USC Dornsife Curriculum

40-80 Units

Your major is your primary area of academic focus, and at USC Dornsife, our courses of study within our majors stretch as far as your imagination. Through your major, you’ll be able to explore and grow, forming a community with faculty and peers who will push you to think both critically and creatively. You’ll emerge being able to engage more deeply with the world around you, questioning thoughtfully and seeking answers that will help you reach your full potential.

32-48 Units
The USC Core is the hallmark of a USC education and the common bond between you and all other USC undergraduates. Each semester, you will find numerous fascinating courses to choose from within each general education category. This is the strength of the USC Core: offering both structure and flexibility throughout your undergraduate years. As part of the Core curriculum, all USC first-years take Writing 150, a small group experience that develops your voice as a writer. As a junior, we prepare you with specific writing skills for your intended profession. Our program bridges the academic and the practical, enabling you to master styles of writing for the classroom and beyond.

Foreign Language
At USC Dornsife, all students complete the third semester level of a foreign language or pass the equivalent placement test.

AP and IB Credit
Some of your Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and A-Level exams may be applied toward satisfying general education credit based on both the subject matter of the exam and the exam score. This is something that you will discuss during orientation with your academic advisor.

Up to 56 Units
You need a total of 128 units to graduate with a degree from USC Dornsife. After completing major and core requirements, our students have a number of elective units remaining. Elective units can be used to declare a second major, a minor, or even two minors. Many of our students also use elective units to experiment and explore, taking classes in areas like photography, dance, or yoga. We encourage you to customize your college career, selecting elective courses that will help you grow and achieve your personal goals. Our breadth of elective courses makes it possible, offering you access to options that are nearly unlimited.

USC Dornsife does more than just give you the world— we help you navigate it as well. At the beginning of your academic journey, our dedicated academic advisors give you a road map, and they are by your side every step of the way. Think of advisors as your personal tour guides, providing guidance on course selection and helping connect you with opportunities for research, internships, and study abroad.

At USC, you’ll have an academic advisor specific to any major or minor you declare. In addition, you’ll have access to pre-health, pre-law, and pre-graduate school advisors, as well as our Dornsife Career Pathways advisors, all of whom work together to help prepare you for life after USC.