Here at Viterbi, graduate advising is conducted by two teams - your department academic advisor(s) and VGASP advisors. We collaborate to provide you advisement and support your holistic success. Both teams provide advisement for different areas, so it’s important to review the information below to understand the areas each team advises on.
Department Academic Advisors
Department Academic Advisors are specialized units that provide program-specific academic advising on the following topics:
Degree Requirements
Graduation Timeline
Course Recommendations/Course Planning
On-Campus D-Clearances
STARS Report Updates
Change of Major
RA/TA Funding
Departmental Fellowship
MS Students: Click below to connect with your Department Advisor
Viterbi Graduate Academic Services & Programs (VGASP) is a centralized office that manages and advises on Viterbi-wide policies and procedures such as:
Leave of Absence (LOA)
DEN D-clearances & Petitions
Ph.D. Exam/Defense
Grad School Fellowship
MS and Ph.D. Progress Review
General USC and/or Viterbi-wide questions
Academic verifications* for the following processes:
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Academic Difficulty & Medical Reduced Course Load (RCL)
Program Extension (PE)
Progressive Degree Program I-20 (PDP I-20)
*Please keep in mind that OIS has ownership of the immigration process. Questions regarding immigration should be directed to their team.
MS & Ph.D. Students: Click below to connect with the VGASP Team
There are many opportunities for you to learn and connect with both our team and your peers! Our team offers live hybrid workshops that you can join - click on Academic Workshops to learn more. You also have access to the Viterbi Graduate Learning platform, which gives you 24/7 on-demand access to learning modules about academic requirements, policies, and more!
