Majors & Minors

The minor in Management Consulting is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. The minor develops skills used by professional consultants to assist organizations and businesses in identifying and addressing their issues and problems.

To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Completion of this minor requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the following courses:

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This interdisciplinary minor is intended for students in all schools with an interest in human relations as a subject of study or professional goal. In addition to course work in organizational behavior, social psychology and management, this minor includes attention to questions of ethics and leadership.

As with all minors, students must include at least four upper-division courses and four courses dedicated exclusively to this minor (not used for credit toward a major, another minor or general education requirements). Finally, students must select four courses outside their major department. Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology must choose four courses outside of sociology; those seeking the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration must choose four courses outside the USC Marshall School of Business.

Studies of the marine environment are relevant to many contemporary environmental issues and problems central to understanding earth-system evolution, dynamics, climate and sustainability. The minor in Marine Biology combines courses related specifically to marine science from several Dornsife College departments or programs. USC's location along the Pacific Ocean and the unique facilities at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island provide superb access for students to learn outside of traditional classroom venues. Students will learn about the biology, evolution and ecology of organisms that inhabit marine environments and the ecological and physical processes linking them. This program is an appropriate start for students who are seeking a focus in marine science or who are interested in broadening their base of knowledge about marine biology, earth sciences or environmental science.

The minor consists of 24 units of course work. At least 16 must be upper-division and unique to the minor. Courses required by the student's major or general education (GE) requirements may not be applied toward the minor. Students must earn a letter grade of C- or better in all course work used for the minor. Prior to declaring the minor, students must have completed the requirement for BISC 120Lg or BISC 121Lg or BISC 103Lgx. Basic chemistry, such as CHEM 103Lgx or CHEM 105aLg and CHEM 105bL, is strongly recommended. Students are encouraged enroll in at least one field-based course. Courses may be substituted with approval of the minor in Marine Biology program director, and this approval must be filed with the Office of Academic Records and Registrar.

The minor in marketing is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. Marketing studies processes that organizations use to identify and serve the needs of customers.

The marketing minor provides a business-related education that will supplement many undergraduate majors, and enhance the career prospects for students whose majors could incorporate a marketing dimension or application. This minor should appeal to any student interested in an early marketing career, which includes, but is not limited to, professional sales, retailing, marketing research, product management and advertising.

Eligible students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum GPA of 2.75. BUAD 307 Marketing Fundamentals must be completed as a required prerequisite. Students must successfully complete 16 units of MKT electives to satisfy this minor.

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The Master of Urban Planning/Master of Advanced Architectural Studies dual degree program facilitates highly related cross-disciplinary studies in architecture and in planning at the master's level. This program offers students interested in developing a career in urban design an opportunity to make more substantial commitments in both disciplines and to achieve a more coherent and extensive knowledge in the design of built environments and public policy. This dual degree program normally requires five semesters in residence.

Qualified students who are admitted to the graduate programs in both the School of Architecture and the USC Price School of Public Policy may complete both degrees in a highly integrated five-semester program. Such students must already possess a five-year professional degree in architecture.

Requirements

Requirements for completion of the dual degree program are 72 units, including 36 units in architecture and 36 units in urban planning, as follows:

The Marshall School of Business in conjunction with the East Asian Studies Center offers a joint MA/MBA degree that combines graduate business education with training in the cultures and societies of East Asia. Students enrolled in the joint degree program are required to complete a minimum of 72 units. All students must complete 48 units in the Marshall School of Business. Dual degree students may not count courses taken outside the Marshall School of Business toward the 48 units. In East Asian Area Studies, students have the option of taking five courses and writing a thesis (for a total of 24 units) or taking six courses and passing a comprehensive examination (for a total of 24 units).

Applicants for the joint MA/MBA are required to follow the admission procedures for the full-time MBA program. GRE scores are not required for admission into the joint program.

Required Courses

Required MBA courses: all required courses in an MBA program.

Students must complete 24 units in the USC School 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 Intermediate Symbolic 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 that 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.

The Master of Heritage Conservation/Master of Building Science dual degree program facilitates highly related cross-disciplinary studies in heritage conservation and in building science at the master's level. The primary objective of the dual degree curriculum is to impart to students a basic familiarity with the origins and development of the philosophies, theories, and practices of building science and heritage conservation. This curriculum has been developed so that students will graduate from this program with a broad practical knowledge of the techniques and strategies for conserving the existing built environment through the lens of science and technology. Students will be expected to understand the critical methodological tools necessary for a professional engaged in the investigation, interpretation, and evaluation of the urban built environment.

Requirements

Requirements for completion of the dual degree program are 72 units, including 36 units in Heritage Conservation and 36 units of Building Science. As a full-time program of study, students are expected to take 18 units each semester during two years of residency.

Thesis

The thesis topic chosen must be relevant to both degrees. There must be one thesis committee member from each degree program; the third committee member should be selected relative to the topic selected.

The Master of Business Administration/Master of Real Estate Development dual degree program enables students to expand their skills in planning, land development, marketing, decision sciences, accounting, management, finance and economics. A more sophisticated real estate market makes this diversity of training essential for many students pursuing careers in real estate finance and development.

Completion of the MRED portion of the program requires that students have use of an approved laptop computer and demonstrate calculator and spreadsheet skills; a calculator and/or spreadsheet class is offered online.

Application

Students must apply to both the Marshall School of Business and the USC Price School of Public Policy. Please consult the Admission section of each school for specific requirements.

The Marshall School of Business in conjunction with the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering offers a program leading to the degrees of Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Application

Applicants to the MBA/MS, Industrial and Systems Engineering program should apply to both schools simultaneously.

Program Requirements

This alternative requires 68 units for graduates of industrial and systems engineering undergraduate curricula and leads to both a Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Master of Business Administration.

The total number of units required for the MBA portion of the program is 48.

Required business courses include all required courses in an MBA program and graduate business electives sufficient to bring the total units completed in the Marshall School of Business to at least 48.

Dual degree program students may not count courses taken outside the USC Marshall School of Business toward the 48 units.

The Industrial and Systems Engineering portion of the program requires 20 ISE units. See Master of Science, Industrial and Systems Engineering/Master of Business Administration (MS/MBA) for industrial and systems engineering course requirements.

The MBA and the MS degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all program requirements.

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