USC’s Glossary of Transfer Applicant Terms
Now is the time to lock in and enter your transfer era. One of the most important goals in transferring to USC is staying on track for graduation while meeting major requirements. But transferring between two higher education institutions is sometimes like trying to merge lanes on the freeway during primetime traffic in Los Angeles (#iykyk). While you navigate the transfer process, you may find that the classes and curricula at your current school don’t always line up with the school you would like to transfer into. Like trying to assemble that one piece of Ikea furniture after losing the instructions, you suddenly find that there is a new “piece” that you must grasp to make sure you aren’t flushing away hard-earned credits when you change schools. To help you gain more confidence and a clearer understanding of what we mean when we talk about the USC transfer process, we’ve put together an explanation of our lexicon.
Academic terminology:
Articulation Agreement is a comprehensive list of courses that transfer to USC from most California community colleges. Articulation Agreements indicate how a course may transfer to USC. Courses may transfer as 1) elective credit, 2) courses that are equivalent to specific USC courses, or 3) courses that will fulfill core requirements such as General Education (GE), foreign language, or writing. Taking transferrable courses that meet USC major and GE requirements (graduation requirements for USC) is important because it allows students to build stronger, more competitive applications to transfer.
Articulation History is a non-comprehensive list of courses that have transferred to USC from a specific institution in past years as students have matriculated to USC. Articulation histories list courses that are likely to transfer to USC. However, they are not guaranteed, as our Undergraduate Transfer Credit Services office does not review the curriculum at every college/university with an Articulation History. Also, unlike Articulation Agreements, Articulation Histories do not show how every course offered at a school may transfer. When courses do not appear in the Articulation History, they may still be transferrable. (Students will find out if they are after they have matriculated to USC and their transcripts/syllabi have been evaluated by our Undergraduate Transfer Credit Services office). Generally, courses that are academic in nature and taught at USC are likely to transfer for at least elective credit. But, again, this is not guaranteed. We recommend saving each course syllabus and assignments in case you want to petition a course that was deemed non-transferable.
USC does not pre-approve any courses from schools we do not have an Articulation Agreement/History with.
Articulation Petition is a request to change the evaluation of a transferred course. This can only be requested by a matriculated USC student. We have frequently seen students make this request soon after matriculation and before the first semester is completed. Supporting documentation (such as the course syllabus, graded papers and assignments, and lab reports) often speeds up and increases the success of the petition process.
Core Literacies make up the bulk of our General Education program. This portion of our GE program is composed of six general education categories, and students need to take 8 classes in these areas. The categories are the GE-A The Arts, GE-B Humanistic Inquiry, GE-C Social Analysis, GE-D Life Sciences, GE-D Physical Sciences, and GE-F Quantitative Reasoning. (Two courses are required in both GE-B and GE-C.) Providing students skills and knowledge in the areas of the core literacy requirements helps to ensure professional success and personal development, as well as establish a foundation for lifelong learning.
Course Comparable refers to a course that has transferred in and covers some of the same topics as a USC course, but are not identical, despite possibly even sharing the same course name. Equivalency will not be granted in these cases, but the course could meet a pre-requisite for another course or satisfy a requirement.
Course Equivalent means that a transferred course covered nearly identical material and is therefore similar enough that the courses would be treated the same at both institutions. Such courses are important for fulfilling major requirements.
Elective Courses are not required for a major or General Education but may be used to fulfill the total units required for graduation. Many courses transferred in from other institutions will be counted as elective units that will contribute to the total number of units needed to earn a degree.
General Education (GE) is a group of courses in different and varied areas required for graduation. At USC, the General Education requirement includes the six core literacies (mentioned above) and two global perspectives courses. Courses taken elsewhere that are not listed in Articulation Histories may meet our General Education requirement if they are not remedial, if they are introductory in nature, and if the knowledge and skills taught include critical analysis, cultural context, and a scientific laboratory component, if applicable. Important: two of these courses in any core literacy category must be completed at USC.
Please note, that incoming USC students whose first full-time college term was prior to Fall 2015 will be following USC’s previous GE requirements.
Global Perspectives are two categories within our General Education program. Courses in these categories look at worldwide problems through different lenses, and students need to complete a course from each of the two areas: Citizenship in a Diverse World and Traditions and Historical Foundations. Some core literacy courses also fulfill a global perspective requirement. It’s like getting a two-for-one deal!
Lower Division Courses are typically introductory in nature and mostly for students in their first and second years of college. They are commonly designated with a 100 or 200 course number.
Major Electives are upper- division courses related to a particular major area but not specified by the department. They count toward the total units needed to complete that major.
Prerequisite Course is usually a course that is required before being able to move on to a more advanced course in a prescribed sequence.
Residence refers to the number of units or the segment of a degree program that must be completed at USC. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 64 units in residence at USC, or half the units typically required for graduation. If students have more than 64 units when they transfer, it does not change how many units they must take at USC. The 64-unit benchmark is an absolute minimum, except for students in the 3-2 Engineering and the Bachelor of Architecture programs. All students, however, can still obtain subject credit with their additional units.
Upper-Division Courses are primarily for juniors and seniors and commonly designated with a 300 or 400 course number. Few, if any, transfer for subject credit at USC with the idea being that they should be taken at USC.
Transfer Credit Report officially acknowledges all transferable coursework applicable toward the USC degree and is generated by the Undergraduate Transfer Credit Services office. The evaluation is prepared for every newly- enrolled undergraduate student with transfer work or relevant exams (such as AP/IB). This report is generated after students confirm their intent to enroll and is typically available within a week or two before new student Orientation.
Transfer Planning Guide (TPG) is a web-based tool that identifies courses at specific California community colleges that meet General Education, foreign language, writing and low-division major requirements at USC.
Application terminology:
Admission Condition is sometimes tied to an acceptance. Our letter of admission might specify certain grade point averages needed in courses in progress and/or other requirements. These must be met and verified with an official transcript before students can register for classes at USC.
Admission Counselors/Territory Managers are individuals in the admission office assigned to provide outreach to specific schools. That means they attend fairs and host visits or workshops to prospective students at that school, as well as help review the applications from that institution.
Common Application is a web-based application accepted by more than 900 colleges and universities around the globe. It collects information about the student’s academic history, background, and engagement in activities. Students can apply to USC through the Common Application, as well as other institutions on the platform without filling out separate applications for each school.
English Language Proficiency is required by the faculty of USC because your success depends on your ability to communicate effectively in English. All international students whose native language is not English must submit test scores from the SAT/ACT, TOEFL or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition, IELTS or IELTS Indicator, Duolingo, or PTE to show proficiency. Please visit our website for more details.
Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support is documentation required by the United States government of all international applicants. USC can’t issue the forms required to obtain a visa until students provide proof of ability to pay USC’s cost of attendance for the first academic year. The financial statement must be signed and supporting documents must be dated within the last year. Acceptable documentation of available funds includes savings deposits, checking accounts, investment portfolios, or a signed bank letter verifying the ability to pay educational expenses. Visit our website for more information.
International Student is an individual of foreign nationality who will be entering, or has already entered, the United States with a student visa. Students already residing in the United States and hold other non-immigrant visas are also considered international students. Please note that if you are an undocumented student, you are not considered an international student.
Visa is a legal travel document issued to foreign nationals who wish to study in the United States in degree- or certificate-granting programs.
Legacy is a student with a sibling, parent, or grandparent who is currently attending or has graduated from USC.
Spring Grade Request is a request from the USC Office of Admission to review an applicant’s spring semester or quarter grades. If a student receives a request for spring grades, they will not hear an admission decision until after we receive those final grades. We will release decisions from students who have submitted spring grades through mid-July. A spring grade request is not indicative of an admission decision.
Supplemental Application is a part of some colleges’ Common Application requirements. This includes USC. These short answer essays offer students an opportunity to further describe their interest in their academic interest and present additional information about themselves not otherwise covered in the rest of the application. USC’s supplemental essays vary by department.
Transcript is a record of students’ academic performance in courses. An official transcript bears the university seal and signature of the Registrar, and is sent from the school, not the student. Students should request that their schools send official transcripts electronically or by mail directly to USC. Opening the envelopes in which they come sealed renders the transcript unofficial. Important: Applicants to USC must send official transcripts for ALL institutions they have attended.
Fee Waivers allow us to waive the cost of the application and are available to students with limited financial resources. Applicants can select the fee waiver option in the Common Application prior to hitting submit.
If you want to check out some more college terms, utilize the USC Glossary of First Year Applicant Terms and/or USC Glossary of International Applicant Terms.
This blog was written in partnership with Chelsey Kaufman - Associate Director, Adriana Serrano Gutierrez - Associate Director, Rachel Cho – Senior Assistant Director.
Updated on 10/29/24 by Leslie Escobedo – Assistant Director