquakes, and theft.


ACCT 540: AI and Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing
T/Th 11–1:50 p.m.
(Daniel O’Leary, Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting)

The fields of accounting, auditing, and business are undergoing seismic shifts thanks to the advent and spread of AI. Those who can successfully embrace the changes will be in great demand. Professor O’Leary’s course will provide students with an innovative mindset to accommodate that changing world. Through guest speakers, case analyses, and a final capstone project, students will develop a knowledge of new, emerging, and potential technologies for accounting, audit, and business data and analytics and understand how to apply those tools to tackle complex problems in the field.

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