Who do I contact to declare/ask questions about a minor?
- 3D Animation (CTAN)
- Animation and Digital Arts (CTAN)
- Cinematic Arts (STAF)
- Comedy (CTWR)
- Digital Studies (IML)
- Documentary (STAF)
- Entertainment Industry (STAF)
- Future Cinema (IML)
- Game Animation (CTIN)
- Game Audio (CTIN)
- Game Design (CTIN)
- Game Entrepreneurism (CTIN)
- Games Studies (CTIN)
- Game User Research (CTIN)
- Immersive Media (CTIN)
- Media and Social Change (IML)
- Science Visualization (CTAN)
- Screenwriting (CTWR)
- Themed Entertainment (CTIN)
(CTAN) Animation and Digital Arts
Curriculum Questions: animation@cinema.usc.edu
(CTIN) Interactive Media
Curriculum Questions: USCInteractive@cinema.usc.edu
(CTWR) Writing for Screen & Television
Curriculum Questions: writing@cinema.usc.edu
(IML) Media Arts & Practice
Curriculum Questions: MAP@cinema.usc.edu
(STAF) SCA Student Affairs
Curriculum Questions: studentaffairs@cinema.usc.edu
Can I take any classes within the School of Cinematic Arts?
Open registration courses (courses in which the 5 digit section number ends in a “r”) are available to minors and non-majors provided you have met any pre-requisites or restrictions listed for the course on classes.usc.edu or via catalogue.usc.edu. D-clearance courses (courses in which the 5 digit section ends in a “d”) are either restricted to specific majors/minors or priority consideration is given to specific majors/minors.
Who is my minor academic advisor? Can I meet with them?
Most minor programs of study do not have assigned academic advisors. Your major academic advisor can prepare a general course plan for you that outlines space available that you can dedicate to completing your minor. If you have questions pertaining your specific minor requirements or exceptions, please email those questions to the department administering the minor.
Can I declare more than one minor?
Yes, but all USC minors must have a minimum of 16 units unique, which means that they can apply ONLY to one minor or program of study. If you have a second minor or are majoring in an SCA program, each minor(s) will need to have minimum of 16 units that does not overlap with any of your other major/minor requirements.
Can I declare a minor if I have a major in SCA?
Yes, but all USC minors must have a minimum of 16 units unique, which means that they can apply ONLY to one minor or program of study. If you have a second minor or are majoring in an SCA program, each minor(s) will need to have minimum of 16 units that does not overlap with any of your other major/minor requirements. The Cinematic Arts minor is the one exception to this rule, as it is specifically designed for non-SCA majors.
What if I need to request a course substitution or exception for my minor?
Please email the department that administers the minor so that they can give you access to the proper forms via scacommunity.usc.edu. For the Cinematic Arts, Documentary, or Entertainment Industry, please email studentaffairs@cinema.usc.edu. For the Screenwriting or Comedy minor please email writing@cinema.usc.edu. For the Digital Studies, Media and Social Change, or Future Cinema minor please email map@cinema.usc.edu. For the Animation and Digital Arts or 3-D Animation minors please email animation@cinema.usc.edu. For all Game minors, Immersive Media, Science Visualization, and Themed Entertainment minors please email USCinteractive@cinema.usc.edu.
What if I want to take a course that I have not met the pre-requisite for?
If you have comparable academic experience to the pre-requisite you would like to waive, please reach out to the administering department of the course to request access to the pre-requisite waiver on scacommunity.usc.edu. Please note that time to degree completion or course availability are not acceptable justifications for a pre-requisite waiver. We recommend that you initiate any requests the semester well BEFORE you would begin the course. Pre-requisite waivers will generally take several weeks to review and we cannot guarantee that requests submitted during the first 3 weeks of the semester will be processed before the add/drop deadline.
What happens after I submit a petition?
All petitions are reviewed by an advisory committee. We are not able to honor requests to expedite individual petitions. Advisors do not have the authority to approve or deny petitions. After your petition has been reviewed by the advisory committee you will be notified via email of the result. We do not provide students with the names or contact information of committee members, no exceptions.
Can I take any courses for my minor abroad?
Potentially, but SCA minors can take no more than 2 courses abroad for their program, and they must complete a pre-approval form with the minor advisor first to confirm that the class(es) will count towards the minor.
For the Cinematic Arts minor, which classes can be taken for the “8 additional upper-division units of Cinematic Arts electives?”
ANY SCA class 300 and above will count towards this requirement!
Where can I find out when and how to request d-clearances for SCA courses?
See Non-Majors D-Clearance page.
How do I register for CNTV 495 (Internship in Cinematic Arts)?
Students are required to secure their own internship. Please use the SCA Job Board and the tools available under the Industry Relations resources on scacommunity.usc.edu to search and apply for internships. Once you receive an internship offer, you can request the d-clearance through the Internship Form on the “SCA Forms” tool of scacommunity.usc.edu. Entertainment Industry Minors are required to complete 2 units of CNTV 495 for the minor. This can be completed in one semester or you can take CNTV 495 for 1 unit twice. Students cannot request d-clearance for CNTV 495 until after they have received an official internship offer.
What if I get an offer midway through the semester? Can I still register for CNTV 495 and receive credit for the internship?
We will continue to clear students for CNTV 495 until the end of the third week of the semester. After that, students must submit a late registration petition to the registrar’s office in order to register for any course at USC, and there is no guarantee that the petition will be approved.
What if I am waitlisted for a production course?
Major students have priority and are d-cleared prior to minors and non-majors, which means non-majors and minors will not be cleared until later in the registration cycle. If you are d-cleared you will be notified via email and given a deadline to register. If you do not receive an email there have been no changes to your status on the waitlist. 1 week prior to the start of the semester waitlists will be finalized and forwarded to production faculty and we will no longer accept d-clearance requests via email without instructor approval.
Do I need instructor approval to d-clear for a production course?
Obtaining an instructor’s approval BEFORE the start of the semester will not increase your chances of being cleared for a course. Waitlists and d-clearance are based on the order requests are received starting November 2. After the start of the semester, waitlists are forwarded to the instructor and instructor approval is required for any d-clearance classes. Please forward instructor confirmation to studentaffairs@cinema.usc.edu.
What if I’m trying to d-clear for a course after the semester begins?
After the start of the semester instructor approval is required for any d-clearance classes in Animation, Interactive, Production, Cinema and Media Studies, or Media Arts & Practice. You still need to have met any pre-requisites, pre-requisites can be viewed via classes.usc.edu or catalogue.usc.edu.
If an open registration class is full, is there a waitlist I can join?
No, open registration courses do not have waitlists. If a student drops the course and a seat opens up, whoever sees the opening and registers for it first will get the spot.