Majors & Minors

This interdisciplinary minor offers students interested in exploring the richness and complexity of the Middle East, broadly defined as extending from Morocco through Iran, a framework for developing a basic but solid understanding of the region. Students may select courses that provide a broad introduction across disciplines, or they may choose courses that address a particular historical period or theme.

Twenty units (five courses) are required. All students must take MDES 201w and MDES 301g. To complete the minor a student must also take three upper-division courses from the list below. Students who are also studying a language may substitute ARAB 252, HEBR 315 or IRAN 250 for one of the three upper-division courses. However there is no language requirement for the minor.

A special accommodation is in place for majors in the School of International Relations who minor in Middle East Studies. Courses that are cross-listed between MDES and IR can satisfy the four unique courses (at least 16 units) that must be completed outside of their major department for this interdisciplinary minor. Students will still be required, however, to complete at least four courses (16 units) that are unique to the minor (not required to meet major course requirements).

Students will explore the interconnectedness of body and mind wellbeing through an experiential, interdisciplinary study that blends theory, research and practice. Offered through the Department of Physical Education and Mind Body Health, core course work includes foundations in yoga, mindfulness and stress management for a comprehensive approach to healthy living. Interdisciplinary course work examines mental and physical health for a multi-dimensional view of mind-body awareness and connection. This minor is designed for students who want to add a dimension of wellbeing to their personal and academic lives. It is particularly suited for those with career interests in health care, physical therapy, psychology or social work. 

Required Course Work (20 units): Students will complete a combination of experiential classes in Physical Education and Mind Body Health, as well as theory and research-based interdisciplinary electives.

Students pursuing this minor will study and gain experience with the technologies, tools, frameworks, and languages that are most commonly used in developing apps for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. They will learn: the fundamentals of programming languages widely used to develop mobile apps; how to design mobile interfaces; how to use the libraries to build apps that have the proper look and feel; how to design and handle user input; and the essential principles of mobile apps in order to be prepared for the new technologies and frameworks that are constantly being developed. Students in this minor will have the opportunity to build a mobile app from the initial idea all the way to a finished product.

Students should meet the regular admissions standards and have a declared USC major. Students will complete an application for the minor with the Viterbi School of Engineering. For specific information on admission and application procedures, contact the Information Technology Program at (213) 740-4542.

The minor requires a minimum of 18 units.

The Modern Art Markets and Ethics minor is designed for students, including Art History majors, who are drawn to an interdisciplinary study of modern art markets. The minor allows students to consider the intersection of law, ethics, and cultural studies. It offers students an interdisciplinary education in art institutions, and ethical discourses that surround the production, display, circulation, and consumption of art, both past and present. The minor will help students develop the critical skills of reading, writing and analysis crucial to a liberal education. Students will gain theoretical and analytical perspectives on ethical, political, and social issues relevant to art as they explore how the market informs and shapes our encounter with artistic objects.

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Music combines a rigorous foundation in music consisting of theory, aural skills, and music history, with the USC general education program, foreign language study, and the flexibility of a Bachelor of Arts curriculum. Within the core Thornton academic courses, students will have the opportunity to choose course groupings that reflect their interests within classical, popular music, and jazz disciplines. At the end of the program, students will complete a senior thesis as a capstone project.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Music is available to current USC undergraduates who wish to change their major program of study to the BA Music. Students will be required to apply for and be approved for admission. Specific entrance requirements are available at the Thornton School of Music website (music.usc.edu).

General Education Requirements

USC's General Education program, revised in fall 2015, provides a coherent, integrated approach to the study of the liberal arts, with the goal of nurturing habits of thought that are essential for professional success, personal development, and meaningful lifelong learning. Eight courses are required in six Core Literacies, in addition to two courses in Global Perspectives, two courses in Writing, and one General Education Seminar taken during the first year at USC. With careful planning, certain courses (including courses required for the music major) can fulfill more than one of these general education requirements. Academic advisers in the Thornton School carefully guide Thornton students in making their course choices. This typically will result in Thornton students taking a total of eight courses (including two writing courses) in order to fulfill all of the USC general education requirements.

Capstone Project

Senior Thesis

The capstone will consist of one or two substantial papers on a topic that is either a focus of traditional music research (e.g., musicology, ethnomusicology, music teaching and learning, music theory and analysis, the music industry), or an interdisciplinary topic that explores music's relationship to other fields of study. The expected total length is a minimum of 50 double-spaced pages, exclusive of bibliography. This can be one 50-page paper or two papers of roughly 25 pages each. Students will enroll in 4 units of Directed Research 490 in the appropriate department in order to facilitate the Senior Thesis requirement. Students will be required to secure a Senior Thesis adviser who will also serve as the supervising faculty member on the Directed Research contract.

Overview

The Bachelor of Science in the Music Industry is a professional degree that prepares students to enter a variety of careers in the music industry of today. Students must fulfill a series of core requirements for the degree.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to Thornton programs is granted through the USC admission process. Applicants are screened by appropriate faculty selection committees. Specific entrance requirements are reviewed on an annual basis and published online at music.usc.edu.

General Education Requirements

USC's General Education program, revised in fall 2015, provides a coherent, integrated approach to the study of the liberal arts, with the goal of nurturing habits of thought that are essential for professional success, personal development, and meaningful lifelong learning. Eight courses are required in six Core Literacies, in addition to two courses in Global Perspectives, two courses in Writing, and one General Education Seminar taken during the first year at USC. With careful planning, certain courses (including courses required for the music major) can fulfill more than one of these general education requirements. Academic advisers in the Thornton School carefully guide Thornton students in making their course choices. This typically will result in Thornton students taking a total of eight courses (including two writing courses) in order to fulfill all of the USC general education requirements.

Business-related Requirements

In addition to the above general education requirements, the following courses offered through the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Leventhal School of Accounting and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences are required.

Capstone Project

A capstone project must be completed under approved faculty supervision and guidance. The faculty of the department of the student's major program determines the detailed requirements of the project, including content, length, format and other specifications. In cases in which a performance venue is required in order to present the project, reservations must be made according to the current guidelines of the Music Operations office.

A minor in the music industry is offered for undergraduate students to provide them with the background necessary to enter varied fields in the music business and to familiarize them with standard practices and procedures. A minimum of 20 units is required for completion of this minor. The minor is not available to music industry majors.

Prerequisite

Acceptance into the program might require a personal interview by the Thornton School of Music.

Students admitted to this minor will be expected to have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and to maintain that average with no grade lower than a "C" for all courses taken in the minor.

Overview

The Bachelor of Music in Music Production consists of course work in the major area, core music classes, USC's general education and writing, as well as electives to take advantage of the offerings of the Thornton School and of the entire university.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to Thornton programs is granted through the USC admission process. Applicants are screened by appropriate faculty selection committees. Specific entrance requirements are reviewed on an annual basis and published online at music.usc.edu.

General Education Requirements

USC's General Education program, revised in fall 2015, provides a coherent, integrated approach to the study of the liberal arts, with the goal of nurturing habits of thought that are essential for professional success, personal development, and meaningful lifelong learning. Eight courses are required in six Core Literacies, in addition to two courses in Global Perspectives, two courses in Writing, and one General Education Seminar taken during the first year at USC. With careful planning, certain courses (including courses required for the music major) can fulfill more than one of these general education requirements. Academic advisers in the Thornton School carefully guide Thornton students in making their course choices. This typically will result in Thornton students taking a total of eight courses (including two writing courses) in order to fulfill all of the USC general education requirements.

Capstone Project

A capstone project must be completed under approved faculty supervision and guidance. The faculty of the department of the student's major program determines the detailed requirements of the project, including content, length, format and other specifications. In cases in which a performance venue is required in order to present the project, reservations must be made according to the current guidelines of the Music Operations office.

A successful career in the 21st century music industry often requires that musicians be the songwriter, performer, producer and/or audio engineer on any given project. The minor in Music Production allows students to develop the creative, collaborative and technical skills required to compose, arrange and produce for contemporary music projects.