Majors & Minors

The major in Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Media and Politics underscores the global reach and import of the nations in the Americas, Europe and Africa in which Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. By focusing on the study of language, literature and cinema as well other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, students learn to think critically about the cultural, political, and historical questions involved in the study of Latin American and Iberian societies.

The Latin American Studies minor recognizes the lasting importance of U.S.-Latin American relations. The overriding goal is to encourage students to learn more about Latin America by combining conceptual, area and language studies during their time at USC. The purpose of this 20-unit minor is to deepen students' knowledge of Latin America by offering courses from multiple disciplines within a context of close faculty guidance. The gateway requirement of one 4-unit course provides the student with options in both humanities and the social sciences, and the designated electives are similarly meant to allow students to blend these specialties.

For fulfillment of the requirements for the minor a student must choose four classes outside of his or her major department dedicated exclusively to the minor (which may be the same four classes). After the gateway course, these elective courses must be spread across at least two disciplines and/or departments.

Four courses in Latin, of which one may be LAT 222 and at least three must be at the upper-division level.

One additional upper-division course: either Latin (LAT) or Classics (CLAS).

TOTAL: five courses

The Latinx News Media Minor is designed to give students a grounding in the historical, theoretical, social and cultural landscape of Latino news media. In addition, the course work will expose students to trends in the development of current and evolving content strategy, distribution and news consumption trends. The minor will prepare students to create content for Latinx communities, media organizations, bilingual news outlets and independent distribution.

The minor requires at least 16 units.

The Law and Migration Studies Minor introduces students to the U.S. legal system as it relates to various aspects of immigration law, its impact on our communities and consequences on our society nationally and globally.

The Law and Migration Studies Minor totals 20 units; 12 required units and 8 elective units, as detailed below.

The minor in law and public policy draws upon four fields of study: public policy and management, law, economics and political science. It provides students with an understanding of the political and economic contexts in which laws are made as well as how legal institutions shape policy formulation. Students learn to analyze the consequences of policy and alternatives; the roles played by government, business and nonprofit organizations in public decision making; and the legal bases for various areas of public policy.

Students minoring in law and public policy take 20 units, including the gateway class, PPD 225 Public Policy and Management, and one elective. The latter enables the student to focus on a specific area of law.

The Law and Social Justice Minor provides foundational knowledge of current legal systems of justice and encourages critical-analysis skills to recognize where and how changes can be made.

The Law and Social Justice Minor totals 20 units; 8 required units and 12 elective units, as detailed below.

This interdisciplinary program focuses on the effect of law on society as well as the ways in which social forces influence the legal system. The idea is that students will understand the law if they look beyond "law on the books" to "law in action." Thus, it is important to study key legal institutions such as the legal profession, the judiciary, juries, the police, legislatures and administrative agencies. In addition, the minor introduces students to legal policies like plea bargaining and the death penalty, and the constitutional principles that underlie political debates about them, e.g., equal protection, due process and privacy.

The requirements for the minor include seven courses (28 units), including at least four upper-division courses (16 units). All students are required to take POSC 130 Law, Politics, and Public Policy.

The Law and Technology minor studies the intersection of technological developments and the legal system through examining contemporary issues raised by developing technology, including internet privacy, patent law, intellectual property and cybercrime. 

The Law and Technology minor requires a minimum of 18 units.

Law, History and Culture is designed for students drawn to interdisciplinary, humanistic study of law and culture, as well as those who intend to pursue a law degree. It offers students an interdisciplinary education in legal institutions, languages and processes that are central to social, cultural and political developments in the past and present, and play a critical role in shaping our most basic concepts and categories of thought and identity. Students will gain theoretical and analytical perspectives on ethical, political and social issues relevant to law as they explore specific legal issues from a humanistic perspective. Students take courses in four core areas, which represent distinct disciplinary approaches to studying law’s position at the nexus of society. The major helps students develop skills for critical reading, writing and analysis that are both crucial to a liberal education and a gateway to further study of law.