College Academic Services Building, Room 200
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FAX: (213) 740-4839Coordinator: Richard Fliegel, Ph.D.
The university has created a new general education program which started in fall 1997. The number of requirements has been reduced for most students, allowing more time for minors and double majors. The classes have also been restructured to provide a more coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person.
In thinking over what is necessary, the faculty identified two principal goals: to help you (1) locate yourself in your own moment of cultural and intellectual history; and (2) think critically about the books you read, the arguments you confront and the evidence offered for and against theories in the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences.
To achieve these two goals, the program is divided into two parts: the first part, called “Foundations,” presents courses that give you the “big picture” about (I) the development of western European and American culture, as well as (II) alternative cultural traditions and (III) the basic principles animating scientific inquiry. The second part, called “Case Studies,” provides particular opportunities for you to sharpen your critical intelligence by considering specific (IV) applications of science and technology, (V) works of literature, philosophy and art, and (VI) contemporary social issues of urgency and importance.
The freshman year semester of the writing requirement is co-registered with classes in the Social Issues category and the new speaker series, helping to build intellectual community among students and faculty in the general education program. As you look through the courses in each category, try to reach beyond the disciplines with which you are most familiar and comfortable. Draw broadly from the range of academic expertise and choose a thoughtful, provocative selection of “g” courses as your personal general education program. This academic background will need to serve you well in the future.
General Education Requirements
Students in all programs are required to take one course which satisfies each of the following categories.
Foundations:
I. Cultures and Civilizations I one course II. Cultures and Civilizations II one course III. Scientific Principles one course Case Studies:
IV. Investigations in Science and Technology one course V. Arts and Letters one course VI. Social Issues one course
General Education Categories
Part One: Foundations
Courses in these categories help students locate themselves culturally and intellectually. The foundations categories are intended to give students a broad conceptual base for their further studies and their role as informed citizens in a scientifically and culturally complex world. Because their goal is to provide context, these courses emphasize a wide sweep of knowledge and require active intellectual engagement with scientific principles and with primary works of culture and civilization.
I. Cultures and Civilizations I
Courses in this category introduce students to the norms and patterns of civilizations associated with the Greco-Roman and European traditions and the legacy of those traditions in North America. Courses may focus on particular aspects of those traditions, or on particular historical periods, provided that the perspective is construed broadly enough to establish a foundation on which students may build, grounding themselves and their subsequent studies in some understanding of this legacy. Comparative insights may also be offered between cultural traditions studied in Categories I and II.
In this category students learn about an area of academic inquiry traditionally perceived as core to an excellent general education. Courses are distinguished by their sweep, which must be broad enough for students to understand the continuing legacies in contemporary culture of the pattern of civilization these courses present and critique.
II. Cultures and Civilizations II
Courses in this category introduce students to cultural norms and patterns of civilizations associated with Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Native America and elsewhere, alternative to those of the Greco-Roman and European traditions. Each course examines distinctive properties of the cultures and civilizations studied and seeks to engage and explain those properties on their own terms. Comparative insights may also be offered between the cultural traditions studied in Categories I and II.
In this category students prepare to participate in an increasingly internationalized economic and political landscape. Courses teach students to understand the historical development of cultures which interact in the contemporary geopolitical scene. In addition, courses in this category help students to understand the role otherness plays in self-definition and self-delineation. Like courses in Category I, courses in this category are distinguished by their breadth of perspective over a substantial period of time.
III. Scientific Principles
Courses in this category study fundamental principles underlying a body of scientific knowledge, examining how those principles were developed through gradual evolution, the elimination of competing ideas, and scientific revolution or paradigm shift. These courses also focus on the nature of scientific inquiry by educating students as to how scientific knowledge is obtained and evaluated; they give a strong appreciation of how we arrived at our present understanding and a sense of how present ideas might evolve. Field experience or a practical component is required.
In this category students are introduced to the vocabulary and modes of thought of a dominant perspective in contemporary culture. This category includes courses designed for students with majors outside the natural sciences.
Part Two: Case Studies
IV. Investigations in Science and Technology
An examination of the nature of science and technology, based on a closer, more focused study of a single area of research or a small set of related areas. The perspectives of several scientific disciplines are brought to bear on a theme, illustrating the relevant scientific principles, their technological applications and the societal significance and consequences of the topic. Field experience or a practical component is required.
In this category students deepen their understanding of a particular area of scientific research, its applications and social impact.
V. Arts and Letters
Courses in this category will develop students’ abilities for critical analysis through intense engagement with works of literature, philosophy, visual arts, music and/or film. Subject matter for these courses will be significant works associated with one or more geographical areas, time periods, genres or themes. Designed also to develop knowledge of analytical techniques in the humanities and practice in argumentative methods, courses in this category will demand intensive reading and writing and be capped at 30 students.
VI. Social Issues
Courses in this category prepare students for informed citizenship, by teaching them to analyze compelling local, national and/or international issues or problems. Analytical tools are examined systematically, so that students may fruitfully redeploy them in understanding a broad range of social phenomena.
In this category students develop the analytical and critical skills that enable them to make sense of complex questions about human beings and societies.
Limitations
Advanced Placement Credit
As of fall 1997, students may satisfy the requirements for Categories I or III with scores of 4 or 5 on specified Advanced Placement Examinations, but no such credit will satisfy the requirements of Categories II, IV, V or VI, or the writing requirement.
Transfer Credit
As of fall 1997, students may satisfy the requirements for Categories I, II, III or V with transfer course work completed before the student has enrolled at USC, but no transfer credit will satisfy the requirements for Categories IV or VI. The first semester of the writing requirement may also be satisfied with transfer course work, if it is completed before the student has transferred to USC. However, no transfer course work may be used to satisfy any general education requirements or the writing requirement if those courses are taken after a student has enrolled at USC.
Courses Taken on a Pass/No Pass Basis
As of fall 1997, no more than four units of credit (or one course) counting toward the general education categories may be taken on a pass/no pass basis. The writing courses cannot be taken on a pass/no pass basis.
Exceptions
A very restricted number of exceptions to the rules governing the new general education program has been allowed by the Provost for certain cohorts of students whose programs of study in the major discipline require such exceptions. For more information, see the listings under the individual schools.
Other Requirements
In addition, all students at USC must complete a two-course writing requirement and a diversity requirement. All students in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and some in the professional schools (see listing for each school’s requirements) must also satisfy the foreign language requirement.
Writing Requirement
Writing is a skill that needs to be refined at various stages of development. The university writing requirement is designed to acknowledge and enhance the process of continuing acquisition of skills in writing. The first writing course, to be taken during the freshman year, is intended to get students off to a foundational start in their college writing. The second is required later in a student’s college career, when students have a clearer idea of the kinds of writing they are likely to do most often or are most relevant to their professional aspirations.
The first of the two writing courses undergraduates take is WRIT 140 Writing and Critical Reasoning, which is affiliated with a general education course in Category VI, Social Issues. Most students enroll in this writing course either in the fall or spring of their freshman year.
Certain cohorts of students whose schedules do not permit them to register in an affiliated writing class, such as certain groups in the Schools of Architecture and Music, will satisfy their first writing requirement with an alternative course, WRIT 130 Analytical Writing. Students may not enroll in WRIT 130 unless expressly permitted to do so by the academic advisors in specified schools or by the Writing Program Office.
Students requiring training in English as a second language will complete course work in the American Language Institute before registering for WRIT 130 or WRIT 140. Some domestic students, as well as those completing ALI training, may need to strengthen their writing skills through stand-alone courses in the writing program before taking their affiliated writing courses. Clearance to register for these stand-alone courses, WRIT 120 Introduction to College Writing and WRIT 121 Introduction to College Writing in a Second Language, may be obtained from the Writing Program Office.
Advanced Writing Requirement
All students at USC must complete an advanced writing course that will help them write for non-specialist readers on topics which may be related to their professional or disciplinary interests. The only course that fulfills this requirement is WRIT 340 Advanced Writing. Students enroll in WRIT 340 after WRIT 140 Writing and Critical Reasoning has been completed, usually in the junior year and no earlier than the sophomore year. There are many sections of this course, offered by different schools at the university. Students should consult their major departments to learn which sections of WRIT 340 best complement their programs of study.
Sections that meet the university’s advanced writing requirement teach students to write clear, grammatical, well-structured prose; to discover and convey complex ideas critically; and to appreciate the nuances of good argument. The principal aim of the requirement is to develop a student’s capacity to address specific audiences and formulate persuasive arguments.
Diversity Requirement
The diversity requirement is designed to provide undergraduate students with the background knowledge and analytical skills to enable them to understand and respect differences between groups of people and to understand the potential resources and conflicts arising from human differences on the contemporary American and international scene. Students will increasingly need to grapple with issues arising from different dimensions of human diversity such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion, sexual orientation and social class. These dimensions and their social and cultural consequences will have important ramifications for students’ personal, professional and intellectual lives, both for the time they are students and in later life. Students will gain exposure to analytical frameworks within which these issues are to be understood and addressed, including social, political, cultural, ethical and public policy analyses. It is the university’s goal to prepare students through the study of human differences for responsible citizenship in an increasingly pluralistic and diverse society.
Course 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 from the following list of courses carrying the designation “m” for multiculturalism. In addition to fulfilling the diversity requirement, some of the courses on the list also meet general education requirements in the “Areas of Study”; others also meet major requirements; still others meet only the diversity requirement but count for elective unit credit.
Foreign Language Requirement
The foreign language requirement may be satisfied only by (1) earning a passing grade in Course III of a foreign language sequence at USC or its equivalent elsewhere or (2) scoring on the placement examination at a level considered by the department as equivalent to the completion of Course III. Students who can supply proof of at least two years of full-time secondary schooling beyond the age of 14 taught in a foreign language may request exemption from the foreign language requirement.
All students earning degrees granted by or under the jurisdiction of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences or earning degrees in programs of other schools that require three semesters of foreign language who do not meet the criteria of (1) must take a placement examination to determine their level of language proficiency. Placement in elementary and intermediate foreign language courses is made by the appropriate placement examination. Transfer courses equivalent to a USC elementary or intermediate language course fulfill the prerequisite for the next course in the sequence, but students may be advised to repeat without additional credit a semester or semesters of instruction if their skills are judged insufficient at the time of testing.
International students whose native language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement. Students with advanced skills in languages other than those taught at USC may request exemption from the foreign language requirement if (1) they can supply proof of at least two years of full-time secondary schooling taught in a foreign language beyond the age of 14, or (2) if they can pass a competency exam testing for advanced language skills and administered at USC subject to the availability of suitable academic examiners; the competency exam will test proficiency in speaking, reading and writing skills. Students with documented learning disabilities or physical impairments inhibiting language acquisition may petition for substitution.
General Education Course Lists
Category I. Cultures and Civilizations I
Classical Civilizations and Their Legacies
AHIS 120g Foundations of Western Art CLAS 150xg The Greeks and the West CLAS 151g Civilization of Rome CLAS 280g Classical Mythology CLAS 320g Diversity and the Classical Western Tradition COLT 150xg Literature and Western Civilization HIST 101g The Ancient World HIST 301g The Greek World PHIL 115g Ancient Greek Culture and Society Judeo-Christian Traditions and Their Legacies
HIST 102g Medieval Civilization JS 100g Jewish History REL 111g The World of the Hebrew Bible REL 121g The World of the New Testament REL 132g Religions of the West REL 264g Judeo-Christian Ethics The Making of the Modern World
COLT 374g Women Writers in Europe and America HIST 103g The Emergence of Modern Europe HIST 104g Europe and Its Influence Since 1750: From the Rise of Democracy to the Age of Extremes MDA 205g Cities and Civilization PHIL 101g Philosophical Foundations of Modern Western Culture PHIL 155g Modern Philosophy and the Meaning of Life PHIL 220g Science, Religion and the Making of the Modern Mind PHIL 262g Mind and Self: Modern Conceptions Foundations of American Civilization
AMST 301g America, the Frontier and the New West HIST 200g The American Experience HIST 260g The Past, Present, and Future of American Society MDA 105g Cultural Forms and Values I Category II. Cultures and Civilizations II
AHIS 125g Arts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300 AHIS 126g Introduction to Asian Art: 1300-1900 ANTH 100g Principles of Human Organization: Non-Western Societies ANTH 140g Native Peoples of Mexico and Central America ANTH 235g The Changing Pacific: Culture, History and Politics in the New South Seas ANTH 263g Exploring Culture Through Film ANTH 273g Folk Belief Systems: Non-Western Traditions ANTH 315g North American Indians CLAS 220g Egypt and India: Colonial Experiences COLT 250g Cultures of Latin America COLT 264g Asian Aesthetic and Literary Traditions COLT 382g Zen and Taoism in Asian Literature EALC 110g East Asian Humanities: The Great Tradition EALC 130g East Asian Ethical Thought EALC 340g Japanese Civilization EALC 342g Japanese Literature and Culture EALC 350g Chinese Civilization EALC 352g Chinese Literature and Culture EASC 150g East Asian Societies HIST 106g Chinese Lives: An Introduction to Chinese History HIST 107g Japanese History HIST 324g Islam in Russia, the USSR, and the Successor States MDA 155g Cultural Forms and Values II REL 131g Religions of the East SLL 330g Russian Thought and Civilization Category III. Scientific Principles
For Most General Education Students
The following courses are recommended for most students seeking to satisfy general education requirements.
ASTR 100Lg The Universe BISC 101Lg Cellular and Molecular Biology CHEM 102Lg The Molecular World GEOG 160Lg Geosystems GEOL 105Lg Planet Earth GEOL 107Lg Oceanography GEOL 130Lg The Nature of Scientific Inquiry MDA 125Lg Scientific Principles MDA 130Lg The Nature of Scientific Inquiry PHYS 100Lg Conceptual Physics 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 110Lg Introduction to Biology I CHEM 105aLg General Chemistry CHEM 115aLg Advanced General Chemistry PHYS 125aLg Physics for Architects PHYS 151Lg Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics Category IV. Investigations in Science and Technology
ANTH 200Lg The Origins of Humanity ASTR 200Lg Earth and Space BISC 102Lg Humans and Their Environment BISC 150Lg The Nature of Human Health and Disease: From Mental Illness to AIDS BISC 180Lg Evolution BISC 230Lg Brain, Mind, and Machines: Topics in Neuroscience CHEM 202Lg Materials for the 21st Century: Synthetic Polymers CHEM 203Lg Chemistry in Life: AIDS Drug Discovery and Development EXSC 205Lg The Science of Human Performance GEOG 165Lg The Atmospheric Environment GEOG 260Lg Natural Hazards GEOG 265Lg The Water Planet GEOG 281Lg Environmental Geographic Information Systems GEOL 108Lg Crises of a Planet GEOL 125Lg Earth History: A Planet and Its Evolution GEOL 150Lg Climate Change GEOL 240Lg Earthquakes LING 275Lg Language and Mind MDA 175Lg Science and Technology MDA 200Lg The Cutting Edge: From Basic Science to the Marketplace PHYS 200Lg The Physics and Technology of Energy: Keeping the Motor Running PSYC 165Lg Drugs, Behavior and Society Category V. Studies in Literature, Thought, and the Arts
ARLT 100g Arts and Letters ARLT 101g Studies 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.
ANTH 105g Culture, Medicine and Politics ANTH 125g Social Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction ECON 238xg Political Economy and Social Issues ENST 150xg Environmental Issues in Society GEOG 100g Los Angeles and the American Dream GEOG 120g Geopolitics GEOG 257g Environment and Ethics HIST 215g Business and Labor in America HIST 225g Film, Power, and American History HIST 235g War and the American Experience HIST 245g Gender and Sexualities in American History IR 100xg The United States and World Affairs IR 101xg International Relations JS 211g The Holocaust LING 115g Language, Society, and Culture MDA 165g Social Inquiry MDA 166g Poverty and Welfare in America MDA 167g Marginal Groups in America MDA 170g La Frontera: The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands MDA 215g Ethnicity and Place PHIL 140g Contemporary Moral and Social Issues PHIL 141g The Professions and the Public Interest in American Life POSC 130g Law, Politics and Public Policy POSC 165xg Modern Times POSC 220g Critical Issues in American Politics PSYC 155xg Psychological Perspectives on Social Issues REL 110g Religion and the State: Changing Boundaries REL 140g Religion and Ethical Issues SOCI 142g Diversity and Racial Conflict SOCI 150g Social Problems SOCI 155g Immigrant America SOCI 169g Changing Family Forms SWMS 210g Social Issues in Gender Diversity Course List
AHIS 250m Modernity and Difference: Critical Approaches to Modern Art (4) AHIS 304m Italian Renaissance Art: Old Masters and Old Mistresses (4) AHIS 376m Introduction to African Art (4) AHIS 377m Spanish Colonial Art and Architecture (4) AMST 202m Interethnic Diversity in the West (4) AMST 220m The Making of Asian America (4) ANTH 215m Ethnicity and Place (4) ANTH 316m North American Indians in American Public Life (4) ANTH 328m Culture Change and the Mexican People (4) ANTH 331m Asian Americans: Migration and Culture Change (4) ANTH 371m Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs (4) ARCH 440m Literature and the Urban Experience (4) ARCH 442m Women's Spaces in History: "Hussies," "Harems," and "Housewives" (4) CLAS 320gm Diversity and the Classical Western Tradition (4) COLT 445m Eurocentrism (4) COMM 395m Gender, Media and Communication (4) CORE 104m Change and the Future (4) CTCS 192m Race, Class and Gender in American Film (4) ECON 338m Political Economy and Social Issues (4) EDCO 102xm Human Diversity: People, Power and Politics (4) ENGL 445m The Literatures of America: Cross-Cultural Perspectives (4) ENGL 447m African-American Narrative (4) ENGL 448m Chicano Literature (4) ENGL 449m Asian-American Literature (4) ENGL 474m Literature, Nationality, and Otherness (4) ENGL 476m Images of Women in Contemporary Culture (4) ENGL 478m Sexual/Textual Diversities (4) GEOG 100m Los Angeles and the American Dream (4) GEOG 324m Los Angeles and the Evolution of Urban America (4) GEOG 340m Geography of the Chicano Southwest (4) GEOG 350m Race and Environmentalism (4) GERO 380m Diversity in Aging (4) GERO 435m Women and Aging: Psychological, Social and Political Implications (4) HIST 101gm The Ancient World HIST 245gm Gender and Sexualities in American History (4) HIST 378m Introduction to Asian-American History (4) JOUR 449m Reporting Los Angeles (4) MUED 400m The Broadway Musical: Reflection of American Diversity, Issues and Experiences (4) OT 305m Culture, Medicine, and Politics (4) PLDV 100m Los Angeles, The Enduring Pueblo (4) PLDV 250m Third World Cities PLDV 260m Planning, Diversity and Space (4) PLDV 315m Urban Sleuths: Exploring People and Places in Cities (4) POSC 233m Stigma and Society: Physical Disability in America (4) POSC 260m Global Ethnic Politics (4) POSC 441m Cultural Diversity and the Law (4) POSC 442m The Politics of Human Differences: Diversity and Discrimination (4) PPMT 406am Los Angeles Mini Semester (4) PSYC 462m Minority Mental Health (4) SLL 190m Cultural Diversity in the Russian Context (4) SOCI 142gm Diversity and Racial Conflict (4) SOCI 150gm Social Problems (4) SOCI 200m Introduction to Sociology (4) SOCI 305m Sociology of Childhood (4) SOCI 342m Race Relations (4) SOCI 355m Immigrants in the United States (4) SOCI 356m Mexican Immigrants in a Diverse Society (4) SOCI 360m Social Inequality: Class, Status, and Power (4) SOCI 366m Chicana and Latina Experiences (4) SOCI 375m Asian Americans: Ethnic Identity (4) SOCI 376m Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities (4) SOCI 430m Work and the Workplace (4) SOCI 435m Women in Society (4) SOCI 437m Sexuality and Society (4) SOWK 200xm Institutional Inequality in American Political and Social Policy (4) SPAN 413m Social and Geographic Varieties of Spanish (4) SWMS 210gm Social Issues in Gender (4) SWMS 301m Introduction to Feminist Theory and the Women's and Men's Movements SWMS 364m Racial and Ethnic Women in America (4) SWMS 384m Overcoming Prejudice (4) SWMS 385m Men and Masculinity (4) SWMS 455m Gender and Sport (4) THTR 395m Drama as Human Relations (4)
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