Residency Requirement

To receive a degree from USC, students are required to complete a certain number of units and, in some cases, certain courses at USC. USC’s rules regarding the residency requirement are outlined below.

Graduate Students

USC Policy
A minimum of 20 graduate units at USC is required for the master’s degree; 24 units for the doctoral degree.

For additional information, please visit the Graduate Students page in the Requirements for Graduation section of the USC Catalogue.

Master’s Students
In most cases, all USC Price master’s students must take all courses in residence at the University Park Campus or Sacramento Center.

USC Price’s Transfer Credit Policies

Doctoral Students
Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 24 graduate units at the University Park Campus in Los Angeles.

Undergraduate Students

A minimum of 64 units toward the bachelor’s degree must be earned in residence at USC. All upper division work for minors must be earned in residence at USC.

All upper–division units required for the major and minor must be earned in residence.

The major or minor department, on a case–by–case basis, may give credit for upper–division courses taken prior to matriculation and may pre-approve required upper-division courses to be taken out of residence.

Once students matriculate at USC, all courses taken for subject or unit credit in the fall and spring semesters must be taken in residence. Only transfer work that appears on the transfer institution’s transcript for a summer term will be accepted.

Academically disqualified students must meet with an academic review counselor for advisement and forms for departmental pre–approval rather than using the Request for Exception to Residence Form.

After completion of 64 college–level units applicable to the undergraduate degree, no more than eight additional units may be allowed for transfer credit.

Units earned in overseas studies programs approved by USC’s Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and in courses approved by consortial and other institutional agreements are considered to be taken in residence.

For additional information, please go to the Course Work Taken Elsewhere page in the USC Catalogue.