Majors & Minors

Consumer behavior studies inform decision makers in the business, government and non-profit sectors on how consumer decisions, preferences, activities and other behaviors are influenced by factors such as culture, subculture, demographics, sensation, thinking, conscious and unconscious information processing, knowledge organization, beliefs, interpersonal communication, learning from experience and values. This is an interdisciplinary field, drawing on such disciplines as marketing, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, linguistics, ethnic studies, gender studies, geography, history, cognitive science and communications to understand the experiences of contemporary consumers across the world.

To enroll in this minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75.

This minor requires 18-20 units.

The minor in Contemplative Studies provides students with the opportunity to explore contemplative traditions — such as mindfulness, meditation and prayer — critically and from multiple perspectives. Courses taken from within the department will enable students to understand contemplative traditions from historical, doctrinal, institutional and cultural perspectives. Courses from other units included in the program place contemplative traditions within scientific, sociological and experiential frameworks and also consider contemporary applications of such practices.

Total unit requirement for the minor is 20 units; 16 units must be upper-division.

The Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Latino and Latin American Studies (CLLA) is an interdisciplinary major bridging the fields of Latin American Studies (focusing on the history and cultures of Central and South America) and Latino Studies (focusing on the experience of Chicano/a and Latino/a communities in the United States). By combining these two areas of scholarly inquiry in a single undergraduate degree, students acquire interdisciplinary perspectives on the indigenous and transnational histories, cultures, and social issues of the Américas.

The Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Latino and Latin American Studies provides an opportunity for undergraduates to gain a general understanding of this area of scholarship and research and focus their study to reflect their personal aspirations. The major requires nine courses (36 units), two at the lower-division (100 and 200) level and seven at the upper-division (300 and 400) level. This curriculum prepares students for careers in business, diplomacy, or social change that reflect and respect the cultural diversity of the western hemisphere.

The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, the Viterbi School of Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Department of Biological Sciences jointly offer the minor in craniofacial and dental technology. This minor is designed to prepare engineering, pre-dental, pre-medical and biological sciences undergraduates to enter the dental biotechnology industry as well as to introduce them to recent innovations in craniofacial sciences and therapeutics. The course work introduces students to concepts in dental and craniofacial sciences and technology, tissue engineering, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and biotechnology as well as applications to dental diagnostics, imaging and dental therapies (dental implants, restorative dentistry, salivary diagnostics).

This minor requires a minimum of 16 units outside your home department; further, at least 16 units must be unique to the minor.

Please see a biomedical engineering, biological sciences or Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry adviser for specific program requirements.

The minor in Creating Dramatic Content presents undergraduate students an opportunity for broadening and deepening expression using the literary and performing arts. This minor offers a foundation for extended expression in dramatic writing and creative writing genres in general; fostering skills in content creation, research, communication and collaboration. The minor is a 16-unit program.  

The study and practice of embodied communication, collaboration and storytelling to create pathways to authentic, dynamic and empathic leadership. Through the use of these dramatic tools, students will develop and enhance their unique leadership presence. The minor is a 16-unit program.

Anthropology is the comparative study of human culture and society, the study of how individuals and communities are shaped by their traditions, values and institutions. 

The Cultural Anthropology minor allows students to develop insight into the field of Anthropology without a full major. The minor offers training in anthropological theory and provides opportunities to develop knowledge of a specific area of anthropological study, or to study and apply anthropological insights in an interdisciplinary context.  

More information about courses and faculty can be found on the Anthropology Department website: dornsife.usc.edu/anth.

Departmental minors are required to take four courses (16 units) in Anthropology. 

This minor is designed for students who plan to enter careers or professional programs in medicine after graduation and are interested in using cultural knowledge to provide more effective health care. The minor focuses on cultural differences in the understanding of health, disease, health care and risk factors unique to specific populations. The minor provides a foundation for students who want to become effective health care providers in an increasingly diverse society. It complements major programs such as biological sciences, chemistry, kinesiology and environmental studies.

This 20-unit minor focuses on cultural diplomacy and the ways in which consideration of cultural issues and engagement in the cultural sphere can enhance foreign affairs and international interactions. It links existing classes and faculty expertise to expose students to a range of international issues while introducing culturally focused approaches to addressing and rectifying such issues. This minor builds a coherent picture of the power of culture as an essential dimension of foreign policy either as a barrier or a medium for engagement and a common ground. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

This 20-unit minor offers courses that examine the theory, content, social impact and economics of a range of creative, media, culture and entertainment industries. Through the lens of music, film, television, advertising, digital media, games, comics and fashion, students will learn strategies for analyzing popular culture and entertainment texts, mechanisms and platforms of content distribution, as well as the historical, social, cultural and political issues shaping these entertainment fields. Taking into account shifts and disruptions in contemporary media and entertainment, students will further examine consumption, audience engagement and participation that necessarily shape our individual and collective identities. These courses will highlight the production, consumption and meanings inscribed in entertainment media industries and products. Depending on the courses selected, the minor will prepare students for a variety of careers in and/or further critical scholarship about media and entertainment industries.

Admission requirements are a minimum 3.0 grade point average and completion of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.