Academic Policies

Undergraduate students may be granted deferrals in specific cases relating to medical issues, religious obligations or required military or national service. However, deferral requests for other reasons are not generally granted.

New students who have committed to enroll at USC but fail to do so will forfeit their spot in the entering class. If they wish to attend the university in a future term, they will need to reapply, with no guarantee of admission.

Students seeking deferrals for health-related reasons should contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services to see if accommodations or other support services are available to make matriculating possible, or if a Health Deferral is needed.

If a Health Deferral is indicated, the student will be referred to the office of Campus Support and Intervention to engage in the Health Leave/Deferral process, which includes developing a plan for growth, evidence-based treatment and recovery during their time away.

If you have questions about the above policy or would like to request a deferral, please contact your admission counselor.

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Levels (A-Levels) Credit Policy

USC awards a combined maximum of 32 units for certain scores on AP, IB and/or A-Level exams. Test results must be sent directly to USC from the testing agency. Once we receive them, they will be added to your transfer credit report (TCR).

Exams may earn credit and may satisfy some General Education, foreign language or lower-division requirements for an intended major. For more information, please visit the Exam Credit page of the Registrar’s website or refer to our Transfer Planning Worksheet.

College Courses Taken During High School

USC accepts a maximum of 16 elective units, included in the 32-unit combined maximum for exam credits. These courses must be taught by college faculty on a college campus, appear on your transcript as part of the regular college curriculum and must not be applied toward your high school diploma. They can fulfill General Education requirements, but they cannot fulfill the lower-division writing or foreign language requirements nor receive equivalence to USC courses.

The Office of Admission does not facilitate switching majors. A change of major is granted at the discretion of academic departments, who set their own policies and procedures for doing so. An admitted student who wishes to change majors must contact both their current and intended academic departments to receive the appropriate permission and advising.

If you have committed to USC, be sure to sign up for the Welcome Trojans orientation program, which includes course registration. You will only be able to do so after activating your USC Net ID. Once you have done so, you may log in to Brightspace, where you will be able to access information for your department of interest and review your intended major requirements.

Some majors have a separate application process, so a change of major may not be complete in time for you to register for your first semester of classes. This means that you should plan to attend all orientation and registration activities for the major to which you were admitted.

Admitted students can decline their offer of admission on the Admit Reply form in the USC Applicant Portal.

If you have already accepted your offer of admission and no longer intend to enroll at USC, please let us know by visiting your applicant portal and clicking on the link under “Withdraw Your Intended Enrollment.”