Connected Devices and Making

Write firmware and design hardware for smart devices that connect to computers, phones, and the web. Devices are now becoming data collection tools that can act, inform, and interface with many different aspects of our world — in the form of wearables, home automation systems, cutting-edge medical devices, and more.

Skills

C/C++
3D printing
Hardware design
Firmware programming
Data collection

Careers

Software Developer
Hardware Engineer
Data Analyst
Product Designer
Product Tester
UX Designer

Requirements

All minors at USC need 16 units that only meet minor requirements and do not meet any other major, minor, or GE requirement.
All courses completed for your minor or specialization must be completed for a letter grade.
You must earn a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA in the courses completed for your minor or specialization.

Minor (16 units)

Complete One of the Following (2 units):

ITP-115 “Programming in Python” (2 units)
or ITP-116 "Accelerated Programming in Python" (2 units)
or ITP-165 “Introduction to C++ Programming” (2 units)

Core Requirements (6 units):

ITP-228 “Computer-Aided Modeling for 3D Product Design” (2 units)
ITP-348 “Making Smart Devices: Introduction to Electronics and Wearables” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-109, ITP-115/116, or ITP-165]

Electives (8 units):

ITP-249 “Introduction to Data Analytics” (4 units)
ITP-341 “Android App Development” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-265 or CSCI-103]
ITP-342 “iOS App Development” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-265 or CSCI-103]
ITP-388 “Developing Connected Devices” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-348]
ITP-466 “Building the High Tech Startup” (4 units)
ITP-468 “Connected Devices Project” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-228 and ITP-348]
ITP-476 “Technologies for Interactive Marketing” (4 units)

Substitutions:

The following courses are also pre-approved electives for the minor. If you enroll in one of the following courses, please email our academic advisors so that they can update your STARS report. Substitution courses are not automatically applied to your minor requirements, so you will need to ask our academic advisors to make the change for you.

ITP-216 "Applied Python" (2 units) [prerequisite: ITP-115 or ITP-116]

Specialization (8 units)

Complete One of the Following (2 units):

ITP-115 “Programming in Python” (2 units)
or ITP-116 "Accelerated Python for Programmers" (2 units)
or ITP-165 “Introduction to C++ Programming” (2 units)

Core Requirements (6 units):

ITP-228 “Computer-Aided Modeling for 3D Product Design” (2 units)
ITP-348 “Making Smart Devices: Introduction to Electronics and Wearables” (4 units) [prerequisite: ITP-109, ITP-115/116, or ITP-165]

Course Plan

Use the chart below to plan your course schedule to complete your minor. Pay careful attention to prerequisites. Make sure you consult with your major advisor about how best to incorporate the requirements for your minor with your major and general education requirements.

Please contact our academic advisors with questions about course sequencing, departmental clearance and course substitutions.

Semester 1

ITP-115: "Programming in Python" (2 units)

Start writing programs in the Python language, an easy-to-read programming language used for web applications, data analysis, and scientific research. You'll learn to think like a programmer to solve problems, control flow, and implement graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to create simple programs.

ITP-116: "Accelerated Programming in Python" (2 units)

The course is intended to teach the fundamental concepts of the Python programming language to those students who already have experience with a previous programming language.

ITP-165: "Introduction to C++ Programming" (2 units)

C++ is used for programming desktop applications, video games, database software, and applications in medicine and engineering. Learn the fundamentals of C++ syntax and semantics, including variables, control statements, functions, memory management, and object-oriented programming.

Semester 2

Making Smart Devices: Introduction to Electronics and Wearables

Learn how to create physical, Internet-connected devices — including motion sensors, robotic arms, and remotes — using C and Arduino. You’ll learn how to program devices that accept input from the physical world using sensors, connect to cloud platforms, and communicate with other devices.

[prerequisite: ITP-109, ITP-115, ITP-165, or CSCI-102]

Semester 3

Semester 4

"Discovering the Connected Devices and Making minor helped augment and focus the coding classes I have taken. The CDNM classes provide a great degree of freedom to complement personal projects, and with the knowledge I have acquired from the minor, I feel comfortable taking the next steps towards a career in medical device development."

-Brianna Sun, Neuroscience

Class of 2021

What our students and alumni say

Next steps

How can I add this program?

Apply online

Current USC students can use our online application to declare a minor or specialization. Your application will be processed within 4 to 9 business days, and you will be notified at your official USC email address of your admission to the program of your choice.

Complete your application >

Contact us with questions

If you have a question about the program, you're welcome to write to us or schedule an advisement appointment. We can help you navigate our program requirements and resources and refer you to other offices as needed.

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