Academic Policies
spacer Requirements for Graduation

Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students

Catalogue Regulations, Policies and Procedures

In addition to degree requirements outlined below, undergraduate and graduate students are also subject to current catalogue regulations, policies and procedures. Examples include, but are not limited to, the policy on the grade of incomplete, graduation with honors and continuous enrollment for graduate students. Unlike degree requirements, changes in regulations, policies and procedures are immediate and supersede those in any prior catalogue.


Graduation Date

A student will be awarded the graduation date for the term in which degree requirements, including submission of supporting documents, have been met. Although course work may have been completed in a prior term, the degree will be awarded only for the term for which all academic and administrative requirements have been fulfilled. Application for the degree is a requirement for all graduate degrees. Students wishing to change the degree date from that indicated on the Degree Progress Summary Report should file a Change of Information card with the revised degree date. The cards are available in the Degree Progress Department in SAS 101. Degrees are not awarded retroactively.


Discontinued Degree Programs

Students pursuing degree programs which the university discontinues will be allowed to complete the degree within a specified time limit. The time limit will be specified at the point of discontinuance of the program and begins at that point. It is determined according to the student’s progress toward degree completion and will not exceed five years for any student.


Undergraduate Students

Degree Requirements

Undergraduate degree requirements consist of grade point averages, unit requirements, residence requirements, general education requirements, the writing requirement, the diversity requirement, pre-major and major requirements, and minor requirements. Undergraduate students may elect to follow (a) the degree requirements in the catalogue current in their first term of enrollment after admission or readmission at USC or (b) degree requirements in subsequent catalogues. However, undergraduate students may not mix catalogues.

While there are no specific time limits for completing bachelor’s degrees, over the years many departments change their major requirements in accordance with developments in the field and department. Occasionally, general education requirements are changed or a degree program is discontinued.

Therefore, undergraduate students who do not complete their degrees within six consecutive years from the beginning of the semester of their first completed USC course work will not be allowed automatically to continue following their pre-major, major and minor requirements as specified above. (This time limit includes semesters during which students are not enrolled.) The pertinent department chair will decide what pre-major, major and minor requirements each student must follow and communicate the decision to the student in writing.

Students who do not complete their degrees within 10 consecutive years from the beginning of the semester of their first completed USC course work will not be allowed automatically to continue their general education requirements. (This time limit includes semesters during which students are not enrolled.) The General Education Office will decide what general education requirements each student must follow and communicate the decision to the student in writing.

An appeal of a department’s decision may be made to the dean of the appropriate academic unit or the Provost’s Office for academic units without departments. An appeal of a general education decision may be made to the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP).


Grade Point Average Requirement

A grade point average of at least C (2.0) on all baccalaureate units attempted at USC, as well as on the combined USC-transfer GPA, is required for undergraduate degrees. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in all attempted upper division courses for the major is also required, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. The university will not deviate from policies governing the calculation of the grade point average through inclusion or exclusion of course work.


Unit Requirement

Students are required to take a minimum of 128 baccalaureate units at the undergraduate level (of which not more than four units may be physical education units). A student may earn a maximum of 16 units for individual instruction in music at the 201/401 levels and comparable transfer courses. No more than 8 units of dance technique courses (THTR 181 through THTR 189) may be applicable toward an undergraduate degree. Of the 128 unit minimum at least 32 units must be upper division course work. Students must also complete all upper division course work in the major at USC. The university will not deviate from the minimum unit requirements stated above or the additional unit-specific requirements. Some disciplines require more than the minimum requiremenDs. Check individual department listings for specific requirements.

Unit credit indicates the number of semester units earned in the course; these units may or may not be applicable to the degree. Degree credit indicates the units are applicable to the degree.


Pass/No Pass Graded Work

A maximum of 24 units of undergraduate course work taken on a pass/no pass basis may be used toward an undergraduate degree and a maximum of 4 of these 24 units may be applied to the general education requirements. Use of pass/no pass course work to fulfill major requirements must be approved in writing by the academic department. Individual academic departments may have placed further restrictions on whether a course taken on a pass/no pass basis can be used to fulfill specific requirements.


General Education Requirements

General education and writing requirements for all students are provided in the General Education Program. Additional specific information is included with the information on individual majors.


Diversity Requirement

The diversity requirement must be met by all students who began college at USC or elsewhere fall 1993 or later. It can be met by passing any one course carrying the designation “m” for multiculturalism. The list of courses and further details about meeting the diversity requirement are found Diversity Course List.


Gateway Course

A gateway course is a lower division 3-4 unit course that introduces and showcases the minor or major curricula of an academic field of study. It is intended to be a student’s first exposure to a field of study.


Upper Division Major Course Work

The university requires that all undergraduate students successfully complete at USC all the upper division courses that are applied to their major. Substitution of a comparable upper division course for a required one may be entered in the STARS exception process by the departmental advisor with the support of the department. Substitutions and waivers of USC or transfer courses for upper division requirements for major and minor programs are to be limited to a combination of 25 percent. Substitution of courses with the same departmental prefix are exempted from this limit. Lower division courses cannot be substituted for upper division course requirements.


Minor Programs

Application for a minor must be made to the department or professional school and an appropriate endorsement must appear on a Change/Addition of Major or Minor Degree Objectives form.

The following guidelines apply to minor
programs:

  1. Minor programs are available to students matriculated in an undergraduate degree program and must be completed simultaneously with the major degree program.
  2. Minors constituted of course work from a single department may not be earned by students majoring in that department.
  3. Students may take an interdepartmental minor in which their major unit participates as long as at least four courses (at least 16 units) required for the minor are taken outside the major.
  4. Students must take at least four courses (at least 16 units) which are unique to the minor (i.e., not required to fulfill the major, another minor or general education requirements).
  5. All upper-division course work required for the minor must be taken at USC.
  6. Departments at their discretion may substitute no more than 25 percent of the required units defined in the catalogue for a given minor program. Substitution of courses with the same departmental prefix are exempted from this limit. Lower division courses cannot be substituted for upper division course requirements.
  7. Departments at their discretion may waive no more than 4 units for minor programs with 17 to 20 units or no more than 8 units for minor programs with more than 20 units for each student. The number of units unique to the minor after any departmental waivers or substitutions must total at least 16 units.
  8. No course work required for the minor may be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.
  9. A minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA must be achieved in all courses required for the minor. A higher minimum may be required by the sponsoring department or unit.
  10. Students whose major degree programs do not include a language requirement need not satisfy that requirement to earn a minor from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences or a professional school that has a language requirement unless the minor specifically requires the language.
  11. Completion of the minor program will be recorded on the transcript.

Departmental Honors Programs

The following departments have received approval from the university Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for their majors to graduate with departmental honors:

Anthropology; Biochemistry (B.S.); Biological Sciences (B.A. and B.S.); Broadcast Journalism; Business Administration; Chemistry (B.A. and B.S.); Cinema-Television; Classics; Communication; Comparative Literature; Economics; English; French; Gerontology; History; International Relations; Linguistics; Mathematics (B.A. and B.S.); Philosophy, Philosophy (Ethics, Law and Value Theory); Political Science; Print Journalism; Psychobiology; Psychology; Public Policy and Management; Public Relations; Religion; and Spanish.

The minimal requirements for receiving departmental honors are that the student:

  1. satisfactorily completes course work for an honors project and
  2. achieves no less than a 3.5 GPA (A = 4.0) in the major at the time of graduation. Each program, department or school will designate what it considers the appropriate course work and honors project.

Departmental honors are noted on academic transcripts but not on the diploma.


Graduation with University Honors

To be eligible for undergraduate honors at graduation, a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna cum laude and 3.9 for summa cum laude is required. Students must meet these averages, both on residence work attempted and on combined transferred and residence work attempted. The honors award is then determined by either the GPA for the residence work or the GPA for the combined transferred and residence work, whichever is lower. The university will not deviate from policies governing the calculation of the grade point averages required for graduation with honors through inclusion or exclusion of course work. University honors are noted on academic transcripts and the diploma.


Undergraduate Credit for a Graduate Course

In some cases, an undergraduate student may receive special permission from the academic unit offering a course to enroll in and receive undergraduate credit for a graduate course (numbered 500 and above). Such permission will not be granted unless the student has reached junior class standing (64 units earned) with an overall GPA of 3.0 and has a 3.0 GPA in all courses attempted in that discipline.

Written permission from the dean of the academic unit offering the course must be countersigned by a counselor in the Degree Progress Department and presented to the Registration Department at the time of registration.

Students not meeting this standard may petition to count graduate course work for undergraduate credit. These petitions should be initiated in the student’s academic unit prior to attempting to enroll in the course. Such a petition requires recommendation by the instructor of the course, the chair of the student’s major department, the dean of the academic unit in which the student is seeking a degree and the appropriate graduate governing body under which the course falls. In no case will a student be allowed to enroll in and receive credit for a graduate course if the student’s cumulative USC GPA is below 2.0. Graduate courses taken in transfer may not be used for undergraduate credit.


Graduate Credit for 400 and 500 Level Work Taken as an Undergraduate

An undergraduate student who is within 12 semester units of the bachelor’s degree and has a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 may request to enroll in and reserve for graduate credit a limited amount of work at the 400 and 500 levels during the last semester as a senior, provided that the semester program does not exceed 16 semester units. The request form obtained at the Graduate School should be submitted to the Degree Progress Department and should bear the endorsements of the chair of the student’s major department and of the department in which the reserved work is to be taken. The Degree Progress Department verifies that the units being reserved are not needed to fulfill requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student must present a copy of the final action to the Registration Department at the time of enrollment.


Graduate Students

Degree Requirements

All graduate students must meet both university degree requirements and those degree requirements specific to their program of study to receive an advanced degree. University degree requirements consist of grade point averages, unit, residence and time limit requirements. Degree requirements specific to a student’s program of study consist of course, examination and research requirements. University degree requirements and degree requirements specific to the program of study are collectively defined as degree requirements. Graduate students may elect to follow (a) the degree requirements in the catalogue current for the semester of their admission to the degree program or (b) degree requirements in subsequent catalogues as long as they are continuously enrolled (see Continuous Enrollment). However, they may not mix catalogues. Graduate students who discontinue their enrollment without a leave of absence approved by the dean of the pertinent academic unit (see Leave of Absence) will be subject to the degree requirements in effect for the semester of their readmission to the program. Students requesting exceptions should petition the dean of that unit.


Graduate Credit Certificate Programs

Graduate credit certificate programs must be approved by the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee and meet the following requirements:

  1. a minimum of 12 units is required; the maximum number of units may vary;
  2. for certificate programs of 16 units or less, all course work must be at the 500 level or above. For programs of more than 16 units, no more than one-third of the total units for the program may be at the 400 level;
  3. for completion, a minimum cumulative USC grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved on all course work applied to the certificate;
  4. for certificate programs of 16 units or less, all course work must be earned at USC; for programs of more than 16 units, not more than 25 percent of the course work may be transfer credit.

Time Limit for Degree Completion

Students must maintain satisfactory progress toward their stated degree objective at all times. Progress is measured from the beginning of the first course at USC applied toward a specified degree, and all requirements for that degree must be completed within a specified time. The maximum time limit allowed for each degree is considerably greater than what is needed to complete all requirements. Departments may set more stringent time limits than those specified in this section.

The time limit for completing the master’s degree is five years. The time limit for completing the doctoral degree is eight years. For students who earned an applicable master’s degree within five years prior to admission to the doctoral program, the time limit for completing the doctoral degree is six years. An academic department may grant an extension of up to one year at a time for a maximum of two years.

The Director of Graduate and Professional Programs will be notified of these extensions. In unusual cases, a student’s committee and the department chair may petition the Director of Graduate and Professional Programs for further extensions.

Students who have exceeded the time limit for completing their degree program will not be permitted any further registrations. If granted an extension of time, the dean of the degree-conferring unit will permit registration for the specified period of extension. Approved leaves of absence (up to a total of two years or four semesters) are not counted in the time allowed for completion of degree requirements.

The time limits apply unless otherwise designated by the faculty and previously approved by the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee for a particular degree program.


Dual Degree Programs

Dual degree programs offer graduate students the opportunity to complete concurrently requirements for two degrees. Students enrolled in dual degree programs must complete all requirements for the dual degree program and then will be awarded both diplomas at the same time. The academic units which offer these programs frequently adjust the requirements for each degree to take into account the correlations between required course work. Students who have completed all the requirements for one of the degree programs and who decide to withdraw from the dual degree program may receive the appropriate single diploma. Students who have withdrawn from the dual degree program to receive the appropriate single diploma and later decide to complete the second degree must apply for admission, be admitted and then fulfill all requirements for the second degree. Detailed information regarding dual degree programs is listed in the appropriate school section.


Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in a course to receive graduate credit. Work graded C- or below is not acceptable for subject or unit credit toward any master’s or doctoral program. A grade point average of at least 3.0 on all units attempted at USC toward a graduate degree is required for graduation. In addition, a grade point average of at least 3.0 on all graduate work attempted at USC, whether or not all such units are applied toward the degree, is required. In some cases, the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee has approved different GPA requirements for professional schools. The university will not deviate from policies governing the calculation of the grade point average through inclusion or exclusion of course work.


Unit Requirement

The minimum number of units required for a master’s degree is 24, at least 20 of which must be completed at USC. The minimum number of units for a doctoral degree is 60, at least 24 of which (exclusive of Doctoral Dissertation 794) must be completed at USC. In addition, at least one-half of the total number of units applied toward a graduate degree must be completed at USC. The minimum number of units for a doctoral degree with Advanced Standing upon entrance is 36. No exceptions are allowed.

A department or school which has a graduate program approved by the university requiring a higher minimum may not waive that requirement. The unit requirement for a dual degree program is established at the time the program is approved by the university and may not be waived.

Regardless of the number of units required for a graduate degree, at least two-thirds of the units applied toward the degree (including transfer work and not including 594 or 794) must be at the 500 level or higher. Students with Advanced Standing in docüoral programs may not apply additional 400-level course work toward that degree. Individual exceptions will not be allowed. Some degree programs, where designated by the faculty and approved by the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee, permit a higher maximum number of 400-level units.

Unit credit indicates the number of semester units earned in the course; these units may or may not be applicable to the degree. Degree credit indicates the units are applicable to the degree.


Residence Requirements

A minimum of 20 graduate units at USC is required for the master’s degree; 24 units for the doctoral degree.

Residence for a graduate degree program at USC is a period of intensive study completed on the University Park campus, the Health Sciences campus and/or at one of the approved off-campus study centers. Each degree-conferring unit may establish a school residence policy. School residence requirements as presented in the USC Catalogue are approved by the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee and are to be interpreted consistent with university policies on continuous enrollment, leaves of absence, transfer of credit and time limits for completion of graduate degrees. Individual exceptions must be approved by the Vice Provost for Academic Programs.


Pass/No Pass Graded Work

Graduate students may elect to enroll in courses on a pass/no pass basis with department approval. Course work taken on a pass/no pass basis cannot be applied toward a graduate degree. If a student later requires the course for a degree program (because of a change in degree objective or a decision to obtain an additional degree), the degree-granting unit can decide to allow subject credit for the course and require a substitute course for the unit credit. Individual departments may have placed further restrictions on whether a course taken on a pass/no pass basis can be used to fulfill specific requirements.

All students should consult their academic advisors before enrolling in any course on a pass/no pass basis.


Waiver and Substitution of Course Requirements

Students admitted to graduate degree objectives are expected to complete the degree requirements listed in the USC Catalogue. maximum of one-half of the stated degree course requirements (exclusive of 594 Master’s Thesis and 794 Doctoral Dissertation) may be approved for waiver or substitution by other USC course work, directed research, or transfer course work. Waiver or substitution of course requirements does not reduce the minimum number of units required for the degree. Departments establishing a lower maximum may waive their own policy by approval of the dean of the degree-conferring unit. Approval from the department chair for substitution or waiver of course requirements within the established maxima is recorded in the student exception process by the academic department. Approval in excess of the maxima requires, in addition, the permission of the dean of the degree-conferring unit.


Second Master’s Degree

A “second master’s degree” is any master’s degree pursued after a first master’s degree is earned at USC or another university. The maximum number of units which may be applied toward the second master’s degree for course work taken from the first master’s degree is: four units toward degree programs requiring 24-32 units; eight units toward programs requiring 33-40 units; 12 units toward programs requiring 41 or more units. Second master’s degrees are not allowed in the same program of study for students who earned their first master’s degree at USC.

For students who earned their first master’s degree at another institution, no course work may be repeated from the first program of study and no units from the first program of study may be counted toward the second master’s degree. Program exceptions require approval of the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee and are listed in the departmental sections of this catalogue. No individual exceptions are allowed.


Full-time Study

To be considered full time, a graduate student must be enrolled in a minimum of eight units of 500-level or 12 units of 400- and 500-level course work. In order to make normal progress toward the conclusion of course work for a graduate degree, most students will be enrolled for 12 units; 16 units will constitute a maximum load. Students wishing to carry more than 16 units must have the prior permission of the degree-conferring unit; such permission will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

A student who has completed all course work for the master’s degree will be considered full time when properly enrolled in either 594 Master’s Thesis or GRSC 810 Studies for Master’s Examination.

A student who has completed all course work for the doctoral degree (except dissertation registrations) will be considered full time during the semester in which the doctoral qualifying examination is being prepared for, provided the Request to Take the Qualifying Examination has been submitted and approved for that semester and the student is enrolled in the course GRSC 800 Studies for the Qualifying Examination. Doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy, that is, who have completed all course work and have passed the qualifying examination, will be considered full time when properly enrolled in 794 Doctoral Dissertation.

International students on student visas must be enrolled as full-time students as determined by the Office for International Services and the department advisor. Such students are not eligible to be considered students without formal registration and are in violation of immigration laws when not properly enrolled. Any international student having questions about his or her registration should consult the Office for International Services.


Continuous Enrollment

Students are considered to be pursuing advanced degrees only when they are formally enrolled. Students admitted to a graduate degree objective are required to be enrolled at USC for fall and spring semesters each year until all degree requirements have been satisfactorily completed within the time limit. Graduate students who fail to register are no longer considered to be enrolled in a graduate degree program. After an unauthorized absence, formal readmission is required. Students who have been granted a leave of absence do not need to apply for readmission following the approved leave. Where appropriate to the design of a given academic program, the faculty of the program may obtain the permission of the Graduate and Professional Studies Committee for a different definition of continuous enrollment.

A master’s candidate who is writing a thesis and has completed all course work for the degree must enroll each fall and spring semester in the appropriate thesis registration until the thesis has been approved. A doctoral candidate who has passed the qualifying examination must enroll each fall and spring semester in 794 Doctoral Dissertation until the dissertation has been approved.

Exceptions to continuous enrollment are subject to policies governing leaves of absence and readmission.


Leave of Absence

Interruptions of enrollment can cause problems in the continuity of course work within a student’s graduate program and, therefore, leaves of absence are generally discouraged.

A student in good standing and making satisfactory progress toward a degree who must interrupt studies for compelling reasons (e.g., approved study abroad, sustained ill health) may petition for a leave for a stated period, usually not to exceed one year. Students who find it necessary to be excused from registration must request a leave of absence by the last day to drop or add courses. A leave must be approved by the dean of the degree-conferring unit. During the period of leave a student is not entitled to assistance from the faculty or use of university facilities. If granted, the leave is recorded on the student’s transcript and the period of leave is not counted in the time allowed for the completion of degree requirements. Within the degree time limit a maximum of four semesters may be allowed for leaves of absence. A student who does not return to enrolled status at the end of an approved period of leave is no longer considered to be pursuing an advanced degree. Students who fail to apply for a leave of absence or for whom a leave has been denied (or has expired) are subject to policies governing continuous enrollment and readmission.


Readmission

A student who leaves the university without obtaining a formal leave of absence from graduate study is not automatically readmitted. A student wishing to apply for readmission to a graduate degree program must submit an Application for Readmission to the Graduate School by the first day of classes for the term in which resumption of graduate studies is sought. The recommendation of the department and the approval of the dean of the degree-conferring unit, based on the academic merits of the student’s request, are required. If readmitted, the student will be subject to all of the current requirements for the degree in effect at the time of readmission. Individual exceptions require the approval of the dean of the degree-conferring unit.


Comprehensive and Qualifying Examinations

In graduate degree programs that require a comprehensive examination and for all doctoral qualifying examinations, a student who fails the examination may be permitted, at the discretion of the faculty, to take it a second time. For time limits on retaking the examinations, consult the individual school’s policy.

Requests for exception must be approved by the department chair.

A student may not take the comprehensive or qualifying examination more than twice and must be appropriately enrolled at USC during the semester in which any such examination is taken or retaken. A student who fails the comprehensive or qualifying examination a second time may not continue in the degree program after the end of the semester in which the second examination was taken. No exceptions are allowed.


Application for Graduate Degrees

Application for the degree is required for all graduate degrees. Application for the master’s degree should be made in the student’s academic unit in the semester preceding the one in which the student hopes to graduate and prior to enrolling in 594a. Application for the Ph.D. should be made when the student has passed the qualifying exam and been admitted to candidacy. The student must contact his or her academic advisor at the appropriate time and have the application submitted online or sent to the Graduate School, if required. When the application is received by Degree Progress, a degree summary report will be prepared and mailed to the student. The degree cannot be conferred if no application has been submitted.


Theses and Dissertations

Submission of Theses and Dissertations

At the time of submission, all required documentation and paperwork is to accompany the thesis or dissertation, along with a verified submittal check list (signed by the staff advisor in the student’s department and by the student). An abstract submittal form, signed by the committee chair (verifying that the student’s thesis or dissertation abstract has met the guidelines and has received approval for content) must accompany the student’s abstract and thesis or dissertation, as well. The final typed thesis or dissertation must be accepted by the Graduate School within a period of not more than six months after the student’s committee has signed the Approval of Thesis or Dissertation for Final Typing. Late submission of the document will require certification by the committee chair and will be subject to a $100 late fee for each six months thereafter.


Thesis or Dissertation Signature Page

A signature page, to be bound with the thesis or dissertation, must be signed by each member of the thesis or dissertation committee, submitted to the degree-conferring unit for the date and the signature of the dean of the degree-conferring unit, and then presented with the final typed thesis or dissertation and other required documentation to the Graduate School.


Acceptance by the University

The university must accept all theses and dissertations in an approved, final typed form before graduation can be conferred. The candidate’s committee, before submission to the Graduate School, must have approved all documents. After complying with the submission process described at length above, the student will remain in contact with the Graduate School, leaving a telephone number or email address where he or she can be contacted should the need arise. If students are from 1ut-of-town, out-of-state or out-of-the-country, they must arrange for a local contact person who will be responsible for all phases of the process if they cannot do so themselves. This is mandatory or the manuscript will not be accepted by the Graduate School.

All theses and dissertations, once properly submitted, are read in the order in which they are received. Candidates should contact the Graduate School when considering deadlines. At the time of submission, all manuscripts should be formatted and edited according to a recommended style manual and strict adherence to the Regulations for Format and Presentation of Theses and Dissertations, available from the Graduate School, Grace Ford Salvatori Hall, 315, or from the Graduate School homepage. The university thesis editor reviews the final typed copy for conformance to university regulations, which takes precedence over all other style formats and issues. The editor does not function as a proofreader or copy editor. The final version of the thesis or dissertation must comply with university guidelines, which prepare the manuscript both for microfilming and publication at Bell and Howell (University Microfilms International), as well as binding and archiving in the university library. All manuscripts that have not been proofread and do not conform to university regulations will automatically be returned to the student or the student’s department for compliance.

If the candidate’s manuscript requires corrections, the student must make arrangements for that manuscript and correction sheet to be returned to them (or come to the Graduate School to pick it up). The student must maintain contact with the Graduate School throughout the entire process to ensure completion. When a student resubmits his or her manuscript for a second review, those manuscripts are also reviewed by the thesis editor in the order in which they are received. No more than two reviews will be granted in a semester or summer period, and when time constraints prevail at each deadline, the number of reads possible will depend upon the availability of the thesis editor. Therefore, all students must allow adequate time to make any and all corrections, and these corrections must be approved by the thesis editor before a thesis or dissertation will be accepted by the university for graduation.

Schedule of Deadlines

The Graduate School provides a schedule of specific dates for completing the various requirements to qualify the student for the master’s or Ph.D. degree at commencement in May or to receive the degree in August or December. Despite the date of submission, a student must complete all corrections to the manuscript as specified by the thesis editor, as well as all verification of documentation and necessary paperwork before the degree can be conferred. Not until all the requirements of the entire process are completed will the thesis or dissertation be approved by the editor and the triple cards forwarded to Degree Progress (where the degree will then be verified and finally posted). Deadlines are strictly enforced. No exceptions will be made. Thus, a student may not always graduate in the semester in which he or she first submits the thesis or dissertation. Upon completion of all requirements, the official USC transcript will serve as evidence of the degree until the diploma is received.


Copies Required

For the first submission of either a thesis or dissertation, only one clean, typed, photocopy on regular white paper is required. That copy must observe margin and page number specifications, along with other guidelines, which are outlined in Regulations for Format and Presentation of Theses and Dissertations. Each time corrections are requested and made, the student will continue to resubmit an entire clean white, typed photocopy to the thesis editor. No partial pages will be accepted. Once the thesis or dissertation has been approved by the thesis editor, an additional copy on non-erasable, 20-pound cotton fiber paper will be submitted for cataloging, binding and archiving by the University Library. The photocopy will be sent to Bell and Howell (UMI) for microfilming. Candidates need to check with their committees to determine the requirements for any additional copies. The university does not provide these copies.


Publication and Microfilming

All theses and dissertations submitted and approved are microfilmed and each candidate must sign a UMI form, available from the Graduate School, authorizing microfilming of the document. The dissertation is publicized by means of the printed abstract, which appears in Master’s Abstracts International or Dissertation Abstracts International, with worldwide circulation. Theses and dissertations can be copyrighted for a fee of $45 made payable in a money order to UMI. Please request copyright at the time of submission if desired.


Thesis/Dissertation Fees

All master’s and doctoral candidates must pay a fee as part of the final requirements for the degree. The doctoral candidate’s fee, currently $113, includes microfilming and binding the dissertation and publication of the dissertation in Dissertation Abstracts International. Master’s candidates currently pay a fee of $50 for microfilming and binding the thesis and publication of the abstract in Master’s Abstracts International. Both fees are paid at the Cashier’s Office, King Hall, prior to submitting the manuscript to the Graduate School.