Majors & Minors

Coordinator: David McKemy, PhD

Undergraduate Advisers: Pablo Lopez, pablol@usc.edu; Mia Kirsten Santos, mnsantos@usc.edu. 

Grade Requirements:

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

Program Requirements:

The major requires 14 core courses (minimum 53 units) and five or six elective courses (minimum 20 units) for a minimum total of 73 units.

The degree requires a minimum of 128 units.

Coordinator: David McKemy, PhD
Undergraduate Advisers: Pablo Lopez, pablol@usc.edu; Mia Kirsten Santos, mnsantos@usc.edu

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or higher is required to count toward minor requirements.

News media and society is a journalism minor that explores the responsibilities, the influence, the ethics and the diversity of the news media. It explores the myths about news media in the United States and explains what the news media are, how they work, what they do wrong and what they do right, and why they are important to a society whose citizens depend on the free and unfettered flow of information. This minor will help all students in all majors to understand one of the most important and misunderstood forces in American society: the news media.

News media and society benefits every student at the university because it gives students a new appreciation and understanding of the news media that so much influence their lives on a daily basis.

This interdisciplinary program focuses on the roots of social conflict, on theories and methods for understanding them, and on the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits that address them. To remedy social problems, we need to examine their economic, political and social roots, as well as the varied forms of organizations that aim to fix them. Students will engage in various methods of analysis, from investigations of everyday interactions to explorations of larger economic, political and social structures. In classrooms and internships, students will learn how people in NGOs and nonprofits promote new forms of citizenship and governance, aiming to protect the environment and to lessen the suffering of people around the world.

The major requires nine courses (36 units) chosen from the specific lists of requirements below. As with all interdisciplinary majors, students may double-count no more than three courses from this degree to satisfy any other major.

This four-course minor enables students to learn about the nonprofit sector — its organizations, philanthropy and voluntary action. See complete description in the USC Price School of Public Policy section.

This four-course minor enables students to learn about the nonprofit sector — its organizations, philanthropy and voluntary action. The three-course core provides: (1) an overview of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy and its role in the United States, including its historical and theoretical foundations, its various components and its relation to public policy; (2) a focus on voluntary action and service as one means for social change and problem-solving; and (3) insights into the management of nonprofit organizations. Students select an elective that extends their understanding to the role of nongovernmental organizations in international affairs or to the role of public relations for nonprofits.

This minor is intended for students who plan (1) to work in a nonprofit or charitable organization, whether it is a large organization such as United Way, a small social service agency, an environmental advocacy group, a museum or a religious organization, (2) to participate with nonprofits as a volunteer throughout their lives or (3) pursue further graduate work in a service-related profession.

This minor is designed to appeal to students interested in nutrition, especially in preparation for graduate study in health-related fields (e.g., medicine, public health) or to enter health-related fields of employment. The focus of the minor is on assessing, planning and evaluating dietary intake of individuals or groups under various conditions of health and disease based upon principles of nutrition and behavioral science. Students in this minor will study factors associated with dietary habits and the development of effective individual and group interventions. It complements majors including psychology, gerontology, biological sciences, chemistry, kinesiology and environmental studies.

The division offers a minor in the discipline of occupational science. It is one of a select few programs in the world that offers undergraduates the opportunity to explore importance of occupation, or meaningful activity, as well as the fields of occupational science and occupational therapy.

Occupational Scientists and Occupational Therapists seek to understand and appreciate the motivations that make us human. Humans are innately driven to fill their time with interesting, meaningful activities, which scholars call "occupations." Occupational Therapists and Occupational Scientists believe that humans need to be occupied because occupations have a profound impact on physical and mental health, one's sense of well-being and the experience of a satisfying quality of life. Occupational Science seeks to understand the precise nature and function of occupations and the critical effect of daily activity on human beings. Scientists working in the field may examine questions such as the relationship between childhood occupations and adult competency and achievement, what constitutes a healthy balance of work, rest and leisure and what factors contribute to a good fit between a particular individual and their occupations.

The minor in occupational science requires a total of 20 units: a required gateway course (OT 250) for 4 units plus 16 units selected from the elective courses. It is open to all majors at USC. An occupational therapy major cannot count any 300-level OT course toward the BS degree.

The undergraduate curriculum leads to the Bachelor of Science with a major in Occupational Therapy. Only incoming freshmen may apply to the bachelor's to doctorate program in occupational therapy; students may not change their major to occupational therapy once admitted to USC. Students majoring in occupational therapy begin full-time graduate study during their senior year, substantially reducing their overall cost of education and preparing them sooner for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT) examination. Successful completion of an Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree, including successful completion of a minimum of 24 full-time weeks of clinical fieldwork, qualifies students for eligibility to sit for the NBCOT examination. Certification from the board and state licensure are required to practice as an occupational therapist.

Admission Criteria and Application Procedures for Incoming Freshmen

See the Undergraduate Admission section of this catalogue for admission criteria and application procedures for the university.

Program Requirements

A total of 128 units is required for the Bachelor of Science degree. An occupational therapy major cannot count any 300-level OT course toward the BS degree.

General Education Requirements

The university's general education (GE) program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to become 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. The general education program 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.

The minor in operations and supply chain management is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. This minor requires 20 units to complete. To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75.