Pre-Engineering

Your overall academic performance and demonstrated preparation for your intended major in engineering are the primary factors considered. In addition, you must be enrolled in 14 to 18 units and enrolled in the courses recommended by a Viterbi advisor.

Yes, you may change your intended engineering major.

Letters of recommendation are not accepted as part of your application for review.

Although not required, you will be given the opportunity to submit a supplemental statement with your application. The supplemental statement is useful for students who have not met at least one requirement for top consideration to explain your situation to the committee. This should include any extenuating circumstances you would like the committee to be aware of. You will receive the link to submit one when you are ready to be reviewed for admission.

You can also submit any medical documentation to viterbi.studentservices@usc.edu on or before the date the supplemental statement is due.

Your entire academic history is considered, with a focus on any courses that are engineering major requirements. Typically, this includes:

MATH 126 or higher

BISC 120 or BISC 220 or higher

CHEM 105a or higher

PHYS 151 or higher

Any course offered by an engineering department that is a required for your intended engineering degree.

You cannot be admitted to Viterbi based solely on exam scores. The Admission Committee will need to review your academic performance in at least one semester of typical engineering coursework at USC.

Students are only able to take pre-engineering courses from Spring 2020 to Spring 2022 ONLY due to the provost allowing students to take any course P/NP during those semesters. Starting Fall 2022, students have to take all pre-engineering courses letter grade.

You cannot be admitted to Viterbi based solely on courses taken at other schools. The Admission Committee will need to review your academic performance in at least one semester of typical engineering coursework at USC. However, taking courses over the summer at other schools may be necessary for you to make timely progress towards your degree if you are admitted to engineering. Please be sure to discuss this with your engineering advisor.

Once you have met the application requirements and you want to major in engineering, your application will be reviewed. We want to ensure that you have an admission decision as early in your time at USC as possible so you can make timely progress towards your degree.

Yes, you may appeal the decision if your application is denied. Appeal requests must be typed and emailed to your Viterbi Advisor in no later than two weeks following the date your admission decision is emailed. In your appeal request, it is very important to discuss any extenuating circumstances that negatively impacted your academics. Simply requesting another semester to improve your grades is not a sufficient basis for an appeal. The review committee will evaluate appeal requests on a case by case basis.

No. Once you are denied admission to Viterbi, you may not re-apply. We want to ensure you remain in good academic standing at USC and are making progress towards a degree. Repeatedly taking engineering courses and re-applying to Viterbi without being successful decrease your chances of remaining in good academic standing or graduating on time. We advise all students who apply to change their major to Viterbi have a back-up plan to graduate in another major from USC. There are many other majors and minors at USC that may fit your interest in math, science, and technology.