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
Application for the degree is a requirement for all graduate degrees. 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. 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.
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. 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 requirements. 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 in the 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 programs are
to be limited to a combination of 25 percent. Lower division courses
cannot be substituted for upper division 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:
- Minor programs are available to students matriculated in an
undergraduate degree program and must be completed simultaneously with the
major degree program.
- Minors constituted of course work from a single department may not be
earned by students majoring in that department.
- Students may take an interdepartmental minor in which their major unit
participates as long as at least four courses required for the minor are
taken outside the major.
- Students must take at least four courses which are unique to the minor
(i.e., not required to fulfill the major, another minor or general
education requirements).
- All upper-division course work required for the minor must be taken at
USC.
- Departments at their discretion may substitute no more than 25 percent
of the required units defined in the catalogue for a given minor program.
- 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.
- No course work required for the minor may be taken on a Pass/No Pass
basis.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- satisfactorily completes course work for an honors project and
- 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:
- a minimum of 12 units is required; the maximum number of units may vary;
- 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;
- for completion, a minimum cumulative
USC grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved on all course work applied
to the certificate;
- 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 doctoral 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. A 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 Masters 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
out-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.
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