TRANSFER CENTER

Transfer Requirements USC

University of Southern California (USC)

The University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC offers top-ranked programs in virtually every field with over 150 undergraduate majors to choose from.

Requirements for Transfer Admission

USC does not require a minimum number of transfer units, however, students with less than 30 transferable semester units will be evaluated based on their high school record and SAT/ACT scores.

• Writing and Math are required for all transfer students:
  • Completion of lower-division writing requirement equivalent to USC Writing 150 (LACC's English 102 or English 103 or Philosophy 5)
  • Advanced or Intermediate Algebra (Majors in the sciences, social sciences, business, and engineering require specific math courses beyond this level)
• Students should make progress towards completing USC’s General Education program
• Completion of major preparation coursework is suggested and required for some majors
• While there is no minimum GPA requirement, transfer admission to USC is highly competitive. In 2017, the average GPA of admitted transfer students was 3.70.

USC Core/General Education

The General Education program at USC consists of courses in the Arts, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Quantitative Reasoning, Humanistic Inquiry & Social Analysis (six Core Literacy), and Global Perspectives. With careful planning, students can complete eight (8) of the ten (10) required GE courses at their community college prior to transferring to USC.

Although no specific number of GE courses are required, students should satisfy a good number prior to admission.

• Students who began college prior to fall 2015 must follow the previous GE requirements. Review the articulation agreement for previous GE pattern.
• Students who began college in fall 2015 or after must follow the new GE requirements. Review the articulation agreement for the new GE pattern.

Major Preparation

To be more competitive in the applicant pool, students should fulfill major preparation coursework prior to transferring. Students intending to study science, business, engineering, architecture or dental hygiene are required to complete major preparation courses before transferring.

• The interactive Transfer Planning Guide helps applicants choose courses at their community college to fulfill major and USC Core requirements before attending USC.

Transfer Planning

• Visit USC! On-Campus Programs are designed specially for prospective transfer students and provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the transfer process, admissions and financial aid.
• Make sure you understand how credits transfer. Review USC's
• What does USC look for? Read about the USC Admission Process and take a look at last year's transfer student profile of admitted students. USC Transfer Student Profile Fall 2021
• USC holds Articulation Agreements with several community colleges.