Academic Support

All USC Dornsife majors must complete a foreign language requirement as part of the USC Core. Whether you’re working on completing this requirement or trying to gain fluency in your third or fourth language, there is support to help you grow your language skills. The Language Center is a gathering place for interaction among cultures and speakers of many languages, as well as a resource for the learning and teaching of languages. The center also promotes language as a context for understanding global affairs, and develops students’ understanding of their own heritage and that of others.

Transitioning to college-level coursework can be challenging. This may be especially true for students taking courses in the areas of science and mathematics. At USC Dornsife, our students actively seek out ways to support each other within the science and mathematics community. Through the Supplemental Instruction program, upperclass students lead weekly study sessions and midterm exam review sessions for students enrolled in courses such as Introductory Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Statistics. Students work collaboratively to review material, gaining deeper understanding and building friendship and camaraderie in the process.

All first-year USC students take at least two writing courses as part of the USC Core, and transfer students take at least one. Many of our students find that college writing can take a bit more time and effort than what they were used to previously. The Writing Center is a supportive community of writers that promotes open-mindedness, curiosity, and self-confidence. Tutors, or consultants, are graduate students from a variety of disciplines, as well as professors from the Writing Program. Rather than telling writers whether their work is “correct” or “incorrect,” tutors pose questions about each writer’s audience and overall intent to help students gain confidence and feel positively about their writing skills.