Major Mondays: Comedy Minors
Calling all fans of stand-up comedy, lovers of rom-coms, and dare I say it… class clowns! Did you know that your academic pursuits at USC could include a minor in comedy? If you didn’t know, there are TWO minors to choose from, and I’m here to share the nuance between studying comedy in the School of Dramatic Arts (SDA) and the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA).
First and foremost, both minors are available to all USC students. Your Academic Advisor will assist with course planning to ensure you can complete a minor in addition to your major. To apply, a student must have a declared major and be in good academic standing. Specifically for the minor in SCA, you must complete the pre-requisite course Foundations of Comedy (CTWR 404) with a passing grade, then submit the required materials for the application.
School of Dramatic Arts (SDA)
The Comedy Minor in SDA has an emphasis on performance and understanding the art of comedy. This minor may be the choice for you if…
You love making people laugh
You are likely the best person to present in a group project – you’re just so good at making the material fun!
You want to perform onstage or on-camera, and collaborate with other performers
You like improvisation games and stand-up comedy
There are 5 required courses (12 units total) and 8 elective units. You can select elective courses from a list which includes “Acting for Sitcoms,” “Comedy and Diversity,” “Sketch Comedy,” and even Magic! Yes, you read that right – you can take a class called “Magic at USC” and learn from a genuine magician.
Here’s an overview from Zachary Steele, the Head of Comedy in SDA:
“Our minor in comedy performance offers a strong foundation in the performance techniques behind the prominent comedic forms including sketch, stand-up, improv and clown. These classes provide ample opportunity for the students to get up on their feet, learn in the doing, and be a part of our supportive comedic ensembles. Our curriculum is based in the history of comedy, the material that currently exists in the industry, with an emphasis in lifting up our individual voices to challenge the status quo.”
If this piques your interest, check out the list of minors in SDA to learn more: https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/programs/undergraduate/minors/
School of Cinematic Arts (SCA)
The Comedy Minor in SCA is tailored to the entertainment industry of film, television, and new media. This minor focuses on the creation of comedy, and may be the minor for you if…
Your tweets are so funny, they could go viral
Your texts are most likely to get the “HAHA” reaction in group texts with friends
You’re interested in screenwriting and/or directing, and the mechanics of joke-telling
You prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it/you want to learn about behind-the-scenes of comedy creation
16 units are required to complete the minor. After taking the required screenwriting course, “Foundations of Comedy,” you will complete 14 more units selected from the provided course list. These classes include Directing (“for Television,” “for Television Sketch Comedy Show,” and “Directing the Comedic Scene”), Screenwriting courses, and even “Writing the Narrative Podcast Series”! You can also gain experience from the “Advances Multi-Camera Television Workshop” which is the only course in the minor that has a prerequisite course.
Many of the SCA courses involve camera experience, using equipment, and working with a group, so if you’re interested in collaboration within a student production setting, this minor may suit your style!
The SCA faculty teach from personal experience, and many are working professionals within their given field. The current Head of Comedy at Hulu, Billy Rosenberg, is an SCA alum from 2000, and he is one of 16,000 alumni strong! The School of Cinematic Arts has amazing opportunities for students to work together and uplift any given medium with comedic finesse. If this seems like the minor for you, check out the list of SCA minors here: https://cinema.usc.edu/degrees/minor/index.cfm
Still deciding? That’s okay…
Think of it this way, in the context of Saturday Night Live: If you’d rather be like Kate McKinnon or Bowen Yang and perform as multiple characters every episode, go for SDA and try out an improv class or sketch comedy. Maybe you see yourself more as a Seth Meyers type, a guy who started out in the Writer’s Room, only to return as the host. Maybe SCA is your fit. See how you like a screenwriting class!
RE: SNL – a special “Fight On” to two USC alums, Beck Bennet (SNL cast member for 8 years) and Kyle Mooney (SNL cast member for 9 years). Both comedians met at USC as BFA students, before the comedy programs existed (Bennet was in SDA, Mooney was in SCA) and together joined the oldest comedy troupe on campus, Commedus Interruptus. To this day, you can still see the troupe perform on Friday afternoons in front of Tommy Trojan. In fact, there are four comedy troupes at USC, and dozens of student organizations with a focus on comedic storytelling. This just goes to show that comedy exists throughout the hallowed halls of USC and lives on even beyond graduation.
I hope you consider a minor in comedy, and with two excellent ones to choose from, you really can’t go wrong!
Written by: Lina Goggins-Rendon, Assistant Director – USC Office of Admission