Majors & Minors

Students who minor in political science must take five courses, 20 units, in political science. Students can either pursue course work in a traditional subfield (American politics, comparative politics, law and public policy, or political theory) or in a specific issue area of concentration (civil liberties and human rights, race, ethnicity, and gender, urban political problems, Asian politics, etc.).

Those who focus their studies on a traditional subfield must take the lower-level introductory course in that subfield: POSC 100 Theory and Practice of American Democracy (American politics); POSC 110 Ideology and Political Conflict (political theory); POSC 120 Comparative Politics (comparative politics) or POSC 130 Law, Politics and Public Policy (law and public policy).

Students pursuing the minor must also take four upper-division courses, three of which must be in the chosen subfield. Students choose from a predetermined list of courses divided by subfield in consultation with and approval of the department's undergraduate student adviser.

Those who pursue a specific issue area of concentration are required to take the department's designated gateway course, POSC 120 Comparative Politics, and at least three upper-division courses in the issue area of concentration. A fourth upper-division course must be taken in the issue area of concentration or a complementary area. The upper-division courses are chosen in consultation with and approval of the department's undergraduate student adviser.

This minor consists of courses that examine different aspects of popular music. The minor focuses on the study of the repertories and their cultural and social context. Students must be in good academic standing to be admitted. No previous musical experience is required.

The Practical Politics Minor offers students a unique opportunity to study the theory and practice of American Democracy. The minor includes courses on campaigns, elections, political communications, legislative politics, and governing. Students will engage with faculty who possess a wealth of knowledge and experience in electoral politics and campaign strategy. The minor will help students develop a multitude of skills applicable to the job market, such as problem solving, polling, social media analytics, micro-targeting, research, writing and public speaking. Students will also complete an internship that will provide them with professional training and exposure to different careers. In addition, students can pursue courses through Maymester and the Dornsife in Washington D.C. program toward the minor.

The Practical Politics Minor complements many majors in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences including economics; sociology; philosophy, politics, and law; and international relations, as well as majors outside of the college including communications; business and public policy.

The ability to succeed in today's workplace necessitates a growing number of communication skills. As today's increasingly global and highly competitive marketplace grows in complexity, the need to understand intercultural differences, the power of structure in the workplace and other issues such as dealing with interpersonal conflicts continues to increase. This minor will provide students interested in the management of people, resources or products with these necessary tools. 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.

This interdisciplinary minor brings together courses in psychology that focus on the social, clinical, cognitive and societal aspects of psychology and how it relates to law. This knowledge is augmented with courses from the USC Gould School of Law that identify the relationship between mental health, social psychology and law.

Twenty to twenty four units are required for the minor. A minimum of four courses (16 units) must be unique to the minor. A minimum of 16 upper-division units must be completed. Psychology majors and students majoring in social sciences with an emphasis in psychology may "double count" up to two courses toward the major and minor; however, they must take a minimum of four courses that do not apply to the major.

Grade Requirement

A grade of C- or higher is required to count a class toward major requirements.

The minor requires six courses: PSYC 100 and five additional courses:

One course is required in each of three of the five topic areas listed under Major Requirements. PSYC 314L may be used to fulfill one of these topic areas.

Two elective PSYC courses. One must be upper-division, 300-level or higher.

Limitations:

1. Students must complete at least 16 upper-division PSYC units.
2. No more than four units of PSYC 490x is applicable to the minor.
3. Each of the six courses must be at least 2.67 units.

This minor is designed for students interested in a broad array of health issues. The focus of the minor is on reducing disability and mortality from avoidable injuries and chronic disease, educating the community about healthy lifestyles, assuring access to health care, and measuring changes using various indicators over time. This minor teaches students to meet the challenges of the changing environment of the health care system. It complements a number of majors including psychology, sociology, American studies and ethnicity, biological sciences, economics, environmental studies, kinesiology, gender studies, international relations, philosophy, religion, gerontology and political science.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Policy is an interdisciplinary major that prepares students for graduate study and/or professional careers by engaging them in the analysis of society's political, social and economic issues. The major introduces students to theoretical foundations and practical applications through a set of cross-cutting introductory courses and specialized courses in one of five tracks: health policy and management, public policy and law, philanthropy, nonprofits and social innovation, public policy and data analytics, or urban environmental and sustainability policy. Students will be introduced to analytical and research tools relevant for and connected to professional practice, as exemplified by consultative class projects and the mandatory internship. 

Public relations and advertising are the cornerstone of modern communication. Previously considered very separate disciplines, these functions have increased synergies as organizations relay on them to connect to their audiences through paid, earned, shared and owned media. Students gain a range of skills from creative to strategic to analytic and land jobs in organizations of all types, including non-profits, entertainment brands, sports teams, social action groups, PR and ad agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. Upon graduation our students leave prepared for occupations in content creation; media ​and influencer relations; digital/​social media marketing; ​applied research and data analysis; media buying ​and ​creative development; advertising and PR account management; and more.