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University of Southern California
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General Requirements

Acceptance of Transfer Units

The School of Cinematic Arts does not accept courses taken in film and/or ­television production at other institutions to fulfill degree and minor requirements. Basic film or television history courses can sometimes be accepted for transfer credit.

No transfer credit will be accepted in lieu of CTPR 241, CTPR 242, CTPR 290, CTPR 310, CTPR 376, CTPR 507 and CTPR 508 and any advanced production courses.

No transfer credits are accepted for the Peter Stark producing track, the graduate programs in animation and digital arts, screenwriting and interactive media.

Transfer policy for the Ph.D. requires advisement and approval of the division chair.

Waiver of Course Requirements

Under special circumstances waivers and substitutions are granted; check with the Cinematic Arts Office of Student Affairs. All course waivers and substitutions must be approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

The following courses cannot be waived for students majoring in Film and Television Production: CTIN 584abcz, CTPR 241, CTPR 290, CTPR 310, CTPR 376, CTPR 480, CTPR 507, CTPR 508, CTPR 546L, CTPR 547L, CTPR 581abcz, CTPR 582abz, CTPR 583, CTPR 586abz, CTPR 587abcz.

Student Advisement

Each program has its own advisement system. Check with the program administrator or with the Cinematic Arts Office of Student Affairs. Cinematic Arts student affairs counselors are available to answer questions about degree programs, grades, advisement and other matters.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum grade of C, 2.0 (A = 4.0), must be earned in all required and prerequisite courses in order to progress to the next course level. Students may attempt to improve a grade lower than a C (2.0) only one time by registering and retaking the specific course. Departmental approval is required in order to retake a School of Cinematic Arts course.

In addition, a minimum grade point average must be achieved to earn all cinematic arts degrees (see the individual program descriptions). For example, undergraduates and graduates must earn a minimum grade of C (2.0) in all required cinematic arts courses. However, graduate students must also achieve a B (3.0) average in all courses required for the degree.

Undergraduate students in the film and television production program who achieve a grade lower than a C (2.0) in CTPR 241, CTPR 242, CTPR 290 (taken concurrently) and CTPR 310, CTPR 376 (taken concurrently) and graduate students in the production program who earn a grade lower than a C (2.0) in CTPR 508 and a no credit (NC) in CTPR 507 may petition to retake the required sequence only once. Permission to retake any prerequisite or core production courses requires prior departmental committee approval.

Students who do not satisfy the degree requirement after repeating a class will be disqualified from the program.

Policy on Films and Videos Produced by Students

All films, videos and computer disks produced with school equipment or facilities are the property of USC. Any income from distribution of student-produced films, videos and computer disks is used for the benefit of Cinematic Arts students through equipment purchases and so on. Students can purchase copies of their own work.

Tuition and Fees (Estimated)

Students in the School of Cinematic Arts' graduate programs pay differential tuition (see the Tuition and Fees section for current tuition rates). Undergraduate programs are assessed the university-wide tuition rate with a once-a-semester access fee of $50. In addition, some classes are charged lab fees, as noted in the Schedule of Classes, and insurance fees. The university reserves the right to assess new fees or charges. The rates listed are subject to change without notice by action of the Board of Trustees.