Graduate & Professional Degrees

Overview

This two-semester master's program focuses on the art and craft of composing, orchestrating, programming, conducting, producing, recording, mixing, editing, copying and integrating music for screen-based media, including motion pictures, television programming, video games, Internet fare and other new visual media. Classes are also offered in technology, entrepreneurialism and the business of making movies.

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 26 semester units at USC, including the portfolio. A grade point average of not less than 3.0 (A = 4.0) is required for all graduate courses in music, and a grade of B or higher is required for all courses in the major department. Students who transfer credits must achieve this average on all combined transferred and residence units.

Portfolio Requirement

A portfolio of multiple original manuscript scores for films and/or games, along with screening copies containing audio tracks, is required for graduation. The scoring faculty will provide students with additional details for this requirement.

The Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality (MASLH) provides an opportunity for those seeking careers in the senior living industry to acquire skills and knowledge related to management of senior living organizations. The program requires a minimum of 31 units of core courses and 12 units of electives. All graduate-level courses are offered on campus and via the Internet. Continuous registration in the program is required. Leaves of absence are available for limited times and are excluded from the total time.

In order to participate in online courses, students will be required to have access to a computer with multimedia capability including a laptop or desktop computer with broadband (high speed) Internet capability including a web browser, word processing software and presentation software, as well as a printer. Specific details regarding the computer requirements will be provided by the school.

Students applying to the Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a GPA of 3.0. If the applicant's GPA falls below 3.0, the GRE will be required.

The Sensory Processing/Sensory Integration Graduate Certificate (SP/SI GC) is intended for those students who would like to develop an expertise in identifying sensory processing disorders and using sensory integration treatments to address them. The certificate encompasses four courses with the last one delivered in conjunction with hands-on clinical practice. The SP/SI GC will position the students to translate the latest research on SI and SP into practice. Once the program is completed, graduates will be able to apply the information in clinical practice, research, advocacy and education.

An applied and overall GPA of 3.0 or above must be met to receive the SP/SI Graduate Certificate as required by the University for graduation. Final coursework graded C- or below or No credit is not acceptable for subject or unit credit toward any graduate certificate programs.

Admissions Requirements:

Current USC Chan Graduate Students and USC Chan Alumni:  Applicants for the Certificate in SP and SI who are currently enrolled in a Chan graduate program at USC and are in good standing with a 3.0 GPA, or Chan alumni who completed the applicable course work within the past seven years (see required courses), need only submit the appropriate paperwork for adding the certificate program, which may be obtained from the Chan Division.

Prospective Applicants: Applicants for the Certificate in SP and SI who are currently registered/licensed occupational therapists and have not matriculated at USC must submit a formal application on the USC Graduate Admission website.

Applicants must submit the following items:

• Official transcripts from ALL institutions attended must be sent directly to etrans@usc.edu.
• Résumé (upload via online application)
• A Letter of Recommendation (uploaded via online application)

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree prepares teacher candidates to pursue careers as teachers. Subject Matter Concentrations of the program are offered at the Elementary (Multiple Subjects) and Secondary (English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science) levels. The curriculum focuses on preparing teachers to work with diverse K-12 populations. Teacher candidates enrolled in the MAT program will engage in supervised field experiences throughout the curriculum. MAT course work provides teacher candidates with theoretical foundations, teaching strategies and practical field-based experiences necessary to make a difference in schools across the State of California, the United States and the world. The Gifted Education Certificate may be obtained for additional course work. 

The Education Specialist Mild/Moderate credential recommendation may also be earned by completing the Special Education pathway in EDUC 677. Bilingual authorization in Spanish is available through the completion of the MAT program and passage of additional exams and fieldwork requirements.

Single Subject

The MAT Single Subject is designed for those interested in teaching at the secondary level. The emphasis offers specializations in English, Science (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geoscience or Physics), Mathematics and Social Science. The MAT Single Subject program requires a minimum of 28 units.

The Single Subject emphasis is available online.

As a California-based licensure program, candidates enrolled in the MAT Single Subject program must satisfy requirements in addition to the courses listed below. Please refer to the information about these requirements here.

The doctorate in Slavic languages and literatures is designed to prepare students for a career of teaching and scholarship at the university level. It provides a thorough grounding in Russian literary and cultural history as well as in the theoretical perspectives current in the field. Elective course work, particularly at the upper level, allows students to take advantage of the department's expertise in such additional areas as Russian art, Russian theater, and eastern European cinema. The linguistic component of the curriculum together with the experience as a teaching assistant in Russian language courses that many students gain also serves as preparation for positions involving language teaching. Depending on departmental offerings, further study in a second Slavic language and culture may also be possible.

Admission Requirements

An undergraduate major in Russian or its equivalent is a prerequisite for graduate work.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation page 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.

Master of Arts in Slavic Languages and Literatures

The department does not accept applicants for a Master of Arts degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures. The MA degree is intended only as a transitional degree in the process of completing requirements for the PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures. The MA portion of the program comprises 30 units.

First-year Review

The program conducts a thorough review of all first-year students at the end of the second semester. To be permitted to continue doctoral work, students must receive a satisfactory evaluation in this review.

Language Requirements

Non-native speakers of Russian must successfully complete 8 units (4 semesters) of SLL 500 Topics in Advanced Russian and pass a proficiency exam in the language.

Field Examination

A written exam based on a reading list, followed by an oral exam, must be successfully passed before the MA can be awarded. It is normally taken at the end of the semester in which MA course work is completed.

The Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship offers students a unique combination of business entrepreneurship skills delivered within the context of achieving both social and financial missions.

The courses focus entirely on the business aspects of social entrepreneurship including feasibility, planning, marketing, management, finance and execution. Social, environmental and health issues are integrated into the readings, cases, teaching, guest lectures, exercises and assignments. The program also includes a for-credit practical capstone project in which students have the option to develop a business plan for a new social enterprise.

This program requires 30 units and can be completed in one year (full time) or two years (part time). Courses are offered in the evenings and on weekends on the University Park Campus in downtown Los Angeles.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply online and must fulfill the general Marshall/USC admission requirements for graduate programs. Admission decisions into the MSSE program will be based on an applicant's previous academic record, résumé, a letter of recommendation and a response to an essay question. TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores will be required for international applicants who have not completed the equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree (all four years) at an institution in a country where English is the primary official language. GMAT or GRE scores are recommended, but will not be required for this program.

Application Procedure

Submit an online application to the program through the USC Graduate Admissions website (gradadm.usc.edu/). International applicants are advised to view the information for international students at gradadm.usc.edu/apply/international-students/.

A complete application includes the online application form, an application fee, a response to the essay question, one letter of recommendation and copies of transcripts from all institutions attended since the applicant last applied to USC.

For more information about the program and detailed information about the application requirements and procedures, please visit marshall.usc.edu/MSSE, write to SocialEntrepreneur@marshall.usc.edu, or call (213) 740-7587.

Persistent social problems such as concentrated poverty, environmental degradation, and income inequality demand innovative new solutions to addressing these issues and improving the quality of life for all members of society. This certificate prepares future social innovators to design innovative policy solutions, create social enterprises and develop new financial tools to speed the pace of social innovation.

Students will take 13-15* units of course work depending on the electives chosen. There are two required courses (7 units) and students select two elective courses.

*Total unit value depends on elective courses selected.

The certificate in Social Inquiry for Community, Social and Environmental Justice prepares students to incorporate social justice and interculturally competent concepts and practice methods into social inquiry related to community, social and environmental justice. With instructor and peer mentoring, students will complete original research in their areas of interest, in line with the broader theme of sustainability.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers university certificates that provide students advanced practice or research training through a social justice and intercultural competence lens that emphasizes community, organizational and environmental justice. Certificates are designed to complement and deepen training provided through our degree programs by focusing on experiential application of concepts in relation to particular and diverse client populations, settings, and systems. Each certificate consists of at least 12 units, which may in part be satisfied by courses completed for a degree program. Certificates are also available to graduate students from other disciplines and to employed professionals.

A minimum of 16 units is required. 

The graduate certificate in Social Justice is for students interested in understanding the set of factors that contribute to a broad range of disparities (or inequities) and the challenges that exist when managing, planning and policy making among diverse populations. The course work in this certificate focuses on the theories and analytic tools that are needed to assess issues in social justice.

The certificate in Social Justice consists of 12 units of graduate course work.

The online Graduate Certificate in Social Work Administration is a joint program offered by the Gould School of Law and the Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. It provides students with an introduction to the U.S. legal system and allows them to deepen their knowledge by offering a working understanding of the law and social work administration. The program is geared toward those who work in administrative and leadership positions in the field of social work and within social service agencies, in particular.

Students enroll in 12 units of course work that includes 6 units of Law courses and 6 units of Social Work courses.