Majors & Minors

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The general education, writing, foreign language and diversity requirements for a degree in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences apply. All students take foundational courses in biological sciences, chemistry, math, statistics and physics. Marine biology is the study of life in oceans and other saltwater environments. The marine biology emphasis focuses on the biology of marine organisms, their interactions with the environment and emergent properties of the ecosystems that arise from these interactions. The program addresses this field across multiple levels of organization, from the ecology of microbial populations and their role in the cycling of nutrients and energy in the ocean, through to the physiological and genetic mechanisms that enable marine organisms to adapt to the dynamic and often extreme environments in the ocean. The conditions in the oceans are also changing at an unprecedented rate because oceans play a critical role in climate change, absorbing much of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide and associated heat from global warming. The emphasis enables students to understand the biological effects that warming, ocean acidification and deoxygenation will have on marine biodiversity and the ecosystem services that the oceans provide the planet.

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The general education, writing, foreign language and diversity requirements for a degree in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences apply. All students will take foundational courses in biological sciences, chemistry, math, statistics and physics. The Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) emphasis provides a focused and rigorous training in the fundamentals of biology with a concentration on how genes, proteins and pathways give rise to organisms and their phenotypes. Students will conduct hands-on laboratory research and gain experience in reading and critical evaluation of the current research literature. The MCDB emphasis provides a foundation for post-graduate study, and for careers in biomedical research and clinical practice.

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The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and the USC Marshall School of Business jointly offer the cross-departmental minor in biology and business. This minor brings essential knowledge in the basic sciences together with the corporate skills needed in a rapidly growing industry. The minor is especially well suited for the business, biological sciences, chemistry or engineering student seeking a career in business and/or the biomedical/bio-technical sciences.

This minor requires a varying number of units beyond major requirements depending upon the student’s major program of study: biological sciences (BA or BS), 16–18 additional units; business (BS), 28 additional units; chemistry (BA or BS), 32–34 additional units.

Students in other majors may be required to complete up to 46 units for the minor depending on whether their major includes any of the minor requirements and their prerequisites.

Please see a biological sciences or business adviser for specific program requirements.

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This minor provides students with an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates elements of anatomy, biomechanics, motor control as well as evolution and applies them to the assessment and improvement of human performance during the activities of daily living. This minor is ideal for students interested in fields such as bioengineering, biokinesiology, health promotion, athletics and dance.

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The Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. Additionally, there are three possible areas of emphasis within this biomedical engineering program major. These are electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and molecular and cellular engineering. An area of emphasis appears in a special field on the transcript. The minimum requirement for the degree is 128 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken.

See common requirements for undergraduate degrees.

Technical electives are to be selected from an approved list available in the department office.

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The minimum requirement for the degree with an emphasis in electrical engineering is 133 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper-division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See common requirements for undergraduate degrees.

Technical electives are to be selected from an approved list available in the department office.

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The minimum requirement for the degree with an emphasis in mechanical engineering is 130 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper-division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See common requirements for undergraduate degrees.

Technical electives are to be selected from an approved list available in the department office.

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The minimum requirement for the degree with an emphasis in Molecular and Cellular Engineering is 132 units. A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required in all upper-division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken. See General Education and additional common requirements for undergraduate degrees.

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The minor in Biopharmaceutical Business will provide a foundation in biopharmaceutical business and marketing practices that can be used in a variety of careers. For example, graduates may find jobs in product development, marketing and brand management in the biopharmaceutical industry. Beyond the biopharmaceutical industry, graduates may apply their knowledge to applied business areas of medical and pharmacy practice, healthcare law, healthcare finance and healthcare consulting.

The minor in Biopharmaceutical Business is 22 units. Course work must not overlap with the major, another minor or general education requirements of the undergraduate students. A maximum of 4 units can be met by taking Directed Research (BPSI 490x).

Only students with a declared major are eligible to apply. Students must be in sophomore standing and have completed a minimum of 32 USC units as an entering freshman or 16 units as an entering transfer student.

Students will select course work in consultation with an academic adviser.

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The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) provides a well-defined pathway for science and non-science majors to gain significant knowledge in pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, toxicology and medical product development, regulation, marketing and use.

The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) is a cooperative degree program involving the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Students complete 128 units, including at least 70 units of course work in USC Dornsife and at least 36 units of course work in USC Mann. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences offers a unique interdisciplinary approach designed to provide in-depth training in the discovery, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and their role in health care industries. Courses focus on sub disciplines of pharmaceutical sciences including the study of the chemical and physical properties of drugs and their biological effects, and will link these systems to the discovery, development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals for the advancement of human health. Courses will also focus on the business and marketing aspects of the pharmaceutical industry.  

The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences will be a springboard to diverse careers in industrial, academic or other research environments within the areas of drug discovery, development and commercialization. It will prepare students for professional or graduate studies in graduate education in pharmaceutical, medical and basic sciences and post-baccalaureate professional education in biomedical engineering, business, finance and law. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences requires the completion of a minimum of 128 units that include:

1. General Education, Foreign Language and Writing Requirements
2. Foundational courses designed to prepare students for the major
3. An introductory 4-unit lower-division (200 level) course in Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Science (RXRS)
4. A minimum number of 32 units of upper-division (300 level and above) courses in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (BPSI) and Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Science (RXRS)
5. A minimum of 8 units of upper-division (300 level and above) courses in Biological Sciences (BISC) unique to the major 

The Bachelor of Arts in Biopharmaceutical Sciences is conferred by USC Dornsife.