Graduate & Professional Degrees

Business is increasingly involved in social and environmental issues. On the one hand, government and civil society are exerting increasing pressure on the business sector to help address the world's pressing social and environmental sustainability challenges. On the other hand, a growing number of businesses are seeking to respond proactively to these challenges. The Sustainability and Business Graduate Certificate prepares students to help shape solutions to social and environmental sustainability challenges, both from within and from outside the business sector.

The program was designed with several audiences in mind: current Marshall graduate students already strong on the business side, current graduate students outside Marshall who may have strength on the sustainability side but want more strength on the business side, and individuals not yet enrolled but eager to deepen their understanding of the field.

Admission

Applicants must meet the same Marshall School of Business admissions requirements as degree seeking students. Some exceptions are made for current USC students and USC alumni. Visit marshall.usc.edu/SUSB for details.

Applicants may apply for admission to begin the program in the fall or spring semesters as well as in the summer, depending on course availability. Applications are submitted online through the USC Graduate Admissions Website at gradadm.usc.edu/. International applicants are advised to see the instructions for international students published at gradadm.usc.edu/apply/international-students/.

The Master of Sustainability Management program prepares students to accelerate an organization's sustainability efforts by providing contextual knowledge and practical management skills while emphasizing best practices to "lead from wherever you are" in the organizational structure. Students will have the opportunity to develop strategies for making the business case for sustainability, including advancing an organization's sustainability goals, embedding sustainability within an organization's overall strategy, and measuring the economic, environmental, and social impacts of an organization's sustainability initiatives. Through courses in business strategy, climate change, global supply chains, sustainable finance, and sustainability reporting, students will discover approaches to integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into every aspect of an organization's business model, strategy, and operations. Students will also explore topics that are increasingly important in the context of sustainability, including stakeholder engagement, business and human rights, environmental justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A Master of Sustainability Management degree requires 24 units of course work offered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Admissions requirements may be found on the program website.

The Sustainable Design Graduate Certificate is a multidisciplinary program open to USC students pursuing graduate degrees in many disciplines that may be interested in the sustainability of the built environment.

Sustainability is an imperative for our planet as climate change, population growth and dwindling oil supplies are all reminders that our resources are finite and we need a new paradigm to adjust to these global changes. The built environment represents the majority of our energy use and design can help reduce both the embodied and operational energy of our buildings and urban landscape.

This certificate provides students with the tools necessary to understand and quantify sources of energy use in buildings and landscapes and to use design of natural and man-made systems to reduce their energy use. This certificate will give students the background to help them make sustainable design choices through informed decision-making that considers the performance of the built environment related to the energy required to make it, the energy it absorbs or releases, the energy required to maintain it, and the energy required to replace it. Environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions will be explored through the course work.

Applicants for the Certificate in Sustainable Design who are currently enrolled in a program at USC and are in good standing with a 3.0 GPA only need to submit the appropriate paperwork for adding the certificate program, which may be obtained from the student services adviser.

Applicants for the Certificate in Sustainable Design who are not matriculated in a master's-level program at USC must submit a formal application for admission to the certificate program, provide transcripts of all college work, a resume and one letter of recommendation.

Course Requirements

Completion of the certificate program requires a minimum of 14 units.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering is an interdisciplinary degree program designed to equip students with the critical thinking and analytical skills needed to tackle the world’s most critical sustainability challenges from an engineering systems perspective. Students take three core classes to develop expertise in the science of climate change, the global energy system transition, and quantitative lifecycle assessment, and then choose a technical emphasis in Energy and Power Systems, Buildings and Infrastructure, or Fate of Pollution to complement their core. This program differentiates itself from other engineering MS programs in that it combines courses from majors across the Viterbi School of Engineering, enabling students to build a cross-disciplinary curriculum that reflects their own unique interests.

The Sustainable Engineering program requires a minimum of 28 units (typically seven courses). At least 19 units must be at the 500-level or above. At least 18 units must be completed in the Viterbi School of Engineering (or with courses offered by other USC schools but cross-listed in a Viterbi department).

For admission requirements, refer to Viterbi Graduate Degrees and Requirements at USC Viterbi School of Engineering in this catalogue.

This graduate certificate program provides students with a foundation in policy and planning issues in sustainability and the environment. The certificate develops analytic and methodological skills and provides students the knowledge to understand the increasing importance of issues surrounding the environment and sustainability in policy and planning.

For admissions information, please visit the Price website. The Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis will provide advisement.

The Certificate in Sustainable Policy and Planning consists of 12-15 units of graduate course work:

The graduate certificate in systems architecting and engineering is designed for practicing engineers engaged in the creation and design of complex innovative 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 Systems Architecting and Engineering.

This program is recommended for graduate engineers and engineering managers responsible for the conception and implementation of complex systems. Emphasis is on the creative processes and methods by which complex systems are conceived, planned, designed, built, tested and certified. The architecture experience can be applied to defense, space, aircraft, communications, navigation, sensors, computer software, computer hardware and other aerospace and commercial systems and activities.

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned on all course work applied toward the master's degree in systems architecting and engineering. This average must also be achieved on all 400-level and above course work attempted at USC beyond the bachelor's degree. Transfer units count as credit (CR) toward the master's degree and are not computed in the grade point average.

In addition to the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Master of Science in Systems Architecting and Engineering is also subject to the following requirements:

• a total of at least 27 units is required, consisting of 15 units of required courses, 3 units of SAE core electives, at least 3 units in the technical management area, and 6 units in the technical specialization area;
• every plan of study requires prior written approval by the director of the systems architecting and engineering program recorded on the study plan in the student's file;
• no more than 6 units at the 400 level may be counted toward the degree — the remaining units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level;
• at least 21 of the 27 units must be taken in the Viterbi School of Engineering;
• units to be transferred (maximum of seven with adviser approval) must have been taken prior to taking classes at USC; interruption of residency is not allowed;
• no more than 6 units of Special Topics courses (499 or 599) may be counted for this degree;
• thesis and directed research registrations may be allowed to individual students only by special permission of the supervising faculty member and the program director;
• a bachelor's degree in an engineering field and a minimum of three years systems experience are recommended prior to taking Systems Architecting and Design Experience courses. This program is not recommended for recent bachelor's degree graduates.

Overview

The DMA in Teaching and Learning consists of the following areas of study: the basic DMA curriculum, course work in the major, an academic field and two elective fields.

The DMA curriculum has been designed to extend beyond the public school setting and prepare students for collegiate teaching in both traditional and alternative settings (such as community-based and on-line programs). Further, the degree offers innovative courses on teaching at the college level. Students have the opportunity to intern with university professors in music education methodology classes. The program also includes core scholarly subjects, such as research, sociology, philosophy, psychology and history of music education. The focus goes beyond the traditional band/orchestra/choir model and extends to additional areas especially relevant to the current diverse and technologically proficient student population.

The professional degree stresses teaching with cutting-edge technological tools while developing core knowledge and expertise in pedagogical skills and scholarship. Students will acquire writing and design skills for a wide range of multimedia publications, while being able to pursue a choice of research activities or advanced creative work that will enable them to lead our profession to new heights. USC is one of the few universities that equally values students being able to declare elective fields in areas outside of music education, while also achieving rigorous scholarship, writing and multimedia design skills, and gaining pedagogical experience that prepares them for collegiate teaching in a rapidly changing society.

Degree Prerequisites

DMA applicants must complete the appropriate master of music degree program or its equivalent.

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.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is required for all graduate course units in music. A grade of B or higher is required for all courses in the major field. For courses in academic and elective fields, the minimum passing grade is C.

Transfer Credit

The Degree Progress Department in the Office of Academic Records and Registrar determines whether course work taken elsewhere is available for transfer credit. A maximum of 30 units of transfer credit may be applied toward a doctoral degree in music. Whether such credit is applicable toward a specific requirement in a major or minor field is determined by the Thornton School department in which the subject is taught, pending approval by the dean of the Thornton School. Transfer credit petitions must be filed with the Thornton doctoral adviser during the first semester in residence. Transfer work must have been completed within 10 years of admission to the DMA program to be applied toward that degree.

Residence Requirement

A minimum of two years of full-time study beyond the Master of Music degree is required for the Doctor of Musical Arts. At least one year of full-time study beyond the master's degree (6 units or more per semester) must be in residence at USC.

Time Schedule

The time limit for completing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is eight years. For students who earned an applicable master's degree within five years prior to admission to the doctoral program, the time limit for completing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is six 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.

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.

Course Requirements

Each student is required to complete four areas of concentration: the major field, an academic field and two elective fields.

Required courses for each major curriculum are listed in the description of major programs below. Required courses for any academic or elective field are determined for their respective fields by the faculty advisers on a student's DMA guidance committee.

A minimum of 65 graduate units beyond the bachelor's degree are required to complete a DMA degree. Fifty-five or more units must be in music, 12 of these beyond the master's level must be in the major. At least 40 of these must be at the 500 level or higher. All course work earned under these requirements for a doctoral degree is considered to be obsolete after 10 years from the date of completion of such work and may not be used to fulfill degree requirements.

Academic and Elective Fields

For the academic field students must choose one from Musicology, Theory and Analysis, Music Teaching and Learning, Choral Music or Sacred Music. For the elective fields students will choose two fields from among 50 possible areas, including Composition, Performance, Early Music, Jazz Studies, Music Teaching and Learning, Choral Music, Sacred Music, Conducting, Pedagogy, Electroacoustic Media, Music Industry, as well as areas outside of music. The fields comprise courses that are determined by the department in which they are administered. Eight to 10 units are taken in the academic field. Six to 8 units are taken in each elective field. The academic field may not duplicate a major or an elective field. No more than two of the four fields of concentration may be under the guidance of the same department within the Thornton School of Music, and at least one of the elective fields must culminate in a substantial written paper or examination. Students must apply to their chosen fields. Admission to academic and elective fields is determined by the appropriate department, prior to the Graduate Committee Interview.  Individualized programs of study will be created in each field in consultation with a faculty adviser in each area.

Graduate Committee Interview

Before the completion of 16 units beyond the master's degree and before permission to present the second doctoral recital is requested, doctoral students must meet with the Graduate Advisory Committee of the Thornton School of Music to discuss their progress in the program and their goals for the future. In preparation for this interview, students must prepare a dossier according to specific instructions available from the Thornton doctoral adviser. The committee determines the student's continuation in the program, and approves both the student's individualized curriculum (including all fields of concentration) and the members of his or her DMA guidance committee.

DMA Guidance Committee

The DMA guidance committee is composed of at least five members: two faculty members from the major department, one of whom will serve as chair, and a faculty member from each of the three other areas of concentration. At least three members of a committee must be full-time faculty of rank in the Thornton School. The composition of the DMA Guidance Committee is proposed and approved as part of the Graduate Committee Interview.

The guidance committee administers the written and oral parts of the comprehensive examination. The committee continues to serve until the comprehensive examination has been passed, the dissertation topic approved (if applicable) and the student is admitted to candidacy (if applicable). For students in curricula that require recitals, the two major field advisers serve as the recital committee and are responsible for determining the approved format, content, scheduling, and presentation of these performances for credit toward the requirements of the degree.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination for the DMA is administered by the student's guidance committee. This examination consists of written and oral components and is designed to assess the student's mastery of his or her fields of concentration and readiness for professional independence as a performer, composer, teacher, researcher and/or scholar. The student must obtain permission from the guidance committee to take the comprehensive examination and schedule it at least two months in advance to ensure the committee's availability. The examination must be taken after completion of all required course work for all fields of concentration, except (in some cases) a limited number of the required units of Individual Instruction in the major field. In degree programs that require the presentation of four major recitals, at least two major recitals must be presented prior to the administration of the comprehensive examination. Up to two required recitals may be presented after the comprehensive examination. The dissertation (if required) must be written after the comprehensive examination. Comprehensive examinations will not be scheduled during summer sessions except under extraordinary circumstances and only with the written approval of members of the guidance committee. All portions of the examination must be completed within one month.

The comprehensive examination comprises a substantial culminative work for each field of concentration, as well as an oral examination with the student's guidance committee. The culminative work for each field may be a written examination, paper, project or recital, as appropriate for the particular field. For the academic field and at least one elective field, this culminative requirement must be a substantial written examination or paper. Following the successful completion of all culminative requirements and the approval of each by the corresponding faculty adviser, the student will sit for a two-hour oral examination with the guidance committee. This oral examination covers in greater depth the topics discussed in the written examinations and other requirements for the fields of concentration. The oral examination may also cover new material as determined by the guidance committee.

The two major field advisers and the academic field adviser must be present at the oral examination and render a judgment on the acceptability of the comprehensive examinations as a whole. It is highly preferable that the faculty advisers for the two elective fields participate in the oral examination with the other members of the guidance committee. If, however, there are challenges with scheduling or other issues that are reasonably unresolvable, the participation of the faculty advisers for elective fields is not required for the oral examination if they feel that the candidate has demonstrated knowledge and mastery of material that is appropriate for an elective field in their disciplines.

The examinations will be reported as passing if there is no more than one dissenting vote on the committee. A student must pass both the written and oral portions to pass the comprehensive examination. A pass on the examination cannot be made contingent upon any form of additional work.

If a student fails the comprehensive examination, the guidance committee may permit the student to repeat it once at a mutually satisfactory time within a period of not less than six months nor more than one year from the date of the first oral examination. A student may not take the comprehensive examination more than twice.

The comprehensive examination serves as the qualifying examination for programs that require a dissertation.

Admission to Candidacy

For the DMA in Teaching and Learning, admission to candidacy occurs after the student has passed the comprehensive examination, upon formal action of the dean of the Thornton School. The dissertation must be completed after admission to candidacy.

Doctoral Dissertation

A dissertation based on original investigation and/or creative work is required of candidates in Composition, Music Teaching and Learning and Choral Music. The dissertation must reveal scholarly ability, technical mastery, capacity for independent research and originality in creative thought.

Dissertation Committee

After the guidance committee recommends admission to candidacy and approves the dissertation topic, the committee is reduced to three members. This smaller committee shall be the dissertation committee and will guide the student through the completion of the dissertation. Additional members may be added at the discretion of the chair of the committee if the topic requires special expertise.

Registration for Dissertation

The student must register in 794 Dissertation each semester after admission to candidacy until degree requirements (including the dissertation) are completed. Registration for 794 in no less than two regular semesters following admission to candidacy entitles the candidate to supervision by the dissertation committee. If the dissertation is not completed and accepted within two semesters, the candidate must register for 794 each semester thereafter until the document has been accepted. No more than 8 units of credit in 794 may be accumulated regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to register.

A candidate who must withdraw temporarily from registration in 794 for a semester must report this in writing to the Thornton doctoral adviser before the beginning of that semester. As part of that report, the candidate must also petition for a formal leave of absence. During a leave of absence the candidate will not be entitled to assistance from his or her dissertation committee or to the use of university services and facilities. A leave of absence will be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Format for Theses and Dissertations

All dissertations submitted for requirements for graduate degrees must conform to university regulations in format and method of preparation. See the USC Graduate School's guidelines for Theses and Dissertations .

Abstract of Dissertation

Since the abstract of the dissertation is published in Dissertation Abstracts International, it should be written with care and be representative of the final draft of the dissertation.

Defense of the Dissertation

After meeting all requirements including the comprehensive examination, the candidate must defend the dissertation. This defense takes place in order for the committee to determine whether the dissertation should be approved or rejected. While this oral defense is open to the general university community, only the members of the dissertation committee have the authority to recommend its acceptance or rejection. The recommendation must be unanimous in order for the dissertation to be approved.

At least seven weeks before the scheduled date of the defense of the dissertation, written approval by all members of the candidate's dissertation committee, along with a typed copy of the dissertation abstract, must be filed with the doctoral adviser of the Thornton School of Music.

A candidate may defend the dissertation on the basis of an approved preliminary copy. If the defense is satisfactory and the committee is satisfied with the manuscript as presented, the committee then signs the Approval to Submit Defended and Final Copy of the Doctoral Work form. If additional work is required, the form is left unsigned until the work has been approved.

The final electronic PDF copy of the dissertation, together with signed signature sheet and approval forms, must be presented to the Thesis Editor in the USC Graduate School by the Graduate School's submission date and times. Approval of format and acceptance by the Graduate School must be presented to the doctoral adviser of the Thornton School of Music at least one week before the end of the semester.

Overview

The goal of this professional degree is to prepare the student for an advanced level of pre-college teaching and leadership in the music education profession by developing core knowledge and expertise in pedagogical skills and scholarship. It provides a seamless transition into the DMA in Teaching and Learning, with most units being transferable to the DMA requirements.

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 capstone. 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.

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 Music 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.

Music Graduate Entrance Exams

All students entering a graduate-level degree program (MA, MM, DMA, 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.

Capstone and Guidance Committee

A thesis or final project is required for candidates as a capstone for the Master of Music in Teaching and Learning. The thesis will consist of a research document written on a topic approved by the Music Teaching and Learning department; the final project will consist of a creative project that will present the arrangement, production or design of innovative ideas, materials or curricula for specific applications in teaching music. Before registering for 594a Thesis or 590 and 592 (for the project option), a student must establish a guidance committee composed of three members of the faculty, approved by the department chair, of which at least two are from the home department. The chair of the guidance committee directly supervises the preparation of the thesis, the final acceptance of which is based upon the unanimous recommendation of all three members of the committee.

Comprehensive Review

Candidates for the Master of Music must pass a comprehensive review toward the end of their course of study, usually in the final semester. This review, which is administered by the faculty of the major department, consists of an oral or written examination, covering relevant aspects of musical performance, literature, and/or technique.

The Master of Arts in Teaching - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MAT-TESOL) is designed to equip aspiring and practicing English language teachers, domestic and international, to successfully provide English language instruction for children, youth or adults in the United States or abroad. The degree has a non-credential track (minimum of 24 units) and a credential option (minimum of 28 units). The program may be completed on campus or online.

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