Graduate & Professional Degrees

Overview

The PhD with an emphasis in historical musicology requires a minimum of 60 units beyond the bachelor’s degree and consists of course work in music history; electives in history, language, literature or arts other than music; and general electives. After completing an adaptable collection of courses suited to the student’s research interests, the program culminates with a dissertation. This PhD degree with a major in music is granted by the Graduate School. Candidates for the PhD in music should also refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations.

Admission

Admission to Thornton programs is granted through the USC admission process. Applicants are screened by appropriate faculty selection committees. Specific entrance requirements are reviewed on an annual basis and published online at music.usc.edu.

Music Graduate Entrance Exams

All students entering a graduate-level degree program (MA, MM, DMA and PhD) at USC Thornton, who have not previously completed a degree at USC Thornton, must take a series of entrance exams in core music subjects. These exams are called Music Graduate Entrance Exams (MGEEs). Information regarding which exams are required for specific majors is available from the Thornton Student Affairs office. Also see the Thornton School of Music Admission to Graduate Standing section of this catalogue for specific policies relating to these exams.

Foreign Language

An academic reading knowledge of a language other than English is required of all Thornton doctoral students. This requirement can be met in any of the following ways:

• Completion of a prior degree, as verified on an official transcript, from an accredited institution of higher education at which the primary language of instruction is a language other than English.
• Completion of at least three semesters of college-level language instruction in a language other than English, as verified on an official transcript, at an accredited institution of higher education.
• Completion of one or more USC language course(s) (in a language other than English) as approved by the Thornton School.
• Earning a passing score on a written examination (in a language other than English) as approved by the Thornton School.

Departments within the Thornton School may require additional language skills. All language requirements must be fulfilled before entering the third semester in the program. Students who have engaged in extensive study of one or more languages other than English that does not meet this requirement as described above may request an exception.

Screening Procedure

Before the completion of 24 units of graduate work at USC and with the approval of the department chair, students must be interviewed by the curriculum committee of the School of Music. Continuance in course work will be contingent upon approval of the committee. PhD candidates in musicology who did not receive an MA degree from USC must take the MA comprehensive examination in historical musicology prior to the interview. Continuance in course work will be contingent upon passing these examinations.

Overview

This degree is under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Students should also refer to The Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations.

Departmental Requirements

Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of transcripts of previous college courses, a research paper and letters of reference.

Regular (classified) standing is achieved when the Music Graduate Entrance Examinations have been completed satisfactorily. Remedial course work, if recommended, may be substituted for repetition of examinations.

Foreign Language

An academic reading knowledge of a language other than English is required of all Thornton master of arts students. This requirement can be met in any of the following ways:

• Completion of a prior degree, as verified on an official transcript, from an accredited institution of higher education at which the primary language of instruction is a language other than English.
• Completion of at least three semesters of college-level language instruction in a language other than English, as verified on an official transcript, at an accredited institution of higher education.
• Completion of one or more USC language course(s) (in a language other than English) as approved by the Thornton School.
• Earning a passing score on a written examination (in a language other than English) as approved by the Thornton School.

Departments within the Thornton School may require additional language skills. All language requirements must be fulfilled before entering the third semester in the program. Students who have engaged in extensive study of one or more languages other than English that does not meet this requirement as described above may request an exception.

Prerequisites

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree with a major in music or the equivalent, and a substantial background in languages, arts and letters.

Overview

The Master of Science in Music Industry program aims to produce the next generation of music industry leaders via a comprehensive yet student-tailored education. Class topics include copyright, concerts, artist management, marketing data and analysis, and a one-semester internship. Additionally, students have four emphasis track options including music performance, supervision, the business of touring/live event promotion, and entrepreneurship.

Admission

Admission to Thornton programs is granted through the USC admission process. Applicants are screened by appropriate faculty selection committees.  Specific entrance requirements are reviewed on an annual basis and published online at music.usc.edu.

Unit and Grade Requirements

Students must complete at least 32 semester units at USC, including the portfolio. A grade point average of not less than 3.0 (A = 4.0) is required for all USC courses.  Students who transfer credits must achieve this average on all combined transferred and resident units.

Transferred Credits

All credits transferred must be the equivalent of corresponding current work at USC. Course work completed at another institution that has been approved by the Thornton School for transfer credit must have been completed within seven years from the date of admission to a master's degree program to be applied toward that degree. Transfer credit petitions must be filed with the appropriate Thornton adviser during the first semester in residence.

Time Limit

The time limit for completing the Master of Science degree is five years. Progress is measured from the beginning of the first course at USC applied toward the degree. Extensions will be granted by petition to the Thornton School for only the most compelling reasons.

Portfolio Requirement

A portfolio, as capstone to a two-semester immersion into a student-led music campaign, is required for graduation.  The Music Industry faculty will provide students with additional details for this requirement.

The Narrative Medicine MS degree offered by the USC Keck School of Medicine integrates narrative theory, practical experience and research methods to focus on the ethical implications of storytelling for individual/community wellness and the healthcare system. Students will be trained in narrative medicine methods of close reading, attentive listening and reflective writing in the service of community outreach and professional development. Training in this field will enhance the work of practicing and future clinicians (physicians, social workers, nurses, physician assistants, psychotherapists, occupational and physical therapists, speech pathologists, etc.), and provide support for mid-career professionals seeking to transition into teaching or service. Individuals pursuing careers in journalism, film, the non-profit sector, humanitarian leadership, social justice and community organizing, as well as those planning to apply to PhD programs in the humanities and social sciences, will develop the tools for creating boundary-crossing initiatives that address real-world problems in community health care. A cornerstone of this unique programming is USC's partnership with local non-profit outreach groups. Students in the Narrative Medicine MS program will have the opportunity to teach and learn from community partners about the relationship between health and narrative, and will become more adept at offering solutions that recognize the intersection between the biomedical, behavioral and health system sciences, and issues of healthcare equity and social justice.

Satisfactory Progress

A graduate GPA of at least 3.0 is required at all times. Any student whose graduate GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation who do not raise their GPA to 3.0 after two semesters of written notification of academic probation will be academically disqualified.

Advisement

The program recommends that students meet with an academic adviser of the program each semester prior to registration.

Unit Requirement

A minimum of 32 units of graduate-level course work is required.

This 15-19 unit graduate certificate is jointly sponsored by the Epstein Industrial and Systems Engineering, Hsieh Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments, and administered by the Epstein ISE Department. The computer science emphasis requires at least 16 units to complete, and may require more depending on the combination of courses students select.

This certificate is designed for practicing engineers engaged in the creation and design of complex innovative network centric systems in aerospace and commercial fields. Entering students are expected to have a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution. Three years of industry experience are recommended. Students are required to earn a cumulative B average or higher in courses taken for the certificate. The courses taken for the certificate may be applied later to the Master of Science in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or Systems Architecting Engineering with departmental approval.

Degree Requirements

Graduation requires completion of 26 units, according to the required course schedule outlined below. None of the NIIN courses may be waived or substituted for other courses in the USC Catalogue. This program is intended to be completed within one academic year although a two year part-time option is available. Graduation does not include a requirement for a master's thesis. However, interested students may obtain research experience concurrent with classwork, subject to approval of available faculty research mentors.

The goal of the PhD program in Neuromedicine (NEUM) is to train next-generation investigators capable of participating and/or leading interdisciplinary research and development programs, to address challenging questions regarding the neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, including for example Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. The Department of Physiology and Neuroscience and the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at KSOM houses the program and offers exceptional faculty and an outstanding interdisciplinary research environment at the forefront of neuromedicine research and development.

Neuromedicine students are required to take: INTD 577, NEUM 510 and NEUM 520. In the second and subsequent years, students are required to register for NEUM 520 in the fall and spring semesters. In addition, students must complete at least 4 units of  NEUM 794a Doctoral Dissertation/NEUM 794b Doctoral Dissertation.

PhD students must supplement course work by registering for either elective courses or NEUM 790 Directed Research during the fall, spring and summer semesters as needed to complete the minimum 60 units required for the PhD program. 

As part of the requirements for the PhD degree in Neuromedicine, students must adhere to the unit/course requirements, guidance committee and dissertation committee guidelines and must complete the qualifying examination, annual research appraisal, and dissertation and oral defense as outlined in the PhD Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences section of the catalogue.

Director: Ruth Wood, PhD

The MS degree program in Neuroscience is a terminal degree for students admitted into the Neuroscience PhD program who cannot complete the PhD program for personal or medical reasons. Enrollment of graduate students as master's degree candidates is not encouraged and is reserved for special circumstances that must be approved by the Executive Committee of the Neuroscience Graduate Program. The master's curriculum includes all course work required of PhD students for a minimum of 24 units and successful completion of both the written and oral portions of the qualifying examination. Students may opt for a thesis or non-thesis master's degree. The thesis master's degree requires presentation of a written thesis based on original research to a Neuroscience thesis committee and submission of the thesis to the Graduate School for publication. The non-thesis master's degree requires a formal research paper that is approved by three members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program faculty. The qualifying examination will serve as the comprehensive master's examination for non-thesis master's degrees. Students must also satisfy residency and other requirements of the Graduate School.

Director: Ruth Wood, PhD

Application deadline: December 1

Breadth of interests and training are major features of the graduate program in neuroscience. Wide and varied skills in many research areas characterize the faculty of the program. Close contact between faculty and students is considered of major importance in this highly interdisciplinary field.

Training is given in several areas of specialization: behavioral and systems neuroscience, cellular and molecular neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neuroengineering and neuroscience of aging and development.

Applicants should normally have defined an interest in one or two specializations. A final choice of the specialization will be made during the first year.

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree in a field relevant to the student's graduate goals is required.

Appropriate fields would include neuroscience, biology, chemistry, computer science, linguistics, psychology and many areas of engineering. Undergraduate study should provide evidence of proficiency in mathematics, including statistics. Students planning to enter the specialization in computational and mathematical neuroscience should have taken course work in calculus and, where possible, linear algebra and computer programming. Applicants who are accepted with minor deficiencies are expected to correct these during the first year.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are awarded under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and The Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Advisory Committee

The student will be advised during the first year by the Graduate Advisement Committee. As soon as the student has selected a specialization, an Advisory Committee of appropriate faculty will be appointed. This committee will be chaired by the thesis adviser, when chosen. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to help the student in the selection of courses and research; to monitor the student's progress; to ensure preparation for the qualifying examination; and to administer that examination.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 60 units is required, consisting of formal courses, seminars and research credits. At least 24 of the 60 units are to be formal graduate course work (lecture or seminar courses). During the first year the student is expected to complete the core courses in neuroscience (NSCI 524 and NSCI 525), one key course, INTD 500 Responsible Conduct of Research, and two semesters of NSCI 539. Other courses in the area of specialization may also be taken in the first year and will be taken in subsequent years.

Core Courses: NSCI 524 and NSCI 525 Advanced Overview of Neuroscience (8 units), will be taken by all students in the fall and spring of their first year to provide an integrated multilevel view of neuroscience. 

Key Courses: All students will be required to complement their thesis-directed studies with a "breadth with depth" requirement by taking two key courses, one Quantitative and Computational course, and one from a topic listed below. Each key course will be for 3 or 4 units. (At least one of these courses will serve to advance thesis-related study as well.)

• Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Systems and Behavioral

All students are required to take INTD 500 Responsible Conduct of Research (1 unit), as well as a 4-unit approved statistics course (PM 510, PSYC 501 or equivalent).

Students may request permission to have non-NSCI advanced courses satisfy Key Course requirements.

It is required that all neuroscience PhD students demonstrate competence in statistics in fulfillment of their PhD requirements.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination concentrates on the student's ability to demonstrate a grasp of the major area of interest chosen and its relation to other areas of training offered in the program. The examination is partly written and partly oral and is designed to test the student's ability to meet the demands of the profession.

Dissertation

An acceptable dissertation based on completion of an original investigation is required. The candidate must defend an approved draft of the dissertation in an oral examination.

This certificate program is for students holding master's degrees who wish to pursue or expand careers in communication technologies. Students will study the latest developments in new communication and media technologies and their application in a variety of organizational and social contexts.

Students take 16 units of graduate course work beyond the master's degree, of which 4 units may be cognate courses.