Admitted students receive a transfer credit report showing unit and
subject credit granted for college courses and relevant exams, such
as AP, IB and A-levels.
For course work taken from universities within the United States,
the Degree Progress Department will prepare the transfer credit
report; for course work taken outside the United States, the Office
of International Admissions will prepare the statement.
Accreditation
The University of Southern California affirms the practice of
accreditation of American post-secondary academic institutions by
the six regional accreditation agencies: the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools, the North Central Association
of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges. Acceptance of course work
and/or degrees completed by undergraduate and graduate students
applying to the University of Southern California will be based on
accreditation by these six agencies. Certain graduate schools,
seminaries, conservatories and professional institutions of
national renown that are not accredited by a regional agency may be
considered for graduate transfer work by the Articulation Office in
consultation with the USC department or professional school to
which the student is applying.
In addition, USC strongly believes that degree-granting
institutions should be reviewed by the regional agency that governs
the geographical area in which the institution or its branches are
operating and issuing degrees. USC will not guarantee acceptance of
course work or degrees taken at institutions not accredited by the
regional agency for the area where the institution or branch is
located.
Acceptance of course work and/or degrees from post-secondary
institutions overseas will be based on the recognition and approval
of the college or university as a degree-granting institution by
the Ministry of Education within the respective country.
Non-transferable Course Work
USC’s transfer policies have been established to enable students to
achieve either an undergraduate or graduate degree that will
reflect traditional academic study and research. For that reason,
the following types of non-traditional course work will not
transfer to USC for either undergraduate or graduate credit:
- life experience; portfolio work; continuing education; work
experience; formally structured courses offered by civilian
non-collegiate sponsors such as businesses, corporations,
government agencies and labor unions, even if evaluated by the
American Council on Education (ACE).
- Extension courses not accepted toward a degree by the
offering institution.
- Equivalency examinations.
- Remedial (e.g., mathematics below college algebra), college
preparatory and personal development/life skills courses.
- Independent study, directed study, internships and
correspondence courses from two-year schools.
- Areas of study offered by other accredited institutions
toward the baccalaureate but not offered by USC, such as
agriculture, business office procedures, hotel management,
interior design, food services, industrial mechanics, fire
science, police academy and similar technical or professional
programs.
- Undergraduates will not receive credit for graduate level
transfer courses.
In addition, no more than 4 units of English as a Second Language
(toward the maximum of 12 ESL/ALI units which may apply to a
degree) will transfer. Also, a maximum of 4 units of physical
education activity courses and music ensemble will transfer. A
maximum of 12 units each of dance and physical education theory
courses will transfer.
Course Work Requiring Review
USC will determine on a case-by-case basis whether to grant credit
for certain types of courses taken at accredited institutions.
Courses which require review by the Articulation Office include:
- Courses taken in non-traditional time modes which are different
from a 15-week semester or 10-week quarter term. These will include
courses taught in concentrated “intensive” sessions or
special weekend modules.
- Distance education/televised courses.
- Independent study, directed study, internships and
correspondence courses taken at a four-year institution. No more
than eight units of correspondence courses will be considered for
transfer.
Articulation Agreements
Articulation agreements with California community colleges are
issued by the Articulation Office and indicate courses available
for transfer to USC. These agreements are revised periodically and
are subject to change, depending on course content, availability
and changes in USC’s academic policies. Articulation
agreements are not issued for four-year colleges and universities.
Proof of Prior Degree
Students applying for graduate degrees through the Graduate School
must have completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally
accredited institution that reflects at least 96 units of
traditional academic work. Diplomas granted for a preponderance of
life experience, portfolio or equivalency examinations are not
considered appropriate preparation for acceptance into USC’s
graduate degree programs and are not the equivalent of USC’s
undergraduate degrees. Verification of a completed undergraduate
degree must be provided before enrollment in a second semester at
USC.
Credit for Military Education
The university evaluates courses completed through the armed
services and may grant credit for such courses. Consult the Degree
Progress Department regarding the possibility of receiving credit
for these courses.
College Courses Taken During High School Enrollment
All undergraduate students entering USC may receive a combined
maximum of 32 elective units for college courses and/or
examinations (e.g., AP or IB) taken before graduation from high
school. A maximum of 16 of these 32 units will be allowed for
college courses taken before high school graduation. These courses
must appear on the college transcript as part of the regular
college curriculum and are expected to be taught on the college
campus by college faculty. These courses (as well as AP and IB
exams) will not receive course equivalence or credit toward
writing, diversity, foreign language or general education
requirements (except for general education categories I and III,
where appropriate).
However, departments may use them as a basis to waive prerequisites
or specific course requirements on a case-by-case basis. Students
may not receive credit for both an AP exam (or IB or other
international exam) and a college course taken before high school
graduation covering the same subject matter.
Students who began full-time college bachelor’s degree
programs at four-year institutions before completing their high
school diplomas can submit transcripts for course evaluation. More
than 16 units may be granted. Programs which award a high school
diploma concurrently with first- or second-year college level work
are typically conducted on the post-secondary institution’s
campus and are taught by the regular faculty. These programs will
be evaluated on an individual basis, along with the student’s
high school record, to determine both the student’s
admissibility and the transferability of courses. Students entering
full-time college programs at two-year colleges before graduating
from high school are subject to the 16 unit maximum stated above.
Undergraduate Students
Transfer Credit Evaluation
A transfer credit evaluation is prepared, prior to enrollment, for
every new undergraduate transfer student admitted to regular
standing. To ensure complete evaluation of transfer courses, it is
the student’s responsibility to submit official transcripts
from all post-secondary schools in which course work was completed.
The purpose of the credit evaluation is to acknowledge officially
all transferable work toward the USC degree sought by the student.
Total transferable units attempted and total transferable units
accepted toward the degree are posted on the credit evaluation.
For the purposes of making an admissions decision, all grades
(including grades of D and below) are calculated into the grade
point average and are used in calculating a total grade point
average for graduation. Neither subject nor unit credit will be
granted for courses that have been graded with less than a C-
(1.7).
For limitations on use of transfer courses to fulfill general
education and writing requirement see General
Education Program section.
Subject Credit and Degree Credit
Subject credit does not carry unit value toward units required for
a degree but may fulfill a required or elective subject area.
Degree credit is defined as units that may be applied toward the
units required for a USC degree.
Transfer Unit Limitations
A student may earn a maximum of 64 units of credit toward a
bachelor’s degree from other accredited institutions. The
B.Arch. degree and the Engineering “3-2” Program allow
a maximum of 80 units of transfer credit, of which a maximum of 70
may be from two-year colleges. Students will receive only subject
credit for work completed in excess of the unit limitations.
Transfer Credit for Repeated Course Work
Degree credit will not be given for a transferred
undergraduate course that a student has previously taken at USC.
(This regulation does not apply to a USC course that a student
withdraws from and then takes at another institution.)
Subject credit only will be given for a transferred
undergraduate course previously taken at USC, under the following
conditions: (1) When the student took the course at USC, he or she
received a grade or mark which fails to meet departmental or
university requirements. (2) If the student obtained prior approval
from the department offering the USC course on the USC Transfer
Course Work Pre-Approval form.
Permission to Register at Another Institution
Undergraduate Transfer Credit Limitations
As defined in the Residence Requirement, once students enroll at
USC, only courses taken during a summer semester will be considered
for transfer credit. For students following the new general
education requirements, no transfer work may be used to satisfy any
general education requirements or the writing requirement if those
courses are taken after a student has enrolled at USC. In addition,
transfer courses taken after enrollment at USC cannot be used to
fulfill upper division requirements in the major or minor without
prior approval, using the Request for Exception to Residency form.
Students are advised to consult their major department or College
Academic Services before taking college course work at another
institution. Students should also consult the Degree Progress
Department to ensure the work will transfer.
Procedure
If students wish to take summer course work elsewhere after
admission to USC, they must first obtain appropriate written
pre-approval from the Degree Progress Department. Even if there is
an articulation agreement, pre-approval is necessary to assure the
student’s eligibility.
Once the course work has been completed elsewhere, students must
request the other institution to send an official transcript to USC
so that the course work can be evaluated and transferred.
Students should request that a transcript be sent to the Degree
Progress Department, SAS 010, 700 Child’s Way, Los Angeles,
CA 90089-0912. All transcripts must arrive in a sealed envelope
from the issuing institution. After allowing four weeks for
delivery, the student should take the written pre-approval to the
Degree Progress Department, SAS 010. If the transcript has arrived,
it will be matched with the pre-approval and the transfer
evaluation will be completed.
To avoid a possible delay in graduation, official transcripts from
post-secondary institutions should be submitted as soon as the
course work is completed and graded by the transfer institution. It
is advisable to complete all transfer work prior to the final
semester of enrollment at USC. If transcripts for transfer course
work are not available during the final USC semester, it will
likely delay degree posting and result in a later degree date.
Students who have questions concerning the transfer credit shown on
the transfer credit report should inquire at the Degree Progress
Department. Any questions regarding the applicability of previous
course work toward major requirements should be referred to the
student’s academic advisor.
Leave of Absence, Undergraduate
Interruptions of enrollment can cause problems in the continuity of
course work within a student’s program. Therefore, leaves of
absence are generally discouraged. A student who must interrupt
studies for compelling reasons may request a leave for a stated
period. Students who find it necessary to be excused from
registration in fall or spring semesters should request a leave of
absence and withdraw from their classes by the last day to drop or
add courses. Students should contact their academic advisor, ask
for a Leave of Absence Student Handbook and complete the
Leave of Absence form in the back of the handbook. Completed forms
should be submitted to the student’s academic advisor for
review and approval. If, as a result of the leave, the student
exceeds the time limits for completion of degree or general
education requirements, he or she may not be allowed automatically
to continue to follow the original catalogue of enrollment.
Students who fail to apply for a leave of absence may encounter
difficulties with residence requirements and financial aid when
returning to USC.
Program Reactivation
Students who have failed to attempt course work for at least one
semester within an academic year without filing a Leave of Absence
form will have their POSt (Program of Study) expired. Returning
undergraduates will be required to meet with their departíent
advisor and complete and sign a POSt Reactivation form before
registration will be permitted. Graduate students who wish to
return will be governed by applicable university policies,
including the continuous enrollment requirement.
Residence Requirement
A minimum of 64 units toward the bachelor’s degree must be
earned in residence at USC. A minimum of 80 units toward a
bachelor’s degree in Architecture must be earned in residence
at USC. For students in Engineering’s “3-2”
Program, at least 48 units must be earned in residence at USC.
All upper-division units required for the major and minor must be
earned in residence.
The major or minor department, on a case-by-case basis, may give
credit for upper-division courses taken prior to matriculation and
may pre-approve required upper-division courses to be taken out of
residence.
Once students matriculate at USC, all courses taken for subject or
unit credit in the fall and spring semesters must be taken in
residence. Only transfer work that appears on the transfer
institution’s transcript for a summer term will be accepted.
In rare circumstances, exceptions to this fall and spring
enrollment policy and approval to take specific courses out of
residence may be granted in advance by the student’s major
department or, for undeclared students, by the Office of the
College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Dean of Academic Programs. If
permission to take courses out of residence is granted, the major
(or minor) department must pre-approve use of the courses for the
major (or minor), and use of the course to fulfill any other
requirements must be pre-approved following the usual approval
process for transfer courses. Courses to be used as electives must
be pre-approved by the closest equivalent department at USC. Any
such approval must be conferred in writing and must follow the
procedures outlined on the Request for Exception to Residence form.
Academically disqualified students must meet with an academic
review counselor for advisement and forms for departmental
preapproval rather than using the Request for Exception to
Residence form.
After completion of 64 college-level units applicable to the
undergraduate degree, no more than eight additional units may be
allowed for transfer credit. In the case of the B.Arch. degree, no
more than eight additional units may be allowed for transfer credit
after completion of 84 college-level units.
Units earned in overseas studies programs approved by USC’s
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and in courses approved by
consortial or other institutional agreements are considered to be
taken in residence.
Residence Requirement for a Second Bachelor’s Degree
For students with their first bachelor’s degree
from USC, 32 units applicable to the degree beyond the
number of units required for the first USC bachelor’s
degree must be completed in residence.
For students with their first bachelor’s degree from
another institution, the second bachelor’s degree
requires 64 units applicable to the degree completed in residence,
except for the B.Arch. degree which when earned concurrently with
the M.Arch. degree requires 32 units applicable to the degree
completed in residence.
The Degree Progress Department in the Office of Academic Records
and Registrar determines whether course work taken elsewhere is
available for transfer credit. Faculty of the student’s
degree program determine whether such credit is applicable toward a
specific graduate degree, subject to approval by the dean of the
degree-conferring unit. The faculty’s decision should be made
no later than the end of the first year in a master’s program
or the second year in a doctoral program.
Credit will only be allowed for courses
- from an accredited graduate school,
- of a quality of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale,
- constituting a fair and reasonable equivalent to
current USC course work at the graduate level and
- logically fitting into the program for the degree.
Transfer course work is applied as credit (CR) toward the
degree and is not included in the calculation of a minimum
grade point average for graduation.
Graduate transfer credit will not be granted for life experience,
credit by examination, non-credit extension courses, correspondence
courses or thesis supervision. Graduate transfer credit will not be
granted for course work taken elsewhere after a student has been
admitted and enrolled at USC unless the student receives prior
written approval from the department. Students may not take courses
elsewhere as a substitute for courses in which they have received
grades which fail to meet departmental or university requirements.
Transfer work must have been completed within seven years of
admission to a USC master’s degree program (or 10 years for a
doctoral program) to be applied toward that degree. Departments
have the option of reevaluating transfer work when a student is
readmitted to a USC graduate degree program.
The faculty of a degree program may establish limits on the number
of transfer credits stricter than those of the university, which
follow:
- The maximum number of transfer credits which may be applied
toward a master’s degree, subject to departmental approval
is: four units in degree programs requiring 24-32 units; eight
units in programs requiring 33-40 units; 12 units in programs
requiring 41 or more units. The same limits apply if a student
wishes to transfer credits from any advanced degree previously
completed at USC toward a master’s degree.
- A maximum of 30 units of transfer credit may be applied toward
a doctoral degree.
- A maximum of six units of transfer credit may be applied toward
a doctoral degree with Advanced Standing. Admission with Advanced
Standing is based upon a completed graduate degree. The only course
work available for transfer credit is course work taken after
completion of that degree.
- A maximum of four units of transfer credit may be applied
toward an approved dual degree program.
The Graduate and Professional Studies Committee (GPSC) must approve
policies and procedures for considering individual exceptions
within any specific program of study. Program exceptions to the
transfer of course work policies require the approval of the GPSC
and are listed in the departmental sections of this catalogue.
Departments establishing lower maximum limits may waive their own
policy (within the university’s limits) by approval of the
dean of the degree conferring unit.
Application of Previous USC Course Work to a Current Degree
USC course work taken prior to matriculation to a current USC
degree program must have been completed within seven years of
admission or readmission to a master’s degree program (or 10
years for a doctoral program) to be applied toward that degree.
Exceptions require approval from the Director of Graduate and
Professional Programs.
Credit Evaluation
A credit evaluation is completed during the student’s first
year of enrollment for every new graduate student admitted to
regular standing. The purpose of the evaluation is to verify all
previously earned degrees and may list graduate course work
completed at other institutions which is available for
consideration toward the USC degree. Students who intend to apply
transfer course work toward a USC degree program can request a
comprehensive credit evaluation through the Degree Progress
Department. Only courses with a grade of B (3.0) and above are
available for transfer. These courses do not apply toward a
specific USC degree unless approved by the student’s major
department and school.
Requests for Transfer Credit Evaluation
Each new student admitted to regular standing with transferable
course work must submit the course work for evaluation by the end
of the first semester of enrollment at USC. A credit evaluation can
only be done after complete, official transcripts have been
received. The student is responsible for supplying the Degree
Progress Department with all transcripts. It is important that the
credit evaluation be completed before the student applies for a
degree progress check.
Concurrent Enrollment
A student in a Graduate School degree program may not enroll for
credit at this university and elsewhere simultaneously without
advance permission from the Graduate School. Failure to secure such
permission will result in invalidation of course work taken during
periods of unauthorized concurrent enrollment.
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