ogram is classified as "comprehensive" and offers 134 master's, doctoral, and professional degrees through 17 professional schools.[29][31] USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.[31] The university was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1969.[32]

uates who must pass an extensive screening process and background check before they are hired.
DPS also has 143 un-armed Community Service Officers (CSOs) who complement the services provided by the Public Safety Officers.
The Department’s 24-hour communications center coordinates and supports the activities of field personnel. 19 Public Safety Communication Operators coordinate communication among the campus community and the officers who are providing services in the field. The communications center also provides dispatch services for USC’s Transportation Services and monitors several other radio frequencies, including the LAPD officers assigned to the area.
DPS employs part-time student workers in its Trojan Student Officer Program. They are responsible for promoting bicycle safety, enforcing campus bicycle regulations, and deterring bicycle theft. They also supplement bookstore security, perform administrative duties, and offer an added security presence by patrolling parking lots and university residential complexes.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LAPD, the DPS Officers have limited arrest authority on and around the USC campuses. The primary responsibility of DPS is the protection of the University community. The statutory authority for the existence of the USC Department of Public Safety, patrol and response boundaries, authority to carry firearms, and powers of arrest are derived from the MOU, the California Penal and Educational Codes, and the Bureau of Investigation and Security Services section of the California Business and Profession Code. The MOU with LAPD allows the DPS Officers to exercise arrest powers described in Penal Code Section 830.7(b). All arrests must be conducted in accordance with guidelines outlined by the MOU, and all arrestees without unnecessary delay, must be delivered to LAPD.[28]
Academics[edit]

Main article: University of Southern California academics


The Law School building is one of the handful of examples of Brutalist architecture on the main campus.
USC is a large, primarily residential research university.[29] The majority of the student body was undergraduate until 2007, when graduate student enrollment began to exceed undergraduate.[30] The four-year, full-time undergraduate instructional program is classified as "balanced arts & sciences/professions" with a high graduate coexistence. Admissions are characterized as "most selective, lower transfer in"; 95 undergraduate majors and 147 academic and professional minors are offered.[29][31] The graduate program is classified as "comprehensive" and offers 134 master's, doctoral, and professional degrees through 17 professional schools.[29][31] USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.[31] The university was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1969.[32] USC's academic departments fall either under the general liberal arts and sciences of the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences for undergraduates, the Graduate School for graduates, or the university's 18 professional schools.[33]


Mudd Hall of Philosophy
The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, the oldest and largest of the USC schools, grants undergraduate degrees in more than 130 majors and minors across the humanities, social sciences, and natural/physical sciences, and offers doctoral and masters programs in more than 20 fields.[34] Dornsife College is responsible for the general education program for all USC undergraduates, and houses a full-time faculty of approximately 700, more than 6500 undergraduate majors (roughly half the total USC undergraduate population), and 1200 doctoral students. In addition to 30 academic departments, the College also houses dozens of research centers and institutes. In the 2008–2009 academic year, 4,400 undergraduate degrees and 5,500 advanced degrees were awarded. Formerly called "USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences", the College received a $200 million gift from USC trustees Dana and David Dornsife on March 23, 2011, after which the College was renamed in their honor, following the naming pattern of other professional schools and departments at the University.[35] All Ph.D. degrees awarded at USC and most masters degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School.[36] Professional degrees are awarded by each of the respective professional schools.


School of Cinematic Arts.
The School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest and largest film sch

ctivities are funded by the student activity fee, which the Treasurer has control over setting and that the Senate approves. In addition to USG, residents within university housing are represented and governed by the University Residential Student Community (URSC), which is divided by residence hall. The Graduate Student Government (GSG) consists of senators elected by the students of each s

Bovard Hall, home of USC's central administration, shortly after completion in 1921; the streets later became pedestrian-only
USC is a private corporation controlled by a Board of Trustees composed of 50 voting members and several life trustees, honorary trustees, and trustees emeriti who do not vote. Voting members of the Board of Trustees are elected for five-year terms. One fifth of the Trustees stand for re-election each year, and votes are cast only by the trustees not standing for election. Trustees tend to be high-ranking executives of large corporations (both domestic and international), successful alumni, members of the upper echelons of university administration, or some combination of the three.
The university administration consists of a president, a provost, several vice-presidents of various departments, a treasurer, a chief information officer, and an athletic director. The current president is C. L. Max Nikias. In 2008, Nikias' predecessor, Steven Sample, was one of the highest paid university presidents in the United States with a salary of $1.9 million.[27]
The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, the Graduate School, and the 17 professional schools are each led by an academic dean. USC occasionally awards emeritus titles to former administrators. There are currently six administrators emeriti.
The University of Southern California's 17 professional schools include the USC Leventhal School of Accounting, USC School of Architecture, USC Marshall School of Business, USC School of Cinematic Arts, USC Annenberg School for Communication, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, USC Rossier School of Education, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, USC Roski School of Fine Arts, USC Davis School of Gerontology, USC Gould School of Law, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USC Thornton School of Music, USC School of Pharmacy, USC Price School of Public Policy, USC School of Social Work, and USC School of Theatre.
Student government[edit]


USC Gwynn Wilson Student Union
The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) makes decisions representing the undergraduate students of the university. It consists of an appointed executive leadership board, popularly elected legislative branch, and judicial oversight, along with a programming board (commonly referred to as "Program Board"). All USG activities are funded by the student activity fee, which the Treasurer has control over setting and that the Senate approves. In addition to USG, residents within university housing are represented and governed by the University Residential Student Community (URSC), which is divided by residence hall. The Graduate Student Government (GSG) consists of senators elected by the students of each school proportional to its enrollment and its activities are funded by a graduate and professional student activity fee.
List of university presidents[edit]
Marion M. Bovard (1880–1891)
Joseph P. Widney (1892–1895)
George W. White (1895–1899)
George F. Bovard (1903–1921)
Rufus B. von KleinSmid (1921–1947)
Fred D. Fagg, Jr. (1947–1957)
Norman Topping (1958–1970)
John R. Hubbard (1970–1980)
James H. Zumberge (1980–1991)
Steven B. Sample (1991–2010)
C. L. Max Nikias (2010–present)
Department of Public Safety[edit]
USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) is one of the largest university law enforcement agencies in the nation. The Department of Public Safety headquarters is located on the University Park campus, and there is a substation on the Health Sciences campus. The department operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The authorized strength of the department is 293 full-time members. The Department enjoys an excellent working relationship with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
There are a total of 115 armed officers who provide services to the two campuses. The Department’s Public Safety Officers (PSOs) are police academy grad