Majors & Minors

Students must complete 24 units in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Science Department of Philosophy and 76 units in the USC Gould School of Law.

First Year: Required law school curriculum.

Second and Third Years: The Department of Philosophy prefers that students take at least one philosophy course each semester. During the four semesters, students must take at least 16 units at the 500 level, including PHIL 450 The Limits of Logic or PHIL 510 Philosophical Logic and PHIL 500 Introduction to Contemporary Philosophical Literature and PHIL 503 Introduction to Contemporary Philosophical Literature on Value; one 400- or 500-level course in ethics or social/political philosophy or aesthetics or philosophy of law; one 400- or 500-level course in metaphysics or epistemology or philosophy of language or philosophy of science or philosophy of mind; one 400- or 500-level course in the history of ancient or early modern philosophy; passage of the second year review, which shall include a research paper based on a completed seminar paper and completion of a publishable research paper. Students must also complete 46 additional law units.

Dual Degree Program

The Leventhal School of Accounting, in conjunction with the USC Gould School of Law, offers a dual degree program leading to the degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Business Taxation (JD/MBT). This program permits a student to pursue a specialized program in taxation through courses in the Marshall School of Business, the Leventhal School of Accounting and the USC Gould School of Law.

The MBT portion of the program requires 42 units, including 9 units of law school courses that are recognized by the Leventhal School of Accounting toward the MBT degree. JD/MBT Students must complete 76 law units to satisfy the JD portion of the dual degree.

Unit Requirements

The total number of units required for the MBT portion of the JD/MBT program will vary, depending on the educational background of the individual student. Units are divided into four categories and students are required to maintain an overall graduate grade point average of 3.0.

The Leventhal School of Accounting Master's Program Office evaluates the academic background of each admitted student to determine if any of the 12 units of course work in Group I can be waived.

The courses in Groups II, III and IV are required of all JD/MBT students and total 30 units, including no more than 9 units of Law School courses.

Students must complete 20 units (five courses) of communication courses at the School of Communication: one core class from the student's preferred track; one method course; CMGT 597a, CMGT 597b; and the remaining two courses may be from either core or elective offerings.

First Year: Required law school courses.

Second and Third Years: 20 units of communications courses and 46 units of law courses, of which 8 units must be approved as appropriate for acceptance by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism toward its degree. All students take CMGT 597a, CMGT 597b in the third year.

Application to pursue the dual degree should be made before completion of 15 units of work on law or 8 units toward the MA Admission by the law school to its JD degree will be evaluated as a substitute for GRE scores.

The dual degree program with the USC Gould School of Law and the USC Price School of Public Policy enables qualified students to earn a Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA) in approximately four years of study.

Some of the topics covered in the law school are also covered in the program of the Price School of Public Policy, so some credit toward the law degree may appropriately be given for specified graduate work taken in the Price School of Public Policy. Similarly, some credit toward the master's degree may appropriately be awarded for certain work completed in the law school. The goal of the program is to encourage law students to gain a recognized competence in administration, which has a direct relevance for the roles lawyers are asked to play in society.

Students must apply to, and be accepted by, both schools. They may be accepted to a dual degree program at the time of their acceptance to the law school or at the beginning of their second year of law school. The program requires the completion of the required first year of law school and the fulfillment of a statistics prerequisite, which can be met by passing an undergraduate inferential statistics class with a grade of B or better at an approved university within three years of matriculation or taking PPD 502x Statistical Foundations for Public Management and Policy and completing with a grade of "B" or better. To earn the JD, all students (including dual degree students) must complete 37 numerically graded law units at USC after the first year. 

Credit toward the law degree may not be given for graduate work completed prior to the completion of the first year of law school. The Price School of Public Policy, on the other hand, may allow some credit toward the MPA for approved work completed prior to the first year of law school.

Students are required to complete 108 units of course work.

The Juris Doctor/Master of Real Estate Development dual degree program provides the opportunity for in-depth study of legal issues and real estate development. The increasingly regulatory environment developers work within demands that professionals in the real estate industry have a strong understanding of the legal system. Lawyers who plan to specialize in real estate law will benefit from a thorough understanding of the development process, including financial, planning, marketing and design issues.

Application must be made to both the Gould School of Law and the USC Price School of Public Policy. This program normally requires three years (including one summer) of full-time study in residence to complete.

Students must have use of an approved laptop computer as required by instructors and must demonstrate calculator and spreadsheet skills; a calculator and/or spreadsheet class is offered online via the Internet.

Requirements for completion of the dual degree program are 112 units, including 78 units in law and 34 units in planning. For a complete listing, see the requirements listed in the USC Price School of Public Policy.

The JD/MS dual degree combines the knowledge of the older population with understanding of the legal system. The program prepares graduates for a number of roles in both public and private sector organizations. Students are required to complete 112 units of course work, 76 from the law school and 36 from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The first year is devoted to required law courses, and the second, third and fourth years combine gerontology and law courses.

Gerontology Requirements

The Master of Science in Gerontology will require 36 units of course and field work that cover the core content of the MS program.

The Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work (JD/MSW) dual degree program is a four-year program. Students are required to complete 121 units of course work, including 76 units in the Gould School of Law and 45 units in the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

To earn the JD, all students (including dual degree students) must complete 37 numerically graded law units at USC after the first year. The associate dean may make exceptions to this rule for students enrolled in law school honors programs. Students must apply to both programs prior to matriculation. The program of study is as follows:

First and Second Years: Complete both the first year JD program of study and the first year program of study in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, which includes the required courses outlined in the Master of Social Work (Integrative Social Work) section of the catalogue. Students will take their remaining MSW units in specialized courses in the third year of the dual degree. Students will be advised into the appropriate courses. 

Third Year: Complete MSW coursework and resume JD coursework, per advisement.

Fourth Year: Complete the JD program.

The law school gives credit for the third semester in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, while the latter recognizes a law course as a substitution for the elective/special topics course requirement.

The 20-unit minor offers courses that prompt students to explore the central role communication, media, news and public relations play in a multicultural society. As a cross-school minor, students will examine questions and perspectives on identity and community through an interdisciplinary lens that centers on theory and praxis, impact and change. The courses in this minor are grouped in order to give students a foundational understanding of the cultural roots and representations of identity, the practice of storytelling in the context of local and disenfranchised communities, as well as various institutional structures and policies that create barriers or avenues of social justice. Familiarity with these important issues serves students on a practical level by improving their ability to understand, anticipate and appreciate diverse viewpoints and audiences. The minor also helps students develop as more engaged, informed and empathetic citizens who are empowered to bring resolution and shared understanding to areas of conflict and difference in their own lives, the broader community and the workplace. Requirements for admission are a minimum 3.0 GPA and completion of a minimum of 32 units (sophomore standing). The 3.0 GPA is a minimum standard and does not guarantee admission.

The minor in Korean studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to studying a dynamic and crucial region. Drawing on courses from departments across the social sciences, humanities and professional schools, the minor challenges and stimulates students who wish to learn about the political, economic, social and cultural changes of the area.

Twenty units (five courses) are required. All students must take EASC 150gp East Asian Societies or HIST 105g The Korean Past as a gateway course, as well as four upper-division four-unit courses from the list below. There is no language requirement for the minor.

The minor provides students with the ability to integrate the ecological and cultural dimensions of landscape architecture into their course of study. Studies are about repairing and sustaining natural systems in cities, about the history of human settlements, places, and gardens in urban landscapes, and about the cultural and aesthetic meanings of landscape architecture design. This is an excellent emphasis for students in environmental studies, civil engineering, planning and anthropology. This minor is not available to architecture majors.

Admission Requirements

Students in good academic standing who have completed the freshman year are eligible.

Course Requirements

The minor in landscape architecture consists of three required courses (10 units) and a minimum of 10 units of upper-division courses.