Get Involved with STEM at USC
There are many opportunities to get involved with the STEM community at USC. USC Dornsife offers abroad programs and volunteer opportunities that aim to add an experiential component to the overall Natural Science experience.
BISC 428 The Biology of Health from a Global Perspective (Oxford, England)
BISC 428 is a 4-unit Julymester that encompasses five themes: challenges in global health, health policy and public health, tropical medicine, vaccinology, and international development and health.
Students will be introduced to the major diseases and risks to health in developing world countries, learn to understand the risk factors for premature death in these countries and review the major prevention strategies and challenges for control of these diseases. Students will also examine policy issues and determinants of public health and health policy in international health, and acquire an introduction to tropical infectious diseases and review the strategies used to treat these diseases in resource-limited settings. The course will review the availability and use of vaccination in disease control in developing countries and the current impact of vaccination programs. Finally, students will learn to situate health in its wider social, economic and political context and acquire a basic understanding of the intimate, bi-directional relationship between health and development processes.
Fall 2023 – BISC 428 Highlights
Course Lecture
As part of the course, students are required to attend lectures on topics regarding global health.
Students gathered outside Oxford University
Students will be able to enjoy time with peers outside of lectures while at Oxford.
Group Outing
On free days, students are encouraged to explore the surrounding areas with friends or as a whole group.
Students presenting final research project
Towards the end of the course, students must present their research on a global health issue as a final project.
Dornsife Opportunities
JEP’s STEM Education Programs include the Young Scientists Program, WonderKids, and the Medical STEM program. All of the programs bring hands-on and inquiry-based STEM experiences to students in each of our seven partner schools: Thirty-Second Street Performing Arts Magnet, Foshay Learning Center, Norwood Street Elementary, Lenicia Weemes Elementary, Vermont Avenue Elementary, John Mack Elementary, and Dr. Theodore T. Alexander, Jr. Science Center School.
USC Dornsife offers a dynamic variety of session options such as Maymesters, Julymesters, Spring Break, Spring Semester and Spring Semester Tail Programs and summer programs.
The Freshman Science Honors (FSH) program is more than just great classes and faculty; it’s a vibrant learning environment that includes special events, small labs, academic support, and a lively student community. The FSH curriculum gives a small group of first-year students a strong grounding in the natural sciences through advanced coursework in general biology and general chemistry and emphasizes understanding of scientific research.
The USC Dornsife Office of Pre-Health Advisement has partnered with Keck Medicine of USC and other affiliated community partners to launch the Student Shadowing Program to provide experiential learning, mentoring and career guidance for our USC undergraduate, graduate, post-baccalaureate students, and recent alumni. This shadowing program is for those interested in pursuing careers in medicine and health.
Student Organizations
| Alpha Omega Epsilon |
| African Americans in Health |
| Armenian Engineers and Scientists Association |
| Association for Computing Machinery |
| Code for Corona |
| Data Science Club |
| Dornsife Graduate Student Association |
| Earth Science Graduate Student Association |
| Food SC’ience & Nutrition Club |
| Graduate Association of Students in Physics |
| Graduate Women in Science, Los Angeles Chapter |
| Health Sciences Campus Muslim Student Association |
| Health Sciences Education Program |
| Human Biology Association |
| Interaxon |
| Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association |
| Medical Computer Science Interest Group |
| MedLambda: LGBTQIA+ Student Interest Group |
| Molecular Biology Graduate Student Association |
| National Society of Black Engineers |
| Nu Rho Psi Honors Society |
| Occupational Therapy and Science Council |
| Omega Psi Cognitive Science Honor Society |
| Queers in Engineering, Science, and Technology |
| Robogals USC |
| SC Optics and Photonics Engineers |
| SC Math Club |
| Science Outreach |
| Science Policy Group at USC |
| Society for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science |
| Society for Earth Science Students/Sigma Gamma Epsilon |
| Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers at USC |
| Society of Cosmetic Chemists at USC |
| Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers |
| Society of Marine and Climate Studies (MBBO graduate students) |
| STEM Community Outreach for Graduate Students |
| Student Association for Addiction Science |
| Synaesthesia |
| Synapse |
| USC Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| Women in Computing |
| Womxn RISE Pre-Health Organization (WRISE) |