Marshall School of Business
Undergraduate Degrees
Minor Programs
Minor in Business
A minor in business is available to students in all schools and departments except the Marshall School of Business and the Leventhal School of Accounting. The minor provides the opportunity for students to gain understanding of key concepts and tools of business. To enroll in the business minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and attained a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Successful completion of the business minor requires at least 16 units of upper division course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in the courses applied to the minor:
| Minor course requirements | units | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following five options: | 2-8 | |
| BUAD 200x* | Economic Foundations for Business (2), or | |
| BUAD 201x | Introduction to Business for Non-Majors (4), or | |
| ECON 203 | Principles of Microeconomics (4), and | |
| ECON 205 | Principles of Macroeconomics (4), or | |
| ECON 303 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (4), and | |
| ECON 305 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (4), or | |
| ECON 351x | Microeconomics for Business (4), and | |
| ECON 352x | Macroeconomics for Business (4) | |
| Required: | ||
| ACCT 410x | Foundations of Accounting, or | |
| BUAD 285a | Accounting Fundamentals, Financial and Managerial Accounting, or | |
| BUAD 305 | Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting Information | 4 |
| BUAD 215x** | Foundations of Business Finance, or | |
| BUAD 306 | Business Finance | 4 |
| BUAD 302 | Communication Strategy in Business | 4 |
| BUAD 304 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 4 |
| BUAD 307 | Marketing Fundamentals, or | |
| MKT 385x | Marketing of Creative Disruption and Innovation | 4 |
| BUAD 315x | Basics of Project and Operations Management for Non-Majors (2), or | |
| BUAD 311 | Operations Management (4) | 2-4 |
Minor in Accounting
A minor in accounting is available to students in all schools and departments except the Marshall School of Business. See here for program requirements.
Minor in Advertising
The Marshall School and the School of Journalism jointly offer a 24-unit advertising minor for students interested in building a career in or developing a better understanding of the field of advertising. Through this program of study, students explore the key role played by advertising in today’s global economy. At no time has advertising been more successful or more controversial than it is today, and this program will explore both the positives and the negatives.
Emphasis is placed on both the practical skills required to meet the demands of the marketplace and the theoretical underpinnings of those practices. Program content includes: the history of advertising; creation of written and visual advertising elements; the measurement, selection and analysis of media; the concept of “branding”; the role of advertising in creating and maintaining successful brands; the analysis of advertising campaign case studies; and the creation of integrated marketing communication campaigns. See the School of Journalism for course requirements.
Minor in Biotechnology
The Marshall School and the departments of biological sciences and chemistry in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences jointly offer the minor in biotechnology. This minor brings essential knowledge in the basic sciences together with the corporate skills needed in a rapidly growing industry. The minor is especially well suited for the business, biology, chemistry or engineering student seeking a career in business and/or the biomedical/bio-technical sciences. Refer to Biological Sciences for a list of required courses.
Minor in Business Economics
This minor is available to students of all majors except business, accounting and economics. This minor teaches students to think strategically about business. It integrates economic ideas with practical applications in the real world. Students who minor in business economics learn to think like leaders in business firms. This minor approaches problems conceptually, proceeding from the general economic theories to specific real world applications. This gives students a higher level of understanding of business opportunities and problems.
Many students in disciplines other than business need economic skills that focus on business. This minor teaches a combination of the ideas, skill sets and methodological approaches used in business economics. Students develop economic reasoning skills related to real-world problems and opportunities.
To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75. Completion of this minor requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the 20 units applied to the minor.
| REQUIRED COURSES (12 units) | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 118x | Fundamental Principles of the Calculus | 4 |
| ECON 351x | Microeconomics for Business | 4 |
| ECON 352x | Macroeconomics for Business | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose two from the list below: | ||
| FBE 324 | The Financial System | 4 |
| FBE 402 | Government and Business | 4 |
| FBE 416* | Managerial Economics | 4 |
| FBE 443* | Introduction to Forecasting and Risk Analysis | 4 |
| FBE 445 | Topics in Economic Analysis of Business Strategy and Policy | 4 |
| FBE 462 | International Trade, Finance and Commercial Policy | 4 |
Minor in Business Finance
The minor in business finance offers non-business/non-accounting majors an opportunity to expand their career opportunities by gaining a background in financial concepts, valuation and financial strategy. It provides students with the necessary tools to measure benefits and related costs that will enable them to make better business decisions. Problem-solving and quantitative skills that are widely used in business will enable students to work on special projects or management teams — opportunities that might not have been available had it not been for this minor. Eighteen units are required.
To enroll students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75. Completion of this minor requires a minimum of 16 upper-division units in the minor and a GPA of 2.00 for the 18 units applied to the minor. Individuals in some majors who take 200-level courses to satisfy major requirements may be required to take additional electives to achieve the 16-unit upper-division minimum.
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | ||
| Choose one of the following five options: | 2-8 | |
| BUAD 200x* | Economic Foundations for Business (2), or | |
| BUAD 201x | Introduction to Business for Non-Majors (4), or | |
| ECON 203 | Principles of Microeconomics (4), and | |
| ECON 205 | Principles of Macroeconomics (4), or | |
| ECON 303 | Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (4), and | |
| ECON 305 | Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (4), or | |
| ECON 351x | Microeconomics for Business (4), and | |
| ECON 352x | Macroeconomics for Business (4) | |
| Accounting | ||
| Choose one course (4 units): | ||
| ACCT 410x** | Foundations of Accounting | 4 |
| BUAD 285a | Accounting Fundamentals, Financial and Managerial Accounting | 4 |
| BUAD 305 | Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting Information | 4 |
| Finance | ||
| Choose one course (4 units): | ||
| BUAD 215x | Foundations of Business Finance | 4 |
| BUAD 306** | Business Finance | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose two from the list below: | ||
| FBE 421 | Financial Analysis and Valuation | 4 |
| FBE 423 | Introduction to Venture Capital and Private Equity | 4 |
| FBE 425 | Management of Financial Institutions | 4 |
| FBE 431 | Financial Policies and Corporate Governance | 4 |
| FBE 432 | Corporate Financial Strategy | 4 |
| FBE 433 | Corporate Governance and CEO Pay | 4 |
| FBE 435 | Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities | 4 |
| FBE 436 | Financial Management of Multinational Corporations | 4 |
| FBE 437 | Entrepreneurial Finance: Financial Management for Developing Firms | 4 |
| FBE 440 | Trading and Exchanges | 4 |
| FBE 441 | Investments | 4 |
| FBE 458 | Law, Finance and Ethics | 4 |
| FBE 459 | Financial Derivatives | 4 |
| FBE 460 | Mergers, Acquisitions and Restructuring | 4 |
| FBE 462** | International Trade, Finance and Commercial Policy | 4 |
Minor in Business Law
A minor in business law is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. The minor in business law will provide students with practical legal knowledge of substantive business law topics and current legal issues. The minor provides skill sets to identify and manage issues encountered within personal and business contexts including litigation, contract law, employment and human resources, real and personal property law. This minor exposes students to such topics as: commercial transactions, constitutional law, Internet and online commerce; intellectual property and entertainment law; bankruptcy and securities law; law of business and non-profit organizations; and international law. It also prepares students for career opportunities in management, technology and politics. The minor is an excellent preparation for further legal education. To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75.
| Required courses | units | |
|---|---|---|
| FBE 403 | Introduction to the Legal Environment of Business | 4 |
| FBE 458 | Law, Finance and Ethics | 4 |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| FBE 427 | Real Estate Law | 4 |
| FBE 428 | Principles of Employment Law | 4 |
| FBE 429 | International Business Law | 4 |
| FBE 430 | Online Commerce and Intellectual Property | 4 |
Minor in Business Technology Fusion
The minor in business technology fusion is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. This minor requires 20 units to complete. To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75.
| COURSE REQUIREMENTS | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| DSO 431 | Foundations of Digital Business Innovation | 4 |
| DSO 433 | Business Process Design | 4 |
| DSO 435 | Enterprise Data Architecture | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose from the following to achieve a total of at least 8 units: | ||
| DSO 401 | Business Information Systems — Spreadsheet Applications | 2 |
| DSO 402 | Business Information Systems — Database Applications | 2 |
| DSO 443 | The Business of Digital Entertainment | 4 |
| DSO 455 | Project Management | 4 |
| DSO 462 | Managing a Small Business on the Internet | 2 |
Minor in Consumer Behavior
This interdisciplinary minor explores consumer thinking from the perspectives of psychology, marketing, economics, anthropology, sociology and other departments interested in popular culture. Why do people form the attitudes and impressions they do? How do individual factors, culture, mass media, economics and social trends influence people’s decisions?
As with all minors, students must include at least four upper-division courses and four courses dedicated exclusively to this minor (which may be the same four courses). Finally, students must select four courses outside their major department. Psychology majors must choose four courses outside of psychology; business majors must choose four courses outside of the Marshall School of Business. To enroll in this minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75.
| Requirements | units | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following courses (4 units): | ||
| BUAD 307 | Marketing Fundamentals, or | |
| MKT 385x | Marketing of Creative Disruption and Innovation | 4 |
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| Choose one of the following courses (4 units): | ||
| MKT 450 | Consumer Behavior and Marketing | 4 |
| PSYC 355* | Social Psychology | 4 |
| SOCI 320 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| Choose two of the following courses (8 units): | ||
| ANTH 460 | Economic Anthropology | 4 |
| COMM 302 | Persuasion | 4 |
| ECON 432* | Economics of Happiness | 4 |
| MKT 405* | Advertising and Promotion Management | 4 |
| MKT 410* | Professional Selling | 4 |
| PSYC 451* | Formation and Change of Attitudes | 4 |
| PSYC 454* | Social Cognition | 4 |
| Choose one of the following courses (4 units): | ||
| COLT 365 | Literature and Popular Culture | 4 |
| COMM 384 | Interpreting Popular Culture | 4 |
| ENGL 392 | Visual and Popular Culture | 4 |
| HIST 380 | American Popular Culture | 4 |
| MKT 402* | Research Skills for Marketing Insights | 4 |
| PSYC 490x | Directed Research | 4 |
| Total requirements: five courses | 20 | |
Minor in Entrepreneurship
The minor in entrepreneurship is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. It provides an understanding of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset. To enroll in this minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. The minor requires a minimum of 17 units to complete.
| Course Requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BAEP 451 | The Management of New Enterprises, or | 4 |
| BUAD 301 | Technical Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BAEP 452 | Feasibility Analysis | 4 |
| BAEP 453 | Venture Management, or | |
| BAEP 454 | Venture Initiation: Launching and Scaling Your Startup | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose from the following to achieve a total of at least 17 units for the minor: | ||
| BAEP 460 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship, or | |
| BAEP 470 | The Entrepreneurial Mindset – Taking the Leap | 2 |
| BAEP 465 | Digital Playbook for Entrepreneurs: Creating a Tech Startup | 2 |
| BAEP 495 | Practicum in Business Issues (Internship) | 1 |
| BAEP 499 | Special Topics | 2-4 |
| BUAD 302 | Communication Strategy in Business | 4 |
| BUAD 304 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 4 |
| BUAD 307 | Marketing Fundamentals, or | |
| MKT 385x | Marketing of Creative Disruption and Innovation | 4 |
| BUAD 315x | Basics of Project and Operations Management for Non-Majors | 2 |
| FBE 400x | Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Development | 4 |
| FBE 403 | Introduction to the Legal Environment of Business | 4 |
Minor in Human Resource Management
The minor in human resource management is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. It is appropriate for students pursuing careers in human resource management, as well as for students pursuing management positions where they will be interfacing with or relying on the human resource function for support. To enroll in this minor, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Completion of the human resource management minor requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the following business minor courses:
| Minor Course Requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BUAD 304 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 4 |
| MOR 471 | Managing and Developing People | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose three courses from the following (12 units): | ||
| FBE 428 | Principles of Employment Law | 4 |
| FBE 433* | Corporate Governance and CEO Pay | 4 |
| MOR 421 | Social and Ethical Issues in Business | 4 |
| MOR 431 | Interpersonal Competence and Development | 4 |
| MOR 461 | Design of Effective Organizations | 4 |
| MOR 463 | Organization Change and Development | 4 |
| MOR 469 | Negotiation and Persuasion | 4 |
| MOR 472 | Power, Politics and Influence | 4 |
| MOR 473 | Designing and Leading Teams | 4 |
Minor in Innovation: The Digital Entrepreneur
The Minor in Innovation: The Digital Entrepreneur is jointly sponsored by the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in the Marshall School of Business and the Information Technology Program of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The minor is designed for students from a wide range of backgrounds who are interested in starting their own digital ventures, working for start-up companies or consulting firms that advise in the field, or pursuing traditional jobs with large corporations that may be launching new digital business units. Students will learn all major elements of launching a digital venture including ideation, feasibility analysis, high-tech product management, online customer acquisition, technology implementation, online business models and monetization. Students will work on launching a digital venture in a team-based environment in the capstone class. The minor is available to business majors. For more details, see Information Technology Program.
Minor in Managing Human Relations
This interdisciplinary minor is for students in all schools with an interest in human relations as a subject of study or professional goal. In addition to course work in organizational behavior, social psychology and management, this minor includes attention to questions of ethics and leadership. See Sociology for course requirements.
Minor in Management Consulting
The minor in management consulting is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. The minor develops skills used by professional consultants to assist organizations and businesses in identifying and addressing their issues and problems.
To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Completion of this minor requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the following courses:
| Course Requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BUAD 304 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 4 |
| MOR 462 | Management Consulting | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose three courses from the following (12 units): | ||
| DSO 455 | Project Management | 4 |
| MOR 421 | Social and Ethical Issues in Business | 4 |
| MOR 461 | Design of Effective Organizations | 4 |
| MOR 463 | Organization Change and Development | 4 |
| MOR 465 | Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis | 4 |
| MOR 469 | Negotiation and Persuasion | 4 |
| MOR 473 | Designing and Leading Teams | 4 |
Minor in Marketing
The minor in marketing is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. Marketing studies processes that organizations use to identify and serve the needs of customers.
The marketing minor provides a business-related education that will supplement many undergraduate majors, and enhance the career prospects for students whose majors could incorporate a marketing dimension or application. This minor should appeal to any student interested in an early marketing career, which includes, but is not limited to, professional sales, retailing, marketing research, product management and advertising.
Eligible students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum GPA of 2.75. Students take four elective courses offered in the marketing department to satisfy this minor.
Minor in Mathematical Finance
This interdisciplinary minor was created for students in business, economics and mathematics, whose majors already require some of the introductory course work. Students in other programs are welcome but should expect the minor to require more units than it does for students in those programs. See Mathematics for course requirements.
Minor in Operations and Supply Chain Management
The minor in operations and supply chain management is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. This minor requires 20 units to complete. To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75.
| MINOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS | units | |
|---|---|---|
| BUAD 311 | Operations Management | 4 |
| DSO 482 | Supply Chain Management | 4 |
| DSO 483 | Operations Consulting | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose from the following to achieve a total of at least 8 units: | ||
| DSO 401 | Business Information Systems — Spreadsheet Applications | 2 |
| DSO 427 | Designing Spreadsheet-Based Business Models | 4 |
| DSO 433 | Business Process Design | 4 |
| DSO 441 | Service Operations | 4 |
| DSO 455 | Project Management | 4 |
Minor in Organizational Leadership and Management
The minor in organizational leadership and management is available to students in all schools and departments except business majors. Students in the minor learn about personal and organizational leadership, ethics of the workplace, leading in a global context and organizing and planning for effective personal and organizational performance. To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level courses and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Completion of this minor requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the following courses:
| Course Requirements | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BUAD 304 | Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 4 |
| MOR 470 | Global Leadership | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose three courses from the following (12 units): | ||
| MOR 421 | Social and Ethical Issues in Business | 4 |
| MOR 431 | Interpersonal Competence and Development | 4 |
| MOR 469 | Negotiation and Persuasion | 4 |
| MOR 471 | Managing and Developing People | 4 |
| MOR 472 | Power, Politics and Influence | 4 |
| MOR 473 | Designing and Leading Teams | 4 |
| MDA 365 | The Art and Adventure of Leadership | 4 |
Minor in Real Estate Finance
The minor in real estate finance is available to all majors except business. It provides students with training in the areas of business, finance, real estate law, design, and urban economics. It provides an opportunity for students to gain thorough exposure to the topics of real estate investing, finance and development. Upon successful completion of this minor, students will have achieved a basic understanding of the interplay of the various disciplines involved in contemporary real estate ownership and investment and how they impact the areas of the student’s specific interests and expertise.
Those completing this minor will master techniques in valuing income-producing properties, analyze financial instruments such as mortgages and loans, understand the roles of debt and equity, gain insights into the processes of design and construction, as well as understand the dynamics of how real estate markets affect the underlying values of real property assets, as well as the role real estate markets play in the overall economy.
To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and attained a minimum overall GPA of at least 2.75. Successful completion of this minor requires a minimum of 16 upper-division units in the minor and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for the 24 units.
| REQUIRED COURSES (16 units) | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Choose one option from the following: | 4-6 | |
| ACCT 410x* | Foundations of Accounting (4), or | |
| BUAD 280 | Accounting I (4), or | |
| BUAD 285a | Accounting Fundamentals, Financial and Managerial Accounting (4), or | |
| BUAD 286ab | Accounting Fundamentals, Managerial and Financial Accounting (4-2), or | |
| BUAD 305 | Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting Information (4) | |
| Business Finance | ||
| BUAD 215x* | Foundations of Business Finance, or | |
| BUAD 306** | Business Finance | 4 |
| Real Estate Finance | ||
| FBE 391 | Real Estate Finance and Investment, or | |
| FBE 400x | Introduction to Real Estate Finance and Development | 4 |
| Real Estate Law | ||
| FBE 427 | Real Estate Law | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose two courses (8 units) from the following: | ||
| FBE 466 | Management of Real Estate Development: Feasibility Studies | 4 |
| FBE 470 | Advanced Real Estate Analysis | 4 |
| FBE 489 | Real Estate Capital Markets | 4 |
Minor in Social Entrepreneurship
The minor in social entrepreneurship provides students from all undergraduate majors with a foundation in the context and practice of social entrepreneurship, nationally and internationally. The minor provides an understanding of social entrepreneurship and its relationship to government and public policy as well as an understanding of management skills specific to starting and maintaining a social enterprise. The curriculum includes options allowing the student to tailor course work to his or her individual academic interests and professional aspirations.
To enroll in this minor, students must have completed 48 units of college level courses with a cumulative USC GPA of at least 2.75.
| Course Requirements (14 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BAEP 451 | The Management of New Enterprises | 4 |
| BAEP 491 | Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship | 4 |
| BAEP 497 | Field Project in Entrepreneurship, or | |
| BAEP 460 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship, or | |
| BAEP 470 | The Entrepreneurial Mindset — Taking the Leap | 2 |
| PPD 371 | The Nonprofit Sector and the Public Interest | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Complete at least 7 units from the following: | ||
| BAEP 452* | Feasibility Analysis | 4 |
| BUCO 485 | Business Communication Management for Nonprofits | 4 |
| CE 469 | Sustainable Design and Construction | 3 |
| COMM 402 | Public Communication Campaigns | 4 |
| IR 305 | Managing New Global Challenges | 4 |
| IR 308 | Globalization: Issues and Controversies | 4 |
| PPD 478 | Social Innovations | 4 |
| PSYC 456** | Conservation Psychology | 4 |
| SOCI 360 | Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power | 4 |
Minor in Technology Commercialization
This interdisciplinary minor includes courses from both the business and engineering schools and provides education in the economic, technological and entrepreneurial aspects of commercializing new technologies. The minor is designed for students from a range of backgrounds (e.g., majors in engineering, life sciences or business) who are interested in starting their own technology-based ventures, working for technology-based start-up companies or pursuing corporate careers that may involve the commercialization of new technologies. In the minor, students learn about conceptualizing, developing and managing new, technology-based ventures and projects.
To enroll, students must have completed a minimum of 32 units of college-level course work and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. To complete the minor, students are required to complete the two required courses (7 units) and enough elective courses to achieve a total of 16 units outside of their major. Business majors thus require 23 total units and other majors 16 total units to complete the minor.
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| BAEP 452 | Feasibility Analysis | 4 |
| BUAD 301 | Technical Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| ACCT 410x | Foundations of Accounting | 4 |
| BAEP 454 | Venture Initiation: Launching and Scaling Your Startup | 4 |
| BAEP 460 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship | 2-4 |
| BAEP 470 | The Entrepreneurial Mindset — Taking the Leap | 2 |
| BME 416 | Development and Regulation of Medical Products | 3 |
| BUAD 307 | Marketing Fundamentals, or | |
| MKT 385x | Marketing of Creative Disruption and Innovation | 4 |
| CE 473 | Engineering Law, Finance and Ethics, or | |
| ENGR 509 | Patent Law for Scientists and Engineers | 3 |
| ENGR 493x | Dean’s Seminar in Entrepreneurship | 2 |
| ISE 344 | Engineering Team Management | 3 |
| ISE 440 | Work, Technology, and Organization | 3 |
| ISE 460 | Engineering Economy | 3 |
| ITP 310x | Design for User Experience | 2 |
| ITP 466 | Building the High Tech Startup | 4 |
| ITP 476 | Technologies for Interactive Marketing | 4 |
| MKT 445 | New Product Development and Branding | 4 |