Graduate & Professional Degrees

JD students must complete at least 21 units of media and entertainment related classes to receive this certificate. JD students must submit their applications for this certificate program after completing the first year of law school. JD students complete the certificate requirements during their second and third years of law school, and courses may count both toward the JD degree and the certificate.

LLM, MSL and MDR students must complete at least 12 units of media and entertainment related classes to receive this certificate. LLM, MSL and MDR students complete the certificate requirements during the year they are taking their degree course work, and courses may count both toward the degree and the certificate.

All students are required to take both mandatory entertainment law courses (such as intellectual property) and a selection of elective entertainment law courses (such as copyright, legal issues in music and sports law).

The on-campus Master of Laws in Media and Entertainment Law (LLM in Media and Entertainment Law) is a full-time and part-time master's degree program designed for new graduates and seasoned professionals who seek fundamental knowledge of media and entertainment law necessary to work with legal issues in this industry.

The online Master of Laws in Media and Entertainment Law (LLM in Media and Entertainment Law) is designed for new graduates as well as seasoned professionals who seek an in-depth understanding of media and entertainment law. This program is offered on a part-time basis in a completely online modality.

Students submitting an application to the on-campus or online LLM in Media and Entertainment Law must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Juris Doctor (JD) or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law website and gould.usc.edu/academics/degrees/llm for more information.

The Master of Laws in Media and Entertainment Law requires a minimum of 24 units and a set of required courses for on-campus students and a set of required courses for online students. All students complete electives to satisfy the minimum required units. 

This certificate program is for students who have already earned master's degrees and who wish to pursue or expand careers in the entertainment industry. Students will study the latest areas of entertainment-related research, theory and application. They will have a strong grounding in the theory, roles, issues and effects of entertainment as well as the impact of entertainment and new entertainment technologies on society, behavior and the entertainment industry.

Students take 16 units of graduate course work that may not be used or have been used for any other degree or certificate program, of which 4 units may be cognate courses.

The goal of the PhD program in Medical Biophysics (MBPH) is to train the next generation of structural biologists and biophysicists to a) be very familiar with the basic chemical and physical principles important in every living organism, b) be proficient with the theoretical and practical aspects of the of important experimental and theoretical biophysical methods, c) to be able to apply these methods to answer fundamental biomedical questions and d) to become responsible investigators eager to translate their findings. The program includes all aspects of biophysics, with an emphasis on structural biology and on application of biophysical methods and theories to answer important biomedical questions.

The MBPH program is an inter-campus program that includes faculty from all over USC who not only have active biophysical research programs and serve as mentors, but also contribute to courses offered by the program. In addition, a monthly biophysics seminar series with presentations from USC and outside faculty will expose the students to current biophysical research. As the result, the MBPH program will teach a comprehensive overview about all aspects of biophysics including hands-on training in many biophysical methods. Consequently, students will obtain practical and theoretical knowledge as well as the necessary overview to be able to complete a successful thesis.

Medical Biophysics students are required to complete one of the following courses: BIOC 522, CHEM 521, CHEM 488, CHEM 544, CHEM 565L, CHEM 625, PHBI 650, PHBI 651, PSCI 557, PSCI 664, PSCI 665 or other courses approved by the faculty adviser program directors. In the second and subsequent years, students are required to register in INTD 600 every fall and spring semester. In addition, students are required to complete at least 4 units of MBPH 794a Doctoral Dissertation, MBPH 794b Doctoral Dissertation.

PhD students must supplement coursework by registering for MBPH 790 Research during the fall, spring and summer semesters as needed to complete the minimum 60 units required for the PhD program.

As part of the requirements for the PhD degree in Medical Biophysics, students must adhere to the unit/course requirements, guidance committee and dissertation committee guidelines and must complete the qualifying examination, annual research appraisal and dissertation with oral defense as outlined in the PhD Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences section of the catalogue.

This program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for the development of medical devices and diagnostic techniques, including aspects of medical product regulation and product development. The course of study requires successful completion of at least 28 units of course work for the Master’s degree and has been designed to be completed in three semesters of full-time study. Students in the program will complete a minimal of 18 units of required courses, select a 6-8 unit specialization (or “track”) and complete additional technical elective units.

The Master of Arts in Medical Gerontology prepares graduates to become leaders in providing care to older persons throughout the world. It may be completed in class or online. The goal of this program is to provide medical doctors and other health care professionals with gerontological training and expertise absent from their primary training. After completing this program health care professionals will have a greater understanding of older persons and will have the tools to take a whole person approach to aging and caring for older people. The program requires 32 units of course work. This includes 24 units of required courses and 8 units of electives.

Continuous registration in the program is required. There is a five year completion time limit for the degree. Leaves of absence are available for limited times and are excluded from the total time limit. A maximum of two absences (one year each) is allowed.

Prerequisites for Admission

Students applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Medical Gerontology program must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and it is preferable to have a primary professional degree in one of the health fields (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, nursing, dentistry). In selecting applicants for admission, the School of Gerontology considers both academic potential, including an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and advanced professional training and experience, as well as references and future goals. The school requests information from applicants to supplement that supplied by the USC Application for Graduate Admission. Such supplemental information usually includes a resume, statement of interest in gerontology and letters of reference. Interviews may be required. For more information on the application and admission please contact the USC Leonard Davis School Admissions Office at (213) 740-5156.

Probation and Disqualification

Probation and Warning: Any graduate student whose cumulative or semester grade point average in the university falls below B (3.0) will be placed on academic probation. A graduate student whose semester average falls below B (3.0) but whose cumulative grade point average in the university is 3.0 (A = 4.0) or higher will be placed on academic warning.

Disqualification: A graduate student on academic probation will be disqualified if his or her cumulative record accumulates more than 12 units of C work. A graduate student, whether on probation or not, will be subject to disqualification if the Student Affairs Committee of the USC Leonard Davis School at any time determines deficiency in academic achievement.

The Master of Science in Medical Imaging and Imaging Informatics program prepares students for an engineering career in medical imaging systems, image processing, and medical imaging informatics, including data and workflow analysis from clinical healthcare systems such as PACS (Picture Archive and Communication System), RIS (Radiology Information System and the EMR (Electronic Medical Record) and artificial intelligence applications such as Computer Aided Detection/Diagnosis (CADe/CADx) and Decision Support (DS). This MS degree requires a minimum of 28 units, 20 of which come from a list of required courses and the remainder coming from a list of electives.

The graduate certificate in Medical Product Quality is a 12-unit program designed for students with a background in biological, pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering. Quality assurance and quality control are the two functions in the biomedical industry that are responsible for the testing and oversight required  to ensure the safety of the health care products that are manufactured. An essential tenet of regulatory oversight is the assurance of quality through guidelines, audits and inspections. In this program the regulations and guidelines to ensure the quality of drugs, biologics and medical devices, both in the United States and internationally, will be studied to develop an understanding of the basic principles important for the interpretation and implementation of quality practices and quality systems. Course work is typically delivered in nontraditional formats such as intensive weekend sessions and will use distance learning tools, video streamed lectures, and study materials. Courses can be taken on site, by distance or as a blended combination. Students should confirm their specific course work plan in consultation with the graduate advisers before beginning the program. Students who have bachelor's degrees from accredited colleges or universities must submit an application for graduate study through the regulatory science program of the Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. GRE scores are not required for admission to the certificate program. Students are expected to enroll each semester until the program is completed.

Students must complete 12 units of specified course work (four course minimum), that normally will include an introductory course in the basic principles of quality systems, a course in project management, a course in quality tools and one elective chosen from the quality or regulatory offerings. The certificate can be completed on a part-time basis but must be finished within five years.

To keep medical products safe and effective, a strong system of quality management is required. Quality is assured through compliance with strict regulations and is assessed by regulatory agencies through audits and inspections. A Master of Science degree in Medical Product Quality is a specialized program designed to prepare individuals to function effectively as quality specialists in pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. The degree will be granted upon completion of at least 32 units of course work. Course requirements normally include a minimum of four courses concerned with the quality aspects of medical product development and manufacturing and a minimum of one course each in regulatory science, risk management, statistics and project management. The program is offered on both a full-time and part-time basis, and courses are also available in distance formats. Students should develop a specific plan of study in consultation with their graduate adviser before beginning the program.

Physician-Citizen-Scholar Curriculum

The Keck School of Medicine's innovative curriculum trains medical students to become outstanding doctors, skilled researchers and agents of social justice and health equity. Students at the Keck School of Medicine are immersed in clinical settings early in their education while building on their knowledge of biomedical sciences. We believe our unique approach to medical education provides our students with the foundational knowledge and skills to be model physician-citizen-scholars who will shape the practice of medicine in the 21st century.

The goals of the curriculum are to ensure that Keck School MD students: 1) gain the medical knowledge and clinical skills to be outstanding physicians; 2) learn through collaboration with other health professionals, patients and our surrounding communities to be respectful and respected citizens who serve and lead and; 3) are trained in methods of scientific inquiry and equipped as lifelong scholars who are able to contribute to new discoveries and to solving problems of patient care and health systems.

Phase 1: Pre-Clerkship Phase: Scientific and Clinical Foundations

• Provides students with a broad and extensive range of knowledge and skills in biomedical sciences and clinical care.
• Composed of blocks of curricular content organized around function.
• Longitudinal instruction in core clinical skills and clinical reasoning is integrated throughout using active and case-based learning.
• Students actively engage in the surrounding community to gain a firsthand understanding of the factors that influence health and health outcomes.
• Service-learning experiences give students the opportunity to work directly with our local communities and to gain exposure to the impacts of social determinants of health while serving the needs of our surrounding population.
• Students participate in Longitudinal Learning Communities with a dedicated faculty coach as part of a curriculum for individualized professional development.

Phase 2: Clerkship Phase: Clinical Immersion

• Provides students with rich and immersive clinical training in core clerkships: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery.
• Students will participate in dedicated course work in Health Justice and Systems of Care.
• Students serve and learn as important contributing members of interprofessional teams.
• Cross-cutting themes in quality improvement and patient safety, geriatric medicine, chronic disease prevention and management and mental health will be integrated throughout.
• Longitudinal Learning Communities for coaching and individualized professional development will continue through the clerkship phase.

Phase 3: Post-Clerkship: Individuation and Transformation

• Provides students with an extensive array of clinical opportunities to individualize and tailor their education to determine and achieve their postgraduate career goals.
• All students participate in a residency preparation course.
• Students may select a Senior Seminar for in-depth exploration. Areas of emphasis include:
  • Biomedical research
  • Global medicine
  • Advocacy and policy 
  • Medical education
  • Narrative medicine
  • Primary care 
  • Digital medicine
  • Quality and safety
• Students complete a scholarly project related to an area of emphasis or special interest.

Introduction to Clinical Medicine

Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) is a longitudinal clinical skills curriculum integrated with instruction in the Scientific and Clinical Foundations phase. ICM exemplifies the patient-centered orientation of the medical school curriculum. Students are introduced to patients and are involved in patient care activities beginning in the first few weeks of medical school. ICM emphasizes the systematic acquisition of clinical skills and students gain competency in interviewing, history taking, physical examination and medical record keeping.

Health Justice and Systems of Care

This course helps physicians understand their role in creating health systems that serve all people. It explores various factors that affect health and how physicians can deliver patient-centered care. Students gain knowledge and skills of health systems science to build practices and organizations that meet the needs of individuals and communities.

Required Clerkship and Post Clerkship Phase Courses

Transition to Clinical Practice

Transition to Clinical Practice is a one-week course at the beginning of Year III designed to prepare students for the transition from predominantly classroom-based instruction in Years I/II to learning while on clinical clerkships. The course provides learning experiences in cultural sensitivity, teamwork, patient safety and quality, and personal resilience and well-being. Students are also afforded the opportunity to acquire skills in basic radiology, EKG interpretation, the presenting and documenting of clinical encounters, the use of aseptic technique, managing airways, and in achieving compliance with different types of isolation requirements. The course culminates in students donning a white coat and a group recitation of the Hippocratic Oath to reinforce the commitment to professional principles as they transition to their new roles as student physicians on healthcare teams.

Required Clerkships

There are seven required clerkships in the clerkship phase. All required clerkships provide comparable experiences across clinical sites and core didactic curricula.

Family Medicine (six weeks)

The Family Medicine Clerkship provides students with individualized opportunities for medical students to explore the breadth of family medicine and understand the role of a family physician. Students will care for patients across the full spectrum of ages within the context of an ongoing personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. This clerkship offers students a close, collegial relationship with their preceptors as they address preventive care, acute and chronic illness, and mental health in the outpatient setting. In addition to outpatient clinic, students may participate in home visits, hospital rounds, nursing home rounds, obstetrical deliveries, volunteer clinics, or sporting events to ensure experiences that cover the breadth of family medicine practice.

General Surgery (six weeks)

The Surgery Clerkship provides students with experiences in caring for patients with common general surgery diagnoses and traumatic injuries. These patients range from infants to geriatric patients. The students are integral members of an inpatient team consisting of a faculty attending, a fellow, a senior resident, several junior residents, one to two interns and three to four third-year students. All student activities revolve around perioperative care. Students participate in the operating room and are active in doing surgical consults, seeing patients in the clinic, and rounding daily with their inpatient teams.

Internal Medicine (six weeks)

The Internal Medicine Clerkship provides students with a comprehensive experience in hospital medicine. The clerkship exposes students to a diverse patient population with a wide range of medical conditions and students become familiar with the role that hospitalists play in providing inpatient care. While a member of the medical team, students gain experience managing complicated medical conditions, interacting with consulting services, and developing specific disposition plans for individual patient needs.

Obstetrics and Gynecology (six weeks)

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship provides students the opportunity to interact with women in all stages of life, from adolescence through and beyond menopause. Students experience a variety of obstetrical and gynecological conditions in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Students gain an understanding of the primary care mission within obstetrics and gynecology in the outpatient segment, and the inpatient experience provides an exposure to the dynamic aspects of birth, obstetric and gynecologic surgeries, and emergencies.

Pediatrics (six weeks)

The Pediatrics Clerkship addresses issues unique to newborns, infants, children and adolescents by focusing on the health and well-being of the developing human, emphasizing growth and development, principles of health supervision, and recognition and treatment of common health problems. Additionally, the clerkship emphasizes the importance of the interaction of family, community, and society on the complete health of the patient. The role of the pediatrician in prevention of disease and injury, and the importance of collaboration between the pediatrician, other health professions, and the family is emphasized.

Psychiatry (six weeks)

The Psychiatry Clerkship provides students with experiences engaging in the care of patients in several different treatment settings, including inpatient wards, the psychiatric emergency room, outpatient clinics and hospital-based consultation services. Students are exposed to pathology ranging from uncomplicated depression and anxiety disorders to severely decompensated psychotic disorders. Students learn in detail about the biopsychosocial model and a holistic approach to treatment of mental illness, including the use of both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, and the importance of individualized social interventions. The integration of psychiatry into the broader field of medicine is emphasized, as is the use of bioethical concepts in the treatment of all patients.

Neurology (four weeks)

The Neurology Clerkship provides students with experiences interacting with patients of different ages who have damage to the nervous system of varying types and degrees. Many neurological disorders are insidious in onset with gradual deterioration over time. Students learn to appreciate that neurologic diseases may impair physical functioning and/or can alter the core of what defines individuals as a person, i.e., cognition, memory, and personality. Students learn how to evaluate and treat these patients and their families. Furthermore, because many patients are followed for extended periods of time, students learn how neurologic disease affect, and may restrict, one's lifestyle choices, family interactions, work, school, living situations and levels of activity.

Required Sub-Internship
Internal Medicine Sub-Internship (four weeks)

The Internal Medicine Sub-Internship enables post-clerkship phase students to work directly with attending physicians and residents in the provision of patient care in an inpatient, sub-internship experience. Students are integral members and contributors to the patient care team and assume a more advanced level of responsibility under the supervision of the resident and attending physician.

Intersession

Intersession is a one-week-long session delivered midway through the clerkship phase of the curriculum that enables students to pause, reflect and consolidate the many and varied clinical/educational experiences in which they participate during the clerkship phase of the curriculum. The course provides experiences in advanced clinical skills, professional development, evidence-based medicine, patient safety and quality, health policy, ethical decision-making, the business of medicine and the residency application process.

Transition to Residency

The Transition to Residency (TTR) course is a two-week required course for senior medical students that commences between Match Day and graduation. The goal of the course is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and mental preparedness necessary for them to successfully meet the clinical responsibilities and other professional expectations during the early portions of their first year of residency training. Given the wide array of specialties that students will be pursuing and the individualized nature of both well-being and professional development, the course provides students agency by allowing individuals to select sessions that are most appealing to their personal and professional development. Instructional strategies include large- and small-group didactics, simulation-based education, and other hands-on clinical skills workshops. Hundreds of instructors from a wide array of medical specialties and non-medical disciplines are involved in the delivery of the course, highlighting the integrated nature of medicine to the students. Beyond the educational pedagogy, the TTR course is a celebration, and it presents an opportunity for the medical students to come together, learn together and laugh together, one last time as their medical school journey comes to its end.

Electives

Students may complete clinical or non-clinical electives including research and a combination of approved rotations at the Keck School, other medical schools, or other medical centers in the United States or abroad.

Critical Care/Emergency Medicine Elective 

Students are required to take one critical care or emergency medicine elective (three or four weeks in length).

Core Clinical Electives

Students are required to complete 12 weeks of core clinical electives at the Keck School of Medicine primary clinical affiliates (Los Angeles General Medical Center, Keck Hospital, Children's Hospital Los Angeles).

Senior Seminar

Students select a Senior Seminar topic in one of the following topics:

• Biomedical research
• Global medicine
• Advocacy and policy
• Medical education
• Narrative medicine
• Primary care
• Digital medicine
• Quality and safety

Track Mentor Program

The KSOM Year III Track Mentor Program capitalizes on the KSOM structure of student cohorts to promote the continued development of professional attributes and a positive learning environment. Each Year III student cohort group meets with their assigned mentor (who is not involved in the evaluation process) six to seven times during the academic year. The mentors facilitate discussions on topics such as professional development; ethical, professional, and cultural challenges; student health and well-being; and collaboration and team development.

Humanities, Ethics, Arts, and Law (HEAL) Curriculum

This four-year curricular thread is integrated into a variety of courses throughout medical school including ICM, required clerkships and Intersessions. The curriculum begins in Year I with collaborative discourse about ethical problems to help students learn to identify, analyze, and resolve clinical ethical problems. The program then focuses on ethical discernment and action in simulated settings and the study of the human dimensions of medicine. Year III includes ethics education by clinical role models as an integral part of the core clerkships. During Intersessions, the program includes a series of sessions that focus on the humanities, arts, contemporary health care and systems issues, and the physician-in-society.

Fifth-year Research Option and Dean's Scholars

USC offers students the opportunity to take a full year of research experience with either a Keck School of Medicine faculty mentor or an approved faculty mentor at another institution. This program is open to any student in good academic standing who has completed his or her first year of medical school. Students interested in the option identify a faculty preceptor and present a description of the proposed research program and funds available in support of the program to the director of the fifth-year research option. A stipend, comparable to that received by a graduate student at the postgraduate level, is available for selected dean's research scholars pursuing this option.