USC University of Southern California Schedule of Classes

For All Students

Address Correction/Confirmation

Before you attempt to register for classes, please verify that your address in OASIS (www.usc.edu/oasis) is current by selecting the Change of Address service. Update your address if necessary.

Audited Courses

The application required to audit courses can be obtained at the Registration Building. Students may elect to audit courses during the first three weeks of the semester or third week equivalency for any session that is scheduled for less than 15 weeks. A course taken for audit (V) will be assessed at the current tuition rate. A course taken for audit (V) will not receive credit and will not appear on the USC transcript or grade report. A course taken for audit is not included in enrollment for purposes of receiving financial aid. Under no circumstances will the university allow a petition to request to change the registration status of a course from a letter grade or credit to audit (V) or vice versa after the third week of a given semester or the third week equivalency for any session that is scheduled for less than 15 weeks. Changing to audit is a process that is not available by Web Registration.

Students with Disabilities

Disability Services and Programs (DSP) is dedicated to maintaining an environment that ensures all students with documented disabilities receive equal access to USC activities, facilities and educational programs. Accommodations are designed to level the playing field for students with disabilities while maintaining the integrity and standards of each of our academic programs. For more information, contact DSP at (213) 740-0776, ability@usc.edu or www.usc.edu/disability. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cancellation of Enrollment

You have three options if you wish to cancel or drop all enrolled classes: complete a blue Request for Change of Program application in person at the Registration Building; send a letter requesting to withdraw from all classes to the Registration Department at 601 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089-0912; or send a fax to the Registration Department, (213) 821-3724, requesting to withdraw from all classes. All withdrawals must be requested, received and processed by the end of the third week of class for sessions lasting 12 or more weeks to be eligible for 100 percent refund; for sessions lasting less than 12 weeks, contact the academic unit for refund information.* If you are requesting a cancellation and are still responsible for any housing charges, you must contact Housing and Residence Halls and submit a separate application.

*Financial Aid recipients who withdraw from all classes, see Withdrawal Implications for Recipients of Financial Aid.

Diplomas

The USC Diploma department mails diplomas within four to six weeks of the degree award date. Diplomas can be held for pick-up by request. Diplomas are mailed to the student’s permanent address on the Student Information System. Diplomas are not released to students with collection or loan activity restrictions.

Diversity Requirement

All students must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation m for multiculturalism.

Email Notification to Students

Email has been adopted as the primary mechanism for sending official communications to USC students. Students, therefore, must check email regularly in order to stay abreast of important messages and notifications. Failure to read official university communications sent to students’ official email addresses does not absolve students from knowing and complying with the content of official communications. For more information on the university’s email policy, please refer to the “University Governance” section in SCampus (www.usc.edu/scampus).

Faculty may use students’ official email addresses as the official out-of-class means of communicating with students registered in their classes. Students must comply with course requirements communicated to them by email.

Implementation

  • Upon arrival all students must activate their official university email address by visiting http://email.usc.edu.
  • All official university communications will be sent to this official university email address.
  • Students may forward their email from the official university address to another email address of their choice. The university, however, is not responsible for email forwarded to another email address and students who do so proceed at their own risk.

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Southern California is proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding men and women of every race, creed and background.

This university is also firmly committed to complying with all applicable laws and governmental regulations at the federal, state and local levels that prohibit discrimination, or which mandate that special consideration be given, on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, Vietnam veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic that may from time to time be specified in such laws or regulations. This good faith effort to comply is made even when such laws and regulations conflict with each other.

USC strives to build a community in which each person respects the rights of other people to be proud of who and what they are, to live and work in peace and dignity, and to have an equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society. To this end the university places great emphasis on those values and virtues that bind us together as human beings and members of the Trojan Family.

Extra Units

A normal academic load is 16 units per semester for undergraduate students, 8 units (500-level) for graduate students. The university recommends that undergraduates register for no more than 18 units and graduates for no more than 16 units. Permission to enroll in more than 20 units requires written approval from the school or home department.

Final Transcripts

Official transcripts with the degree awarded and the diploma date included will be available for order within eight weeks after the end of the term. Advance orders for final transcripts may be placed with the Transcript Touch-Tone telephone line, (703) 742-7791 or at www.studentlearninghouse.org. Transcripts are not released to students with collection or loan activity restrictions.

Financial Aid Exit Loan Counseling Requirement

Students who received loan funds for study at USC under the Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Health Professions Student Loan, Loan for Disadvantaged Students, or GATE Unsubsidized Loan, must satisfy exit loan counseling requirements when they graduate, withdraw or cease to be enrolled at least half time. You will be notified by mail regarding session dates and times.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

As you plan your academic courses for spring 2006, keep in mind the number of units you will need to maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid. For information on the policy, refer to the most recent USC Catalogue or online at www.usc.edu/finaid.

Federal Tax Regulations and Financial Aid

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 states that if the total of your grant, scholarship and fellowship aid for a calendar year exceeds the cost of tuition and fees, books, supplies and course-related equipment for that year, the excess is considered unearned taxable income and must be reported if you are required to file a tax return. For more information, please refer to Publication 520, available from the Internal Revenue Service or your tax advisor.

Federal Work-Study earnings are considered taxable income and must be reported if you file a tax return. Every Federal Work-Study employee is sent a W-2 form each January that shows total earnings for the previous year.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 created the Hope Scholarship Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit and made student loan interest deductible for some students and families. These provisions create new tax benefits for families who are paying for college costs or are repaying student loans. To help you and your parents file your tax returns and take advantage of these credits, you should save all billing statements as well as your Statements of Financial Eligibility.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 2001 raised the income-eligibility limits for student loan deductions and made state-sponsored prepaid tuition and college savings plans (section 529 plans) completely tax-free. This act made the tax exemption for employer-provided educational assistance permanent, and it extended the exemption to graduate-level studies. The legislation also created a tuition and fees deduction for college tuition for taxpayers with income too high to benefit from the Hope Scholarship or Lifetime Learning Credit. The legislation expanded educational IRAs (now called the Coverdell IRA), increased the annual contribution limit to $2,000 and allowed educational IRAs to be used for elementary and secondary-school expenses (including tuition at private and parochial schools).

For further information on all federal tax regulations, contact your tax advisor.

Enrollment Status

Enrollment status is assigned by the Registrar’s office based upon several criteria that include number of registered units, exceptional courses, graduate assistantships and the class level of the program that the student is pursuing, e.g., undergraduate, master’s or doctoral. “Exceptional courses” are those courses which have been determined to fulfill full-time enrollment status, regardless of the number of registered units. These courses include 594 Master’s Thesis, 794 Doctoral Dissertation, GRSC 800 Studies for the Qualifying Examination as well as other courses and programs as determined by the Dean of Academic Records and Registrar. Only students pursuing a degree or university certificate program will be assigned an enrollment status. Auditors and visitors (limited standing) will not have an enrollment status assigned to them, regardless of the number of units or types of courses for which they have registered. Units taken for audit do not apply to enrollment status. Undergraduate students are considered full-time when enrolled for 12 or more units and half-time when enrolled for 6 or more units. Master’s students are considered full-time when enrolled for 8 or more units or registered in an exceptional course or enrolled in the minimum units required as a graduate assistant. Master’s students are considered half-time when enrolled for at least 4 units or enrolled in half the minimum units required as a graduate assistant. Doctoral students are considered full-time when enrolled in 6 or more units or registered in an exceptional course and half-time when enrolled in 3 or more units. Verification of student enrollment status is provided by the Office of Academic Records and Registrar. There is a $4 charge for each verification.

Grade Reports

Student grade reports are no longer printed and mailed for the fall and spring semesters. To learn your grades for the immediate past semester, access OASIS at www.usc.edu/oasis.

Guaranteeing a Space in a Class

Registration in a class does not by itself guarantee a space in that class. An instructor may replace any student who without prior consent does not attend these class sessions:

    (a) the first two class sessions, or
    (b) the first class session of the semester for once-a-week classes.

It is then the student’s responsibility to withdraw officially from the course through the Registration Department. Any class added by Web Registration or in person after the first week of classes should always receive the instructor’s approval.

Joint Educational Project (JEP)

The Joint Educational Project places university students on field assignments in seven community schools near the main campus. Students participate in JEP as part of regular course work for a variety of departments and classes. JEP following a section number indicates that all students enrolled in a class section will participate. JEP Optional following a section number indicates that a student may participate in JEP on an optional basis as a part of the course program.

Leave of Absence Policy

The university has implemented a program designed to assist students who find it necessary to take a leave of absence from their studies at USC. This procedure has been designed to ease the transition for students, both at the time they take a leave of absence and upon their eventual return to the university. For more information or to request a leave of absence packet, please contact your academic advisor.

Limited Status Enrollment

Limited status enrollment allows persons who have not been admitted to the university to take a limited number of courses at USC.

Eligibility for Limited Status Enrollment

Students who have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for limited status enrollment if they have been denied admission to USC or if they have been academically disqualified or suspended from any community college, college or university.

At the post-baccalaureate level, limited status enrollment is not available to students who have been denied admission to the department offering the course unless prior approval is granted by the department and appropriate dean.

International Students

Limited status enrollment does not fulfill requirements for issuing a student visa. International students (students studying or wishing to study in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa) must have the approval of the Office of International Admissions (JHHl 220) before registering for classes.

Restrictions on Limited Status Enrollment

A pre-baccalaureate limited status student may not register for more than 16 units; a post-baccalaureate limited status student may not register for more than 12 units.

Exceptions to this policy will be considered by the Office of Admission for USC employees and for post-baccalaureate students who submit a disclaimer of intent to pursue a USC degree.

Prior approval of the department offering the course is required for all limited status enrollment. If a limited status student is subsequently admitted to regular standing, no more than 16 undergraduate or the first 12 graduate units taken through limited status enrollment can be applied toward a degree. Individual exceptions must be approved by the dean of the degree conferring units.

Pre-baccalaureate limited status students must settle their tuition and fees on the same day they register for classes or their enrollment will be cancelled by the Registration Department. This policy does not apply to USC staff and faculty.

Pass/No Pass Option

During the first three weeks of the semester, or the third week equivalency for any session that is scheduled for less than 15 weeks, you may elect to take a course numbered below 500 on a pass/no pass basis. Graduate students must receive departmental approval to enroll in a graduate course on a pass/no pass basis. Refer to the Pass/No Pass Graded Work section in the USC Catalogue for details on degree credit restrictions on courses taken on a pass/no pass basis. You should consult your academic advisor before enrolling in any course on a pass/no pass basis. To enroll, you must complete the Pass/No Pass Request for Change of Program; Pass/No Pass enrollment is not available by Web Registration.

Religious Holidays

Some registration-related deadlines may coincide with religious holidays. If observation of a religious holiday makes it difficult or impossible for you to meet a specific deadline, you will be given consideration for an extension if you contact the Registration Department, Registration Building, before the holiday occurs.

Note: This does not apply to payment deadlines.

Residence Requirements

Refer to the USC Catalogue for applicable residence requirements.

Right to Withdraw a Course

The university reserves the right to withdraw or change the hours of any course listed in the Schedule of Classes. Listings in this schedule represent the university’s curricular offerings as of the time of printing. Classes may be rescheduled or cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances or low enrollment.

Students enrolled in a cancelled class are responsible for withdrawing the course from their program by Web Registration or through the registration department, Registration Building.

STARS Report

The STudent Academic Record System report (STARS) provides a comprehensive evaluation of students’ academic progress toward degree completion of their specified program of study. This report contains all applicable USC course work and accepted transfer work and included requirements such as time limit, continuous enrollment and summative experience. STARS reports are made available as students approach graduation. Students may access their STARS report on OASIS at www.usc.edu/oasis.

USCweb

OASIS

You can access your academic and financial related information through OASIS, the Online Academic Student Information System at www.usc.edu/oasis. OASIS allows you to view:

  • registered course list
  • enrollment verification
  • completed course summaries
  • grade report
  • degree progress summary reports
  • billing balances
  • financial aid document status
  • financial aid summaries
  • permit to register

You can also establish guest access for your account in OASIS.

To log in, you will need your 10-digit USC ID number and your six-digit PIN.

Schedule of Classes

You can view the schedule online at www.usc.edu/soc. The online schedule is updated every 15 minutes. In addition to the information in the printed schedule, it includes classes recently scheduled as well as indicating which classes are closed.

Voter Registration

For information on voter registration and forms, see Voter Registration in Student Services.

Web Registration

Web Registration and the schedule planning (auto scheduler) feature are available at www.usc.edu/webregistration. The use of the Web Registration system to schedule courses but failing to register for your courses before the tuition and fees payment deadline is not a valid reason to request a waiver of the late registration fee.

Veterans and Eligible Dependents

Veterans must register with the Office of Veterans Affairs each semester in order to receive benefits. Students may expect an educational allowance based only on courses that are a legitimate part of the degree program approved for veterans. The student must notify the Office of Veteran Affairs immediately upon any change in unit load or change of major. The office is located in JHH 101, (213) 740-4619. Office hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.