The Dornsife Way
Strength of mind, depth of understanding, and generosity of spirit. These are the principles that unite the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The Dornsife Way recognizes that professional success is most fulfilling when paired with civic virtue. Our students, faculty and staff create an intellectual community that is vibrant, inventive, and purpose driven. Together we are useful in the world, and we aspire to live rich lives in all senses of the word.
Successful, Useful, Meaningful
USC Dornsife has the range of expertise to tackle pressing challenges from just about every angle. Our four divisions rival the size and scope of many entire colleges, expanding opportunities to connect ideas, personalize your education, and use what you learn to improve the world.
Your Education Adds Up to Something More
Improving Lives and Communities
USC Dornsife experts bring insights and solutions to complex challenges.
Who should have a say in which species are saved? The California condor offers lessons for a global biodiversity treaty
When conservation affects local people, the question of who pays and who has a voice in decisions can make or break species recovery, say USC Dornsife environmental scientists Shannon Gibson and David Ginsburg.
California’s billionaire tax – fair share or costly gamble?
USC Dornsife economist Mathew Kahn and UC Berkeley economist Emmanuel Saez debate Prop. 40, which aims to impose a one-time, 5% tax on billionaires.
Anne Carson’s Nobel‑winning, genre‑defying work bridges the gap between ancient Greek literature and modern life
Whether via her fill-in-the-blank translations or guest appearances on indie rock albums, Anne Carson has infused antiquity with a contemporary tongue, writes a USC Dornsife writing professor.
Leap seconds have helped keep clocks synchronized with Earth’s rotation, but their time may be over – here’s why
When thinking about leap years, it may seem like humans have an odd way of measuring time, says a USC Dornsife astronomer. Sometimes, timekeepers even have to add extra seconds to clocks.
Columbus’ own writings reveal how tightly religion and conquest were intertwined from the start
Christopher Columbus’ actions have been much scrutinized. Less attention has been paid to his writings, and what they reveal about his motivations.
America’s revolution isn’t over
As America celebrates 250 years of independence, USC Dornsife historians offer a broader view of when the Revolution began, when it ended and what it still means today.
Great Salt Lake’s ancient past reveals how quickly fresh water can disappear
Research led by USC Dornsife Earth scientists traces 240,000 years of change, showing that vast freshwater lakes were fleeting as warming and drying reshaped the basin.
How USC research sparked a new vision for keeping Los Angeles cool
Researchers from USC Dornsife and USC Viterbi are helping ShadeLA bring temperatures down across the city.
USC researchers to develop AI-powered platform to predict depression, suicide risk, and resilience
Funded by ARPA-H, the research team will collect detailed data on brain activity, sleep, smartphone use and more to identify risks and protective factors among USC students with depression.
A Centuries-Old Tradition Made for the Moment
The term “liberal arts” originates from the Latin phrase “Ars Liberalis.” Liberalis, meaning free. And Ars, meaning skills that empower. More than a list of subjects, they are a way of making sense of the world, and using that understanding to make a difference. It’s a tradition that is as powerful now as it’s ever been.
… these studies are the food of youth, the delight of old age; the ornament of prosperity, the refuge and comfort of adversity; a delight at home, and no hindrance abroad; they are companions by night, and in travel, and in the country.
Apply to Dornsife
This is a place where curiosity meets purpose. Where every student brings something unique and valuable to the community. It’s where you’ll find the support to explore issues you care about most and use what you learn to make a difference.
Get Involved
Explore a few of the ways to bring your talent to the Dornsife Trojan community and help improve the world.
Joint Educational Project (JEP)
Established in 1972, the USC Joint Educational Project is one of the oldest and largest service-learning programs in the United States. Each year 2,000+ USC students enroll in JEP’s service-learning, work-study and volunteer programs. Over the years JEP has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions for its pioneering contributions to the field.X
The War Chief Who Became a Peace Chief
Joseph Medicine Crow, the last war chief of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation and USC Dornsife alumnus devoted his life to overcoming intolerance. By connecting new generations with stories of their past, helped communities overcome intolerance toward indigenous peoples, and found ways to link the Crow people’s cultural traditions with the opportunities of modern society. A World War II hero, recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a renowned Native American historian, Crow exemplified The Dornsife Way.
Prison Education Project
The USC Dornsife Prison Education Project (PEP) creates the opportunity for USC and incarcerated students to learn from each other in a rigorous and collaborative learning environment across a variety of academic disciplines. Through PEP, USC students and faculty design, teach and participate in classes with people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation system. Above all, PEP seeks to reinforce the idea of education as a fundamental human right and to facilitate connections that transcend walls both literal and figurative.X
Engaged (and Engaging) Citizens
USC Center for the Political Future (CPF) combines rigorous intellectual inquiry, teaching, and practical politics to advance civil dialogue and research that transcends partisan divisions and finds solutions to pressing national and global challenges. Our events, programs, scholarships, and internships inspire and train students for careers in public service and lifetimes of civic engagement.s
Unprecedented Access to Academic Expertise
Through our first-of-kind model and national network of universities, Public Exchange amplifies social impact by making academic expertise more easily accessible than ever before. It fast-tracks collaboration between academic researchers and the public and private sectors to define, analyze, and solve complex problems that communities and organizations face.
Alumni Voices
Dornsife alumni pursue exciting – and sometimes surprising – careers. No matter the path they take, their lives are shaped by the liberal arts skills that are developed across every major: communication, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, empathy, challenging the status quo, and more.
Aloe Blacc (’01)
You know him for global hits like “Wake Me Up” and “The Man,” but did you know Aloe Blacc (’01) is also a philanthropist and biotech co-founder?
Tara Campbell (’16)
Current city councilwoman and the former (youngest ever) mayor of Yorba Linda, Tara draws on her Dornsife liberal arts education to better understand and improve the community she serves.
Lestarya Molloy (’16)
Lestarya, a graduate of the MS Applied Psychology program, created the Fridie Outdoors app to give beginners tips and tricks to camp outdoors and encourage everyone to get out into nature.
Giving Back, Living the Way
David and Dana Dornsife are international philanthropists committed to using their time, talent, and resources to help address a wide range of societal problems. From their transformative naming gift to investments in clean water initiatives, human health research, literacy programs, and sustainability, they believe in hands-on service and are deeply involved in their work.
Dornsife Intensives
A New Credential to Meet the Moment
USC Dornsife Intensives are a new, official academic credential for undergraduates. Built around three course clusters anchored by an intentional through-line, you’ll gain expertise in a focused area that gives you an edge in the job market or grad school. It might sharpen what you’re already doing — or strategically expand your range. When an employer sees it on your resume, it makes the full value of your education land. They know that you bring more to the table. And why they need it.pac
You Get As Much As You Give
JEP STEM Education Programs and partners created a new curricular focus on microplastics. A three-pronged effort involved integrating ocean-themed lessons in 2nd grade classrooms, a teacher training workshop for high school educators, and a microplastic and plastic pollution focused lesson and activity for a K-5th grade after-school STEM program.
Struggling to feel grateful? Try thinking differently about what caused the person’s actions, says USC Dornsife philosophy professor Mark Schroeder.
With immersive, hands-on learning, USC Dornsife’s Los Angeles Service Academy prepares the next generation of civic-minded leaders.
The USC Dornsife Prison Education Project (PEP) creates the opportunity for USC and incarcerated students to learn from each other in a rigorous and collaborative learning environment across a variety of academic disciplines. Through PEP, USC students and faculty design, teach and participate in classes with people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation system.
Tens of thousands of children are alive today because of Dave and Dana Dornsife’s vision, perseverance, and long-term commitment to solving the world’s clean water deficit.
Chuck Murry shows heart for local third-graders through the Medical Stem Program — a collaboration between JEP and USC Keck, with support from USC Norris and a USC Good Neighbors Campaign (GNC) grant.
Since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity research led by USC Public Exchange has helped L.A. County leaders put healthy food on the table for millions of Angelenos. Now, Food Base L.A. works with the L.A. County Office of Food Systems to help local leaders plan smarter, data-driven solutions and advance a 10-year strategy to improve healthy food access across the county.
The USC Dornsife Gateway Internship Program offers Dornsife students a high-value, holistic approach to career preparation. The program goes beyond providing a paid summer internship. Students gain essential on-the-job skills while receiving personalized guidance from a distinguished professional mentor and participating in dedicated career seminars. Most internships are at organizations led by alumni, who want to “pay it forward.”
