Since its establishment in 1880, USC has conferred degrees on more than a quarter-million students - leaders who have helped Southern California grow to become a national trendsetter in public policy, economic and business affairs, urban planning and engineering, scientific research, health care and the arts.
Today, USC and its graduates are continuing this tradition of leadership - developing innovative classroom techniques, exploring new fields of scholarly investigation, and establishing a widening network of service and partnership among the nations of the Pacific Rim.
The traditional function of the university is to teach students - in the classroom, studio, laboratory, seminar room, on the playing field, and where they live. USC is committed to the principle that this educational mission is most effectively carried out in a context that encourages the creation of new knowledge.
USC places a premium on research and scholarship and on the professional and scholarly credentials of its faculty. Since 1969, the university has been a member of the Association of American Universities, the elective body that unites the 58 strongest research universities in the United States and Canada.
USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Students may review the university's accreditation documents by contacting Jerome Walker, Associate Provost.
The university has traditionally performed a wide variety of roles in service to its communities - contributing to the welfare of its own members, as well as to Southern California and the nation. In particular, the university's network of affiliated hospitals and its partnerships with business and community organizations enable USC to make its expertise available to the community at large.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995