Your First-Year Experience
Follow your passions. Pursue studies in several academic fields and conduct research with faculty. Experience the architecture, museums and theaters of our campus and those of Los Angeles. Engage in the student community, the local community and the world. You can do it all. With our first-year experiences and programs, learn how to study in a seminar setting, acquire the expectations of academic culture and meet a group of other freshmen who take their educations seriously.
Welcome Week Micro-Seminars
Micro-Seminars are just that — mini-workshops and small-group sessions that highlight a special topic in a short time. Limited to two 90-minute sessions during welcome experience, these seminars are designed to introduce you to faculty and engage you as new students in USC’s academic environment before classes begin.
Freshman Seminars
The Freshman Seminar Program allows you to work closely with distinguished faculty members in a seminar environment. An engaging topic, an enthusiastic instructor and a small discussion group — all in a once-a-week, 2-unit course. Learn more about the course offerings for fall and spring.
Student Involvement
Experience USC
Exclusive to USC students, this new digital hub combines all the facets of college life into a single resource to help you get the most out of your student experience.
Portal access requires a student login that is exclusively for current USC students.
Residential Education at USC
Students have the opportunity to attend activities that cultivate their social, academic, and cultural growth as young adults and interact with a variety of staff who are there to support them in their transition not only to college during their first-year, but through the transitions that come with every year at USC.
Cultural Centers
USC Student Equity and Inclusion Programs (SEIP) is a cluster of student development centers and initiatives within Student Life that offer student support services and programs that focus on intersectionality, sense of belonging and well-being. SEIP facilitates dialogue and community-building, and leads campus-wide student belonging initiatives aiming to transform the student experience.
Undergraduate Student Government
As the official governing body for over 20,000 undergraduates at the University of Southern California, the USC Undergraduate Student Government (USG) plays a vital role in student involvement. Engaging in robust advocacy, legislation, programming, and funding efforts, USG is dedicated to enhancing the undergraduate experience to its fullest potential.
Recognized Student Organizations
Discover the vibrant student life at USC through our extensive network of over 1,000 student organizations. These groups take the lead in organizing a wide range of dynamic programs and events on campus, ranging from concerts and lectures to special events, spirit rallies, cultural gatherings, social events, and conferences. Get involved and be a part of the diverse and exciting activities that contribute to the lively atmosphere at USC.
Career Center
At USC, we strongly encourage all students to leverage our comprehensive career services tailored exclusively for you. Whether it’s our resume review and career advising services or our online networking and targeted job search resources, we provide powerful tools to assist you in making meaningful connections and staying informed about potential employers and industry trends. Take full advantage of these resources to enhance your career prospects and chart a successful path forward.
Thematic Option
Thematic Option is USC’s general education honors program. Each year, fewer than 200 first-year students participate in interdisciplinary classes with some of the university’s best undergraduate instructors.
Dornsife Toolkit
The Dornsife Toolkit gives you a set of intellectual skills valued by employers and graduate programs, which are helpful in life after graduation. Explore your options here.
First-Year Programs by School
These schools offer specialized and tailored first-year programs that will help you integrate and thrive in their fields of study. Find one that fits you.