USC
University of Southern California
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Undergraduate Education

General Education Course Lists

Category I. Western Cultures and Traditions

Classical Civilizations and Their Legacies
AHIS 120gFoundations of Western Art
AHIS 201gDigging into the Past: Material Culture and the Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
CLAS 150gThe Greeks and the West
CLAS 151gCivilization of Rome
CLAS 280gClassical Mythology
CLAS 320gmDiversity and the Classical Western Tradition
COLT 150xgOrigins of Western Literature and Culture
HIST 101gmThe Ancient World
HIST 301gThe Greek World
PHIL 115gAncient Greek Culture and Society
PHIL 225gLove and its Representations in Literature, Philosophy, and Film

Judeo-Christian Traditions and Their Legacies
AHIS 220gMedieval Visual Culture
HIST 102gMedieval Civilization
JS 100gJewish History
REL 111gThe World of the Hebrew Bible
REL 121gThe World of the New Testament
REL 132gReligions of the West

The Making of the Modern World
AHIS 121gArt and Society: Renaissance to Modern
COLT 151xgModern Western Literature and Culture
COLT 374gmWomen Writers in Europe and America
HIST 103gThe Emergence of Modern Europe
HIST 104gEurope and Its Influence Since 1750: From the Rise of Democracy to the Age of Extremes
MDA 205gCities and Civilization
PHIL 101gPhilosophical Foundations of Modern Western Culture
PHIL 155gModern Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
PHIL 220gScience, Religion and the Making of the Modern Mind
PHIL 262gMind and Self: Modern Conceptions

Foundations of American Civilization
AMST 301gAmerica, the Frontier, and the New West
HIST 200gmThe American Experience
MDA 105gCultural Forms and Values I

Category II. Global Cultures and Traditions

AHIS 125gArts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300
AHIS 126gIntroduction to Asian Art: 1300 to the Present
AHIS 284gArt in Context: Introduction to the Chinese Visual World
ANTH 100gPrinciples of Human Organization: Non-Western Societies
ANTH 140gNative Peoples of Mexico and Central America
ANTH 235gThe Changing Pacific: Culture, History and Politics in the New South Seas
ANTH 250gRace and Sexual Politics in Southeast Asia
ANTH 263gExploring Culture Through Film
ANTH 273gShamans, Spirits, and Ancestors: Non-Western Religious Traditions
ANTH 315gNorth American Indians
ANTH 316gmNorth American Indians in American Public Life
CLAS 220gEgypt and India: Colonial Experiences
COLT 250gCultures of Latin America
COLT 264gAsian Aesthetic and Literary Traditions
COLT 382gZen and Taoism in Asian Literature
EALC 110gEast Asian Humanities: The Great Tradition
EALC 130gEast Asian Ethical Thought
EALC 340gJapanese Civilization
EALC 342gJapanese Literature and Culture
EALC 350gChinese Civilization
EALC 352gChinese Literature and Culture
EALC 354gModern Chinese Literature in Translation
EASC 150gEast Asian Societies
HIST 105gThe Korean Past
HIST 106gChinese Lives: An Introduction to Chinese History
HIST 107gJapanese History
HIST 275gThe Worlds of the Silk Road
HIST 324gIslam in Russia and the Soviet Union
LING 295gThe Ancient Near East: Culture, Archaeology, Texts
MDA 155gCultural Forms and Values II
POSC 255gCultures, Civilizations, and Ethnicities in World Politics
REL 131gReligions of Asia
REL 133gReligions of Latin America
SLL 330gRussian Thought and Civilization

Category III. Scientific Inquiry

For Most General Education Students
The following courses are recommended for most students seeking to satisfy general education requirements.

ASTR 100LxgThe Universe
BISC 101LxgCellular and Molecular Biology
BISC 104LxgHow the Body Works: Topics in Human Physiology
CHEM 102LxgThe Molecular World
GEOG 160LgThe Earth's Surface
GEOL 105LgPlanet Earth
GEOL 107LxgOceanography
GEOL 108LgCrises of a Planet
GEOL 130LxgThe Nature of Scientific Inquiry
MDA 125LgScientific Principles
PHYS 100LxgThe Physical World

For Specified Cohorts
The following courses will also satisfy this requirement, but they are intended for specific groups of students and are not usually appropriate for most general education students. Consult an academic advisor before enrolling in any of the following courses unless your major requires you to do so.

BISC 120LgGeneral Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution
BISC 121LgAdvanced General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution
CHEM 105aLgGeneral Chemistry
CHEM 115aLgAdvanced General Chemistry
PHYS 125LgPhysics for Architects
PHYS 151LgFundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Category IV. Science and Its Significance

ANTH 200LgThe Origins of Humanity
ASTR 200LxgEarth and Space
BISC 102LxgHumans and Their Environment
BISC 150LxgThe Nature of Human Health and Disease
BISC 180LxgEvolution
BISC 230LxgBrain, Mind and Machines: Topics in Neuroscience
CHEM 201LgChemistry in the Environment, Energy and Society
CHEM 202LxgMaterials for the 21st Century: Synthetic Polymers
CHEM 203LxgChemistry in Life: AIDS Drug Discovery and Development
EXSC 205LxgThe Science of Human Performance
GEOG 165LgThe Atmospheric Environment
GEOG 260LgNatural Hazards
GEOG 265LgThe Water Planet
GEOG 281LgEnvironmental Geographic Information Systems
GEOL 125LxgEarth History: A Planet and Its Evolution
GEOL 150LxgClimate Change
GEOL 240LxgEarthquakes
LING 110LgIn A Word
LING 275LgLanguage and Mind
LING 285LgHuman Language and Technology
MDA 175LgScience and Technology
MDA 200LgThe Cutting Edge: From Basic Science to the Marketplace
PHYS 200LxgThe Physics and Technology of Energy: Keeping the Motor Running
PSYC 165LgDrugs, Behavior and Society

Category V. Arts and Letters

ARLT 100gArts and Letters
ARLT 101gStudies in Arts and Letters

Category VI. Social Issues

The following courses require concurrent enrollment in WRIT 140 Writing and Critical Reasoning, unless the first course of the writing requirement has already been satisfied.

AHIS 255gCulture Wars: Art and Social Conflict in the USA, 1900-Present
AMST 101gmRace and Class in Los Angeles
ANTH 105gCulture, Medicine and Politics
ANTH 125gSocial Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction
ANTH 240gmCollective Identity and Political Violence: Representing 9/11
ECON 238xgPolitical Economy and Social Issues
ENST 150xgEnvironmental Issues in Society
GEOG 100gmLos Angeles and the American Dream
GEOG 120gGeopolitics
GEOG 215gmEthnicity and Place
GEOG 257gEnvironment and Ethics
HIST 215gBusiness and Labor in America
HIST 225gFilm, Power, and American History
HIST 235gWar and the American Experience
HIST 245gmGender and Sexualities in American History
HIST 265gUnderstanding Race and Sex Historically
IR 100xgThe United States and World Affairs
IR 101xgInternational Relations
JS 211gThe Holocaust
LING 115gLanguage, Society, and Culture
MDA 165gSocial Inquiry
MDA 166gmPoverty and Welfare in America
MDA 167gmMarginal Groups in America
MDA 170gLa Frontera: The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
PHIL 140gContemporary Moral and Social Issues
PHIL 141gThe Professions and the Public Interest in American Life
POSC 130gLaw, Politics and Public Policy
POSC 165gModern Times
POSC 220gCritical Issues in American Politics
PSYC 155xgPsychological Perspectives on Social Issues
REL 110gReligion and the State: Changing Boundaries
REL 140gReligion and Ethical Issues
REL 150gReligion and Immigration
SOCI 142gmDiversity and Racial Conflict
SOCI 150gmSocial Problems
SOCI 155gImmigrant America
SOCI 169gChanging Family Forms
SWMS 210gmSocial Issues in Gender