Majors & Minors

This interdisciplinary minor brings together courses in psychology that focus on the social, clinical, cognitive and societal aspects of psychology and how it relates to law. This knowledge is augmented with courses from the USC Gould School of Law that identify the relationship between mental health, social psychology and law.

Twenty to twenty four units are required for the minor. A minimum of four courses (16 units) must be unique to the minor. A minimum of 16 upper-division units must be completed. Psychology majors and students majoring in social sciences with an emphasis in psychology may "double count" up to two courses toward the major and minor; however, they must take a minimum of four courses that do not apply to the major.

Grade Requirement

A grade of C- or higher is required to count a class toward major requirements.

The minor requires six courses: PSYC 100 and five additional courses:

One course is required in each of three of the five topic areas listed under Major Requirements. PSYC 314L may be used to fulfill one of these topic areas.

Two elective PSYC courses. One must be upper-division, 300-level or higher.

Limitations:

1. Students must complete at least 16 upper-division PSYC units.
2. No more than four units of PSYC 490x is applicable to the minor.
3. Each of the six courses must be at least 2.67 units.

This minor is designed for students interested in a broad array of health issues. The focus of the minor is on reducing disability and mortality from avoidable injuries and chronic disease, educating the community about healthy lifestyles, assuring access to health care, and measuring changes using various indicators over time. This minor teaches students to meet the challenges of the changing environment of the health care system. It complements a number of majors including psychology, sociology, American studies and ethnicity, biological sciences, economics, environmental studies, kinesiology, gender studies, international relations, philosophy, religion, gerontology and political science.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Policy is an interdisciplinary major that prepares students for graduate study and/or professional careers by engaging them in the analysis of society's political, social and economic issues. The major introduces students to theoretical foundations and practical applications through a set of cross-cutting introductory courses and specialized courses in one of five tracks: health policy and management, public policy and law, philanthropy, nonprofits and social innovation, public policy and data analytics, or urban environmental and sustainability policy. Students will be introduced to analytical and research tools relevant for and connected to professional practice, as exemplified by consultative class projects and the mandatory internship. 

Public relations and advertising are the cornerstone of modern communication. Previously considered very separate disciplines, these functions have increased synergies as organizations relay on them to connect to their audiences through paid, earned, shared and owned media. Students gain a range of skills from creative to strategic to analytic and land jobs in organizations of all types, including non-profits, entertainment brands, sports teams, social action groups, PR and ad agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Upon graduation our students leave prepared for occupations in content creation; media ​and influencer relations; digital/​social media marketing; ​applied research and data analysis; media buying ​and ​creative development; advertising and PR account management; and more.

 The public relations minor is designed for students interested in building a career in, or developing a better understanding of, the field of public relations. At no time has public relations been more successful or more visible than it is today. Emphasis is placed throughout the program on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the critical thinking required to be a successful entry-level public relations practitioner.

The Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology offers a BS degree in Quantitative Biology (QBIO). This program allows biology students to achieve a fuller background in the quantitative sciences such as computer science and statistics that are essential for modern data-driven biological science. The students will take an introductory seminar, participate in undergraduate research and write an honors thesis. This program will have the designation on the transcript of Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Biology.

The general education, writing, language and diversity requirements for a USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences degree are applicable.

The interdisciplinary minor in race, ethnicity and politics helps students analyze and critically evaluate contemporary race relations and how race matters in politics today.

Requirements: Five Courses (20 Units)*

All students are required to take POSC 421 Ethnic Politics. In addition, students must also take one course from each category: Race and Gender in a Global Context, Comparative Racial Politics, Social/Historical (Racial Perspective) and Racial Formation. The following is a list of courses that fulfill each category.

Price School students are trained to look at the interaction between people and place and the consequences for our communities. The Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development explores the broader context of real estate allowing students to launch their careers by grasping the full structure of the industry and its role in society. The foundational core courses integrate the many disciplines that are the basis for real estate education, including accounting, economics and business finance. The real estate core classes taken through the Price School focus on real estate principles, financial analysis, market analysis, land use policy, urban design and the history of cities. Students also select electives to complement their interests from either the Price School or closely related disciplines. Throughout, the students' education will be connected to professional practice, as exemplified by the mandatory internship. Finally, the major is structured to provide students with sufficient elective credits to explore minors or other programs at USC so they can broaden their education to better prepare themselves for the next stage of their lives.

Double Major

Students who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development as a second major must satisfy all university requirements for a second major and complete 32 units unique to the Real Estate Development major.