Registration
Departmental Clearance (D-clearance)
ECON Doctoral Students
Use the D-Clearance Request Form sent to you via email by the PhD Program Advisor in order to request D-clearance for a 600-level (doctoral) ECON course.
Non-ECON Doctoral Students
Please send the following to the PhD Program Advisor in order to request D-clearance for a *600-level ECON course:
- USC ID (10 digits, no spaces/dashes)
- Course code (e.g., ECON-###)
- Section number (5 digits)
- Overall GPA
- Written approval from the instructor (forwarded email will suffice)
Master’s/Undergraduate Students
Please send the following to the PhD Program Advisor in order to request D-clearance for a *600-level ECON course:
- USC ID (10 digits, no spaces/dashes)
- Course code (e.g., ECON-###)
- Section number (5 digits)
- Overall GPA
- Written approval from your Program Director or your Academic Advisor (forwarded email will suffice)
- Written approval from the instructor (forwarded email will suffice)
*Special Notes
The 600-level ECON courses below are subject to a slightly different schema. Please read the following carefully:
| ECON-601, ECON-602, ECON-611 (F) ECON-603, ECON-605, ECON-609 (S) |
Seats are reserved for 1Y PhD in Economics students. As such, only a few seats within these courses are open to non-program students each semester. |
| ECON-613 | Seats are primarily limited to doctoral students. Students within the MS in Mathematical Finance program should enroll in ECON-515 instead. |
| ECON-606, ECON-616, ECON-620L, ECON-621L, ECON-652, ECON-659 | Contact the Master’s Programs Advisors to request D-clearance for these courses. |
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Below are steps for enrolling in and receiving a “CR” (credit) mark for ECON 596: Internship for Curricular Practical Training (1.0 units).
Step 1: Follow the CPT Application Process to complete the CPT I-20 Request Form and attach a signed offer letter (on the organization’s letterhead) for review by the PhD Program Advisor and OIS. Your offer letter should contain your scope of work and how this will relate or contribute to your research and dissertation. If it does not, send this supplementary context (2-3 sentences) to the PhD Program Advisor via email.
Step 2: The PhD Program Advisor will review your CPT Request and—if approved—grant you D-clearance to enroll in ECON 596: Internship for Curricular Practical Training (1.0 units). You will need to manually register for the course via WebReg.
Step 3: After verifying your enrollment in ECON 596: Internship for Curricular Practical Training (1.0 units), the PhD Program Advisor will sign and complete the CPT I-20 Request Form. USC OIS will then automatically receive the finished form.
As always, communicate with OIS if you have any CPT/visa questions.
Step 4: Add this action item to your calendar or task list. Failure to complete the following requirement in a timely manner may lead to an “MG” (missing grade) or “NC” (no credit) mark.
Your supervisor must draft a signed memo written on the organization’s letterhead that confirms your successful completion of the internship. The verification letter does not need to be long; 1-2 paragraphs will suffice. This memo must be sent to the PhD Program Advisor no later than 2 days after the end of the Summer session. Session start- and end-dates can be found on the USC Schedule of Classes.