USC
University of Southern California
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School of Communication

Other Programs

Debate Squad

USC’s Debate Squad provides an opportunity for outstanding students (3.0 GPA), both majors and non-majors, to compete in an intensive intercollegiate laboratory setting. Whatever the student’s intended career, the skills he or she develops in research, critical thinking and oral advocacy will be invaluable. The team has an excellent record in both team policy debate and individual speaking events and has traveled widely both nationally and abroad.

Honors Program

The school offers an honors program for exceptional students, including honors sections of regular classes, special seminars reserved only for honors students (COMM 495), an internship (COMM 496x) and an honors thesis (COMM 497x). To qualify, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA both overall and in the COMM major after completing the core courses (COMM 200, COMM 201 and any four of: COMM 202, COMM 203, COMM 204, COMM 301L and COMM 322). To graduate with Annenberg Honors, a student must maintain a 3.5 overall and COMM major GPA. Contact an undergraduate advisor for further information and application forms.

Honor Society

Lambda Pi Eta is a national communication/journalism honor society that is open to declared majors who have completed at least 32 units (minimum 3.0 GPA), 12 of which are in the major (minimum 3.25 GPA).

Honors in Multimedia Scholarship

This program offers qualified undergraduate students an opportunity to approach their discipline(s) of study through the critical application of multimedia expression and scholarship. The student experience will be characterized by smaller classes taught by leading faculty members and enriched by a program of lecture series, visiting scholars, symposia and conferences. For complete program requirements, see Interdisciplinary Programs.

Annenberg International Programs

Semester in Amsterdam
Through the Council on International Education Exchange, students study at the University of Amsterdam. The first week students spend in orientation sessions which include an overview of the academic program, an introduction to Amsterdam and to Dutch society and culture, as well as excursions in and around the city. Students enroll in the offerings taught in English at the University of Amsterdam. Such courses include communication, art, history, economics, environmental sciences, computer science, history, philosophy, literature, social science and theology.

Semester in Buenos Aires
This semester program offers students the opportunity to study Latin American culture and study at the Universidad de San Andres, a small liberal arts college in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. Students will live and learn in this vibrant metropolis while taking communication courses that count toward major credit at USC. Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in Latin America and will give students the chance to explore the world view of Latin America and how it relates to communication, mass media and the world at large.

This program is open to Annenberg students as well as Spanish majors and minors. A five-week preparatory program will be required for students to stregthen Spanish skills. The program will immerse students in South American culture, with classes being taught exclusively in Spanish. This program requires a high degree of proficiency in Spanish, both written and oral (2.5 years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent required), and no special arrangements will be made for students who cannot meet language requirements.

Semester in Christchurch
This semester program offers students the opportunity to travel deep into the Southern Hemisphere and live in the rugged and beautiful landscape of New Zealand. Students will study at the University of Canterbury, a world class institution which offers students the chance to take communication courses that count toward major credit at USC, while exploring the beautiful city of Christchurch and stunning surrounding countryside. This program will offer communication students an exciting way to broaden their understanding of media and mass communication in a challenging environment with world views distinctly different from the United States.

Semester in London
The semester program offers students the opportunity to study communication in London, the most important center of media in Europe. Many of the communication courses offered include British media guest lecturers and site visits. The program includes one four-day trip to Paris as well as two one-day visits to such places as Stonehenge, Stratford, Oxford, Cambridge and Windsor. Planned activities within London include theatre and museum visits and a reception with USC alumni residing in the London area.

Semester in Hong Kong
The semester program offers students the opportunity to study Chinese culture and interact with Chinese people in a multicultural context at the Chinese University in Hong Kong, a bilingual institution. The program also gives students the experience of living in Hong Kong at a historic moment where they can witness the “one country, two systems” experiment. Courses in English are offered in fine arts, literature, history, Japanese studies, intercultural studies, music, philosophy, computer science, anthropology, economics, international relations, as well as journalism and communication. For students interested in Chinese language, courses are offered in Putongluua (Mandarin) or Cantonese. Extracurricular activities include the opportunity to teach English in rural China one weekend, monthly dinner talks with Asian Studies specialists, and excursions to local areas of interest.

Semester in Singapore
The program offers students the opportunity to study at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The Republic of Singapore is a modern city-state boasting the world’s busiest ports. Singapore has emerged as an important regional center for trade, communications, tourism, and banking. Despite rapid growth and soaring skyscrapers, Singapore remains one of the cleanest, greenest and safest cities in the world, blending Western-style development with Eastern-style culture. A wide array of communication and journalism courses are offered.

Semester in Sydney
This semester program offers students the chance to live and study in Australia’s most exciting city. Students take communication courses that count toward major credit at USC at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), one of Australia’s premiere universities. UNSW is located at the hub of Sydney’s business district, just a few kilometers from Sydney’s world-famous beaches. The program will give students the chance to explore mass media and communication in a challenging environment with a distinct world view, very different from that of the United States.