USC Today 2
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Academic Programs

The University of Southern California maintains a tradition of academic strength at all levels of higher education - from the earliest explorations of the undergraduate to the advanced scholarly research of the postdoctoral fellow.

USC offers bachelor's degrees in 82 undergraduate majors as well as master's, doctoral and professional degrees in 150 fields of study. Students may select from a variety of major degree combinations in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, in the Graduate School and under the direction of the university's 18 professional schools.

The heart of USC's liberal education program is the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The largest of USC's academic divisions - both in student enrollment and faculty - the college encompasses 26 departments serving approximately 6,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students. In addition to the undergraduate degrees offered by the college, many of the university's 18 professional schools also offer bachelor's degree programs.

Faculty

Of USC's 3,450 faculty, 1,470 occupy tenure-track positions and 76 percent of those have been granted tenure. In addition, approximately 4,240 medical volunteer faculty members are affiliated with the USC School of Medicine. Research, teaching and service are supported by a staff of 5,840.

USC's faculty includes members of the National Academy of Sciences (7), National Academy of Engineering (14), National Academy of Public Administration (9), and the Institute of Medicine (5). More than 200 faculty members have received prestigious academic and professional awards from organizations as varied as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Students

Diversity is the hallmark of the USC student community. USC students come from all 50 states and 107 countries. In a recent freshman class, 57 percent were from California, 37 percent from out of state. Approximately 34 percent of the university's total enrollment is composed of American minorities; a further 15 percent are international students - giving USC the second largest number of international students of any private university in the U.S. Among undergraduates, 55 percent are men, 45 percent are women.

A total of 28 percent of the incoming 1994 freshman class were honor students with SAT scores of 1200 or better. In 1994-95, 80 freshmen were National Merit Scholars, bringing the otal on campus to 242. Since 1988, three USC students have been selected to attend Oxford University as Rhodes Scholars, while another was awarded a Marshall Scholarship.

Research Support

Each year, USC's distinguished faculty and modern facilities attract substantial external funding for educational and scientific research. According to the National Science Foundation, USC currently ranks in the top 10 private universities receiving federal funds for research and development support and in the top 20 among all universities - with a 1992 total of $141,449,000 (based on the U.S. government fiscal year ending September 30, 1992).

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu