Majors & Minors

Students are required to take seven courses in economics, seven courses in mathematics and two courses in information technology.

The minor in mathematics requires at least 32 units. 

The Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. The requirement for the degree is 132 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 minor in Media and Social Change provides the opportunity for students who are interested in media content creation and research to take classes in a focused curriculum on the various aspects of media for change. Students will gain insight into the professional practices of creating media content, analyzing existing content, and learning how they can influence the future by integrating social issues into the work they are doing in related fields.

Information about declaring the minor, courses and other program offerings can be obtained by emailing the Media Arts and Practice program at map@cinema.usc.edu.

The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Practice is a hybrid theory/practice program integrating creative and critical approaches to the history, theory and practice of digital media in the 21st century. Students learn how to work with a broad spectrum of media-making tools, including video, sound, graphic design and interactive media, while also exploring the relationships among media forms, emerging technologies, and culture. Students explore an array of methods, including worldbuilding, design fiction and critical making, as well as how to integrate research and creativity while working with faculty mentors in SCA’s varied research labs. The Media Arts and Practice major is ideal for students who are innovative storytellers eager to explore a full range of cinematic techniques and platforms; who are committed to making a positive difference in the world; and who will use their skills across diverse fields after graduation.

This 24-unit minor equips students with the skills and critical framework to navigate the innovation waves sweeping across the media industry. The interdisciplinary curriculum, which includes courses from Communication, Journalism, and Entrepreneurship, promotes an understanding of the key economic forces that are reshaping television, film, music, gaming, online creativity and news. The program emphasizes digitalization and solving business problems amid uncertainty. Above all, it prepares students to embrace the exciting changes that are reshaping the media landscape. 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.

Medical anthropology examines the body, illness and healing from a cultural perspective, including comparative studies of folk healing systems, curing rituals and Western biomedical practices.

Departments and programs of the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology participate in the joint MD/PhD degree program administrated by the USC Graduate School, the Keck School of Medicine and the California Institute of Technology. This program integrates the medical school curriculum with graduate curricula in the basic sciences, to provide a unified course of study leading to both the MD and PhD degrees.

This program is especially designed to prepare highly qualified students for careers in academic medicine and medical research. Formal course work and dissertation research provide the student with in-depth scientific preparation and research experience which enhances the application of basic science information to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. Conversely, the PhD education becomes more meaningful because of its disease-oriented emphasis.

The curriculum for MD/PhD students differs from that of PhD graduate students in the basic sciences in that the former take medical school courses as well as selected graduate level basic science courses and specific courses designed for MD/PhD students. The integrated training of the MD/PhD program enables students to compress their total academic effort by applying some course work toward the requirements of both degrees. On average, completion of the combined program requires a total of eight years.

The following graduate programs from the Keck School of Medicine participate in the MD/PhD program:

Cancer Biology and Genomics

Development, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

Medical Biology

Molecular Structure and Signaling

Biological Sciences/Neurosciences, Molecular and Computational Biology

Engineering

Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, IPR/Health Behavior, Molecular Epidemiology)

Selected graduate programs from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences also participate in the combined degree program.

Time limits for qualifying examinations and other procedures are determined by considering MD/PhD students as medical students for the periods when they are following the medical curriculum and as full-time graduate students during their years of graduate research prior to completion of the clerkship phase and advancement to the post-clerkship phase of the medical school curriculum.

MD/PhD candidates have the option of pursuing a laboratory experience before beginning the Year I medical curriculum through a laboratory rotation at either USC or the California Institute of Technology. This laboratory experience is strongly encouraged although not required.

During the first two years of their program, MD/PhD students follow the medical school curriculum and gain added exposure to research faculty through a bi-weekly research seminar series. Students are guided by the MD/PhD executive committee, which outlines the integration of the graduate program with the medical school curriculum and serves as the students' liaison until they have selected a graduate program and graduate research adviser. The graduate programs vary in the extent to which they allow credit toward the PhD for courses taken during the first two years of medical school. MD/PhD students are encouraged to select a graduate program by early spring of the second year of medical school. Students are required to apply for admission to the PhD program of their choice by the recommended deadline on the graduate application.

Beginning with the third year of the MD/PhD program, students enter their selected PhD program as full-time graduate students. Although the content of graduate courses required of MD/PhD students is generally identical to that required of PhD students in the same graduate program, MD/PhD students are permitted greater latitude in the scheduling of their graduate courses. Four years are commonly necessary to fulfill requirements for the PhD, including course work, qualifying examinations, independent research, and writing of the dissertation.

After completion of the graduate program, the student returns to the clerkship phase of the curriculum and completes the final two years of the medical school curriculum. No portion of clinical training is deleted from the joint program. Prior to beginning the clinical component of the joint degree, students will be expected to participate in a clinical shadowing experience, which could be done throughout the PhD studies or as part of an intensive program prior to entering the clinic. MD/PhD students are also required to complete a four-week ambulatory medicine elective upon return to the Year 3 curriculum.

Keck School of Medicine-Caltech MD/PhD Program

A joint program between the Keck School of Medicine and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was established for the granting of the MD/PhD degree. Students do their preclinical and clinical work at the Keck School of Medicine and their PhD work with any member of the Caltech faculty, including the biology, chemistry, engineering, applied sciences divisions and interdisciplinary programs divisions.

Admission to this joint program is made through the usual Keck/USC MD/PhD process. All applicants are interviewed by the Keck School of Medicine and Caltech. Matriculated students in this program have the option of doing their PhD at USC or Caltech. The MD degree will be awarded from the Keck School of Medicine.

Further information about the MD/PhD program at the Keck School of Medicine may be obtained by contacting: MD/PhD Program, Keck School of Medicine, 1975 Zonal Avenue (KAM 103), Los Angeles, CA 90089-9023; (323) 442-2965, FAX: (323) 442-0386; email mdphdpgm@usc.edu.