Thinking Outside Your Major: 10 Unique Minors at USC
Adding minors during your college experience is a great way to explore multiple interests, potentially across several disciplines. With over 250 options, choosing a minor at USC might seem overwhelming. This list highlights a few minors that are more unique and may not be offered at other institutions. Among these, several stand out for their creativity, interdisciplinary nature, or sheer niche appeal.
If you are looking to dig into the history of LA, this is the minor for you. Students in this program will gain diverse, long-term perspectives on Los Angeles, California, the West, and the United States by participating in the discovery and study of material traces of past human activity. Students explore California’s past through archaeological excavations and surveys, studying material traces of human activity to understand the region from a long-term perspective.
The Podcasting minor is all about storytelling, branding, marketing and audience connection. Students will learn the practical skills required for producing a variety of podcast formats, including narrative storytelling, interview/conversational podcasts and fictional podcasts. This minor covers the history and business of podcasting while teaching hands-on production skills. By the end, you’ll know how to create, launch, and grow a podcast from scratch.
If you’re passionate about making a difference, this minor takes you inside the nonprofit world. This minor enables students to learn about the nonprofit sector — its organizations, philanthropy and voluntary action. The three-course core provides: (1) an overview of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy and its role in the United States, including its historical and theoretical foundations, its various components and its relation to public policy; (2) a focus on voluntary action and service as one means for social change and problem-solving; and (3) insights into the management of nonprofit organizations. Students then select an elective that extends their understanding to the role of nongovernmental organizations in international affairs or to the role of public relations for nonprofits.
The Fashion Minor at USC isn’t just about design; it’s a program that recontextualizes the idea of fashion in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner, offering elective options in fashion studies, wearable production, smart fabrics, costuming, dance and movement, media and culture, business entrepreneurship and marketing. The minor also serves as a gateway to two progressive degree options, Roski’s MFA in Fashion and Iovine and Young Academy’s MS in Fashion Innovation.
Designed for pre-health students, this minor combines cinematic arts with health promotion. The goal? Learn how to use media to share accurate health information and engage the public. This minor caters to students who plan to enter careers or professional programs in medicine after graduation and are interested in a creative bridge between science and storytelling. It complements major programs such as biological sciences, chemistry, kinesiology, health promotion and disease prevention studies, and environmental studies.
Food is more than just what’s on your plate—it’s tied to culture, identity, and social systems. The interdisciplinary minor in Food and Society at USC explores food as a complex social phenomenon, shaped by human knowledge, practices and ecologies. Grounded in Anthropology, the minor in Food and Society examines the diversity that characterizes human relationships to food. Students will learn to apply the tools of social analysis to gain critical insight into the complex social forces that shape food systems.
From myths and legends to proverbs, folk medicine, and even jokes—this minor dives into the traditions and stories that shape cultural identity. Through interdisciplinary coursework, students will learn techniques of collecting, analyzing and interpreting the traditional expressive culture of diverse groups. Students will explore the interrelationships of folklore and national, regional and ethnic identities. Eventually, students will see how value systems are reflected in the data, and understand the ideological underpinnings of group formation, group identity, conflict, and strategies for resolution. Since the field is historically grounded and culturally comparative, folklore offers essential perspectives on the human condition.
This minor is designed for students from a wide range of backgrounds who are interested in starting their digital ventures, working for start-up companies, or pursuing traditional jobs with large corporations and consulting firms that may involve launching new digital business units. Students will learn all major elements of launching a digital venture, including digital disruption, ideation, high-tech product management, online customer acquisition, technology implementation, online business models, digital marketing and monetization. Eventually, students team up to work on launching a digital venture in the capstone class.
For those interested in storytelling and social impact, this minor examines the role of media and communication in creating change in a multicultural society. With an emphasis on identity, policy, and advocacy, it equips students to use their voices for justice in any field. The minor also helps students develop as more engaged, informed and empathetic citizens who are empowered to bring resolution and shared understanding to areas of conflict and difference in their own lives, the broader community and the workplace.
Yes, USC has a comedy minor—and it’s as fun as it sounds. The minor in comedy (performance) is a great option for students looking for a creative way to build confidence, presence and humor that can carry into any career. Beginning with a foundation in the history of comic performance, students then select from comedy electives that focus on using improv, stand-up, clowning, and other forms of humor to be more effective and entertaining in any professional setting. The progression of the minor offers students a comprehensive theoretical and experiential education in the many differing disciplines of comedy.
With all these options and so many more, you can tailor your education at USC to fit your specific desires. If you are interested in adding a minor, conducting some research will help you prepare. Exploring courses through your GE courses is a great way to test the waters and see if you want to pursue another area of study. Make sure that you are aware of any prerequisites the program might require. You can work with your academic advisor to make sure that you can balance the program requirements with your GE and major requirements to ensure you graduate on time. Whether you’re crafting health narratives through film, performing comedy on stage, or designing sustainable fashion, there’s a unique path waiting for you at USC.
Written by: Lucy Jordan, Assistant Director - USC Office of Admission