For Graduate Students
Conditional Admission
Graduate students who have not yet met all requirements for admission to full graduate status or who have not filed all relevant documents with the appropriate office of admission are conditionally admitted. Students admitted in this provisional status must satisfy all of those conditions by the end of the first semester of enrollment.
Degree Progress Summary Report (Degree Check)
The Degree Progress Department will perform a degree progress check when a graduate student has filed the proper forms through the appropriate school. This should be done in the beginning of the second to last semester for master’s students and after successful completion of the qualifying examination for doctoral students. Summary reports are available on OASIS (www.usc.edu/oasis).
Thesis 594
A master’s candidate who is writing a thesis and has completed all course work for the degree must enroll each fall and spring semester in the appropriate thesis registration until the thesis has been approved. Students should consult the appropriate school or departmental section of the USC Catalogue for specific thesis registration requirements.
For programs under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School, students may not register for more than 2 units of 594 in a given semester. One summer registration is permitted without Graduate School approval. After 594ab, students must register and pay for 2 units of 594z each semester until the Approval of Thesis for Final Typing card has been signed by the thesis committee and submitted to the Graduate School. No more than 4 units of credit in 594 may be received regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to register.
Dissertation 794
Doctoral students completing a dissertation are to be registered in Dissertation 794 each semester after being admitted to candidacy (i.e., after passing the qualifying examination), until the Approval of Dissertation for Final Typing card has been signed by the committee and submitted to the Graduate School. If the card is signed and dated by the add/drop deadline for fall or spring and the student has complied with all other policies governing 794 registrations, no further registrations are required. Students may not register for more than 2 units of 794 in a given semester. Students may not register in 794 prior to being admitted to candidacy; any such registrations are invalid. One summer registration is permitted without Graduate School approval. No more than 8 units of credit in 794 may be received regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to register. After registration in 794abcd, students must register and pay for 2 units of 794z although the registration carries zero units of credit. Grades recorded for 794 will remain as “IP” (In Progress) until the degree is conferred. Credit will be applied toward 794abcd registrations when the degree has been cleared by the Degree Progress Department.
GRSC 800 Series
The GRSC 800 series is a mandatory non-credit registration for graduate students who have completed all course work and are not otherwise registered while taking the master’s comprehensive or the doctoral Qualifying Examination. Fees are equivalent to one unit of tuition. All registrations in the GRSC 800 series are by permission of the Graduate School only and are subject to verification of the completion of the following prerequisites for each course.
GRSC 800 Studies for the Qualifying Examination: completion of all course work required for the doctoral degree and approval to take the doctoral Qualifying Examination by the appropriate school.
To be eligible to take the qualifying examination, students must complete at least 24 units applicable toward the degree in residence at USC with a minimum 3.0 GPA on all USC course work available for graduate credit. The guidance committee will determine if a student is ready to take the qualifying examination. A student must enroll in GRSC 800 during the semester in which the qualifying examination is to be taken if not otherwise enrolled. Students are strongly encouraged to take the qualifying examination during the first semester in which they are enrolled in GRSC 800, and, at a minimum to enroll in no more than semesters of GRSC 800 before taking the qualifying examination.
GRSC 810 Studies for the Master’s Examination: completion of all course work for the master’s degree as verified on the Credit Summary. The Credit Summary is issued by the Degree Progress Department after the student has filed the proper forms with the appropriate school.
GRSC 850 Seminar in College Teaching is a one-year program of graduate student professional development for doctoral students who are considering careers at institutions of higher learning. Offered by the Center for Excellence in Teaching, it consists of a one-unit course taken during the fall semester and a set of follow-up activities in the spring semester. It is designed to provide students with a general overview and contextual knowledge of the professoriate and to prepare them to meet successfully the faculty responsibilities of teaching, research and service, particularly at research universities. It offers students the opportunity to make informed and enlightened career choices.
International Students
Non-immigrant students must check in with the Office of International Services (OIS) on arrival for passport verification. They must be registered as full-time students during the academic year. Full-time status normally requires a minimum of 12 units per term for an undergraduate, eight units per term for a master’s degree student, and six units for a doctoral student. See OIS for questions. Classes are to be arranged after consultation with an academic or departmental advisor. Such students are not eligible to be considered students without formal registration and are in violation of immigration laws when not properly registered. Persons with B-2 visa status (visitors) are prohibited from registering for classes. Persons in F-2 visa status (students’spouses) may not be degree-seeking students.
Leave of Absence
Interruptions of enrollment can cause problems in the continuity of course work within a student’s graduate program and, therefore, leaves of absence are generally discouraged.
A student in good standing and making satisfactory progress toward a degree who must interrupt studies for compelling reasons (e.g., approved study abroad, sustained ill health) may petition for a leave for a stated period, not to exceed four semesters. Students who find it necessary to be excused from registration must request a leave of absence by the last day to drop or add courses.
A leave must be approved by the dean of the degree-conferring unit. This leave should be processed through the student’s department. Leaves of absence beyond this time limit must be approved in advance by the dean of the Graduate School. During the period of leave a student is not entitled to assistance from the faculty or use of university facilities.
If granted, the leave is recorded on the student’s transcript and the period of the leave is not counted in the time allowed for completion of degree requirements. A student who does not return to enrolled status at the end of an approved period of leave is no longer considered to be pursuing an advanced degree. Students who fail to apply for a leave of absence or for whom a leave has been denied (or has expired) are subject to policies governing continuous enrollment and readmission.
Payment Deadlines
Graduate students are subject to the same payment deadlines as all other students.