Majors & Minors

The minor in 3-D animation in cinematic arts offers an introduction to basic animation principles and history, as well as creative and skill-based instruction in 3-D computer animation. Through elective choices, students may focus their studies on their specific area of interest, including visual effects, motion capture, virtual reality, modeling, or character animation. The program requires 16 units.

To apply to the 3-D animation in cinematic arts minor, a student must be in good academic standing, have declared a major, and previously completed with a passing grade:CTAN 451 History of Animation and CTAN 452 Introduction to 3-D Computer Animation.

Applications and information can be obtained by emailing the John C. Hench Animation and Digital Arts Division office at: animation@cinema.usc.edu and online at cinema.usc.edu.

A minor in 3-Dimensional Design offers USC students in all fields of studies the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in 3-D thinking, imaging and production. Course work will focus on the process behind creating well-designed, expressive functional objects and spaces (both actual and virtual). The minor would be of particular interest to students wishing to further develop specializations such as package design, product design, and environmental design (way-finding, signage, display).

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Accounting and Finance is offered jointly by the Leventhal School of Accounting and the Marshall School of Business. It offers qualified students an opportunity to gain an educational foundation in both areas.

The degree cannot be combined as an additional major in either accounting or business administration. The degree is administered by the Leventhal School of Accounting.

This degree requires at least 128 units including USC's General Education requirements.

A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required for all courses taken at USC as well as all upper-division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken.

The USC Leventhal School of Accounting Bachelor of Science, Accounting (BS) degree is designed to provide students with a broad foundation in accounting and business to prepare them for entry into the professional program leading to a Master of Accounting or Master of Business Taxation degree. The undergraduate curriculum also provides the background necessary for direct entry into the accounting profession. The BS, Accounting degree is a 128-unit program.

Admission

Students may be admitted to the program as incoming freshmen, as USC undergraduates transferring from another major or as students transferring from another college or university. Admission to Leventhal is dependent on admission to the university and on academic performance, particularly in quantitative areas. USC students who have not been admitted to the major or the minor in the Marshall School of Business and/or the Leventhal School of Accounting may complete a maximum of 12 units from the Marshall School of Business and/or the Leventhal School of Accounting. No further course work may be taken unless a student is admitted.

Leventhal/Marshall Honors

Leventhal/Marshall Honors is available upon graduation to majors in accounting or business administration and results in a special designation of departmental honors on a student's transcript. Acceptance to the program requires completion of at least 64 units of course work (including transfer units), a GPA of 3.5 or higher in course work to be applied to the major, an application, and a successful interview with the director of the program. Achievement of Leventhal/Marshall Honors requires completion of ACCT 493 Honors Research Seminar prior to the senior year, a thesis (research project and paper) conducted under the guidance of a Leventhal or Marshall faculty member during the senior year, and minimum GPA of 3.5 in upper-division Leventhal School of Accounting and Marshall School of Business courses applied to the major. For additional information, contact the Leventhal School of Accounting Undergraduate Program Office in ACC 101, (213) 740-4838.

Advisement

Academic advisement is provided through the Leventhal School of Accounting Undergraduate Program Office in Accounting 101, (213) 740-4838. Students are required to meet with an academic adviser before registering and this requirement remains in effect until 24 USC units are completed. However, all students are encouraged to see an academic adviser on a regular basis. A record of each student is kept on file. Appointments for advisement may be scheduled at most times during the academic year. However, during busy times such as the preregistration, registration and drop/add periods, advisers may be available on a walk-in basis only.

The Leventhal Undergraduate Program Office and Marshall Undergraduate Student Services offer students assistance in networking, finding internships, resume writing, interviewing techniques and other career-related issues.

Transferring College Credit

College Courses

USC has established articulation agreements with most community colleges throughout California. Most academic courses are acceptable for transfer credit from a two-year school, but students may not receive credit for specialized, technical or remedial courses.

Courses that do not appear on the articulation agreement are not transferable. A maximum of 64 semester units may be transferred. Check with the Degree Progress Department (JHH 010) for questions about transferable courses or see a counselor in Accounting 101.

Official transcripts of college work taken elsewhere must be submitted, at the time of application, to the USC Office of Admission. A credit evaluation will be completed, which will list transfer courses accepted for credit. All business courses completed at a two-year college, if transferable, will be considered elective credit.

There is one exception to this policy. Students may transfer two semesters of introductory accounting and receive credit equivalent to one semester of introductory accounting at USC. Then students can register for BUAD 305 Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting Information and complete their accounting course requirement in one semester at USC. In this case, students would not be required to take BUAD 280 or BUAD 281.

Four Year Colleges

Most courses are acceptable for unit credit from all fully accredited four-year institutions. If the courses do not satisfy specific subject requirements at USC, they will be accepted for elective course credit.

Students are urged to complete all their required business administration courses at USC. All business courses from four-year institutions, if transferable, will be considered elective credit unless a challenge examination is passed. Only core classes, with the exception of BUAD 497, may be challenged. Students should consult with an academic adviser in Bridge Hall 104 to initiate the challenge examination process.

USC Core Requirements

The university's general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This program is effective for all students entering USC in fall 2015 or later, or transfer students beginning college elsewhere at that time and subsequently transferring to USC. It requires eight courses in six Core Literacies, plus two courses in Global Perspectives (which may double-count with courses in the Core Literacies) and two courses in writing. See General Education for more information.

A minor in accounting is available to students in all schools and departments except the Marshall School of Business. The minor provides the opportunity for non-business majors to gain an understanding, from the perspective of the user of accounting information, of how accounting is used in the business world.

To be approved for the accounting minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and attained a minimum GPA of 2.75.

Successful completion of the minor requires at least 16-18 units with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the courses applied to the minor.

The BFA degree is a four-year, 132-unit, professional training program offering a vital and contemporary approach to the study of acting. The program comprises an integrated sequence of training in acting, voice, movement, camera, the web, voice-over, games, and includes multiple opportunities for performance on stage, and screen. The curriculum is based on the belief that an actor's emotional, imaginative, vocal and physical resources must be developed and prepared with maximum experience and flexibility for a fast-changing and challenging modern workplace. This training is combined with course work in critical and historical studies and technical theatre. An audition is required for admission. The BFA in Acting for Stage and Screen program is unique and highly competitive.  

All BFA Theatre majors are required to earn a grade point average of 2.75 (A = 4.0) in their theatre courses each semester. BFA students who fail to earn a GPA of 2.75 in their theatre courses will be placed on probation the following semester. Students who remain on probation for a consecutive second semester will be disqualified from the BFA program.

A student disqualified from continued study in the BFA program for failing to meet the GPA standards outlined above will be given the option of transferring into the BA program.

General Education Requirements

The university's General Education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This program is effective for all students entering USC in fall 2015 or later, or transfer students beginning college elsewhere at that time and subsequently transferring to USC. It requires eight courses in six Core Literacies, plus two courses in Global Perspectives (which may double-count with courses in the Core Literacies) and two courses in writing. In addition, all entering freshmen are expected to complete a General Education Seminar during their first year at USC. These seminars satisfy one of the Core Literacy requirements above.

Note that courses within the major will also satisfy certain Core Literacy requirements. Please work with your major adviser to determine those courses.

Scientific study of the nature, causes, consequences, prevention, intervention and treatment of the broad spectrum of addiction and addiction-related problems. 

Additional information: 

The minor is 20 units in total (12 units are assigned, and 8 units are required as electives). The USC Institute for Addiction Science supports collaborative research and education that advances science, awareness, prevention, treatment, and policy to rapidly and significantly reduce the societal burden of addictive behaviors. Our mission is motivated by the unfortunate truth that addiction is a wicked problem and leads to an array of recalcitrant epidemics that plague society. Given the interplay of societal, political, psychosocial, and biological influences on addiction, transdisciplinary approaches are needed to reduce the addiction epidemic. Faculty with addiction expertise are members in dozens of academic units across USC. The Institute for Addiction Science integrates and mobilizes USC's intellectual resources while leveraging the diverse and populous backdrop of Los Angeles to yield evidence with local, state, national and global implications. The majority of courses to be utilized for this major have been approved and are in use within their respective schools (these are denoted by their associated course prefix below). 

The advertising minor is designed for students interested in building a career in, or developing a better understanding of, the field of advertising. It explores the key role played by advertising in today's global economy. At no time has advertising been more successful or more controversial than it is today, and this program will explore both the positives and the negatives. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the theoretical underpinnings of those practices. Program content includes: the history of advertising; creation of written and visual advertising elements; the measurement, selection and analysis of media; the concept of "branding;" the role of advertising in creating and maintaining successful brands; the analysis of advertising campaign case studies; and the creation of integrated marketing communications campaigns.

The Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. The requirement for this degree is 134 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See the common requirements for undergraduate degrees section.

The interdisciplinary major in American Popular Culture helps students to assess from a variety of perspectives the icons and ideas they encounter every day, to think critically about the images and assertions of the mass media and commercial culture, and to see the experience of popular culture as it interacts with questions of gender and ethnicity in the American context. Students choose two core classes, four upper-division classes, and four elective classes (including one upper-division elective), from a curriculum organized to explore: critical approaches to popular culture; gender and ethnicity in American popular culture; and popular culture in the arts. Forty units are required, with a minimum of 24 at the upper-division level.