Director: Karen Segal, Ph.D.
Thematic Option, the university's general education honors program, is an alternative to the usual ways in which freshmen meet their general education requirements. Its curriculum is arranged around four core courses which focus on the history of Western civilization through the close reading of primary literature and philosophical texts. The program is designed to teach its students to formulate ethical questions, to analyze and understand the reasoning behind views that differ from their own, to recognize the roles that historical, political, and social forces play in matters of personal choice, and to express their views articulately in writing. Thematic Option offerings can be arranged to fit any major; students meet their general education requirements through the Thematic Option program by contract between the program and the Degree Progress Department in Student Administrative Services.
To maintain small classes and allow for extensive discussion, Thematic Option is limited to 180 students each year. Students must be highly motivated, with a record of academic achievement; the average Thematic Option student has cumulative SATs above 1300 and an A- high school GPA. The program is rigorous and requires extensive reading and writing.
The core curriculum also includes eight units of writing composition required of all students seeking a B.A. or B.S. degree from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences or a B.S. degree from the School of Business Administration. These units satisfy the general education composition requirements. The classes, which are accompanied by individual, bi-weekly tutorials, are offered in small sections and focus on materials taught in the core courses.
Each student seeking a B.A. or B.S. degree from LAS is required to take a Thematic Option seminar after completion of the four core courses.
For B.A. students in the college, the core curriculum is supplemented by five theme courses, chosen from a list issued each semester by the Thematic Option office. These courses deal in depth with one or more aspects of each core course.
B.S. students in the college are considered to have completed their general education requirements when they have successfully completed the four core courses, eight units of writing, a Thematic Option seminar and the skill levels.
All students in the college must pass the general education skill level requirements.
Program requirements vary for those students seeking degrees from professional schools. Students seeking a B.S. from the School of Business are considered to have met their general education requirements when they have successfully completed the four core courses, eight units of writing, the composition skill level, one course from both the Empirical Approaches category and the Non-Western Cultures category, and either a Thematic Option seminar or a course from the Natural World category.
Thematic Option is available to students of all majors. Students seeking a degree other than those described above must satisfy the requirements which are listed for these degrees in the USC Catalogue and the General Education Addendum. Specific information about which Thematic Option courses fulfill requirements in the various general education categories is available in the Thematic Option office and students seeking these degrees must seek regular academic advisement.
Thematic Option CORE courses and writing classes are not available for pass/no pass registration.
Descriptions of the Thematic Option CORE courses and the senior seminars are given below. Information about theme courses for Thematic Option and other program offerings, and the ways in which requirements differ for the B.A., B.S. or professional degrees can be obtained from advisors in the Thematic Option Program office.
All Thematic Option students are required to seek regular academic advisement from the program advisement staff and from their major advisors.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995