STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Get Involved!
As a Viterbi student, your experience is heightened with active participation in student organizations!
Campus Activities maintains information regarding university-wide student organizations. Below is a listing of current Viterbi-affiliated student organizations, designed to enhance your undergraduate and graduate years of study at USC. Visit their websites or contact them by email for more information on how to join these organizations.
If you have any questions or concerns you may contact Kevin Giang (kgiang@usc.edu).
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As a donor, your contribution can make a direct impact on a student’s undergraduate and graduate experience.
By supporting any of our student organizations or design teams, you are allowing our students to take the knowledge they have acquired from our renowned faculty members in a classroom setting and apply them first-hand through their programming and team projects.
Viterbi Affiliated Organizations
In 3D4E, we teach and support students in using 3D printing to solve everyday problems. Working on teams, we grow through shared competencies, encouraging creativity and collaboration through engaging diverse perspectives. We provide resources and guidance in pursuing your passions through 3D printing, whether that be creating prosthetic hands, dog wheelchairs, or coral models. No experience is necessary, just join ready to learn! The only limit is your imagination. Join today and build your own tomorrow!
No matter your major, your year, or how much practical experience you have, the AeroDesign Team is a student organization that caters to those looking to design, build, and fly RC airplanes. ADT provides a hands-on approach for students to learn and understand flight in a practical setting outside of the classroom, while using principles and theory learned in class.
ADT builds multiple aircraft throughout the year. We are happy to put you to work in our fabrication lab, located in VHE M31. If you haven't been involved with ADT yet, we suggest coming to one of our weekly meetings.
The members of Alpha Omega Epsilon promote ideals and objectives that hope to further the advancement of women engineers and scientists, while at the same time developing bonds of lifelong friendships. Alpha Omega Epsilon strives for scholarship and academic achievement. The members create a friendly, warm atmosphere where integrity, character, and self-confidence can foster. The organization hopes to enlighten women engineers and scientists to the opportunities available. Alpha Omega Epsilon encourages ties with other organizations, which leads to the discovery of additional extracurricular activities, and in pursuing contacts with engineers in industry.
The USC Chapter of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists was founded in Spring of 2016 with the purpose of exploring and promoting a wide array of academic and career opportunities related to the fields of environmental engineering and environmental science. Through this exploration, we hope to connect those interested in such fields with other like-minded students, faculty, and professionals beyond USC. The AAEES Chapter at USC further aims to showcase and make available all the National AAEES resources, as well as USC Viterbi resources, to USC students, which may include but are not limited to the following: professional and student networking, mentoring opportunities, speaker events, training workshops, off-campus career exploration, and joint events with other USC organizations. If you are interested in learning more about career pathways related to the environment then please don’t hesitate to email us at uscaaees@gmail.com or find us on Facebook by searching @aaeesUSC or instagram @uscaaees.
USC AIAA is a student branch of a professional organization with thousands of members throughout the aerospace industry. We help our members expand their network, learn about opportunities in aerospace fields, and build professional skills. Our events feature USC faculty and alumni sharing their background and experience to show possible paths, as well as panels and workshops to encourage discussion and build practical career skills. Membership in the student organization is free, and can be a pathway to membership in the national organization. We welcome undergraduate and graduate students of all majors interested in learning more about the aerospace profession.
USC AIChE is the premier organization for chemical engineers on campus. Our chapter's goal is to connect and engage USC's chemical engineering community through professional, social, service, and academic events.
Students from all backgrounds and varying levels of experience are welcome to participate in Steel Bridge, and are guaranteed real world experiences of which will propel their career development. In this learn-by-doing-based competition, students are able to apply both theoretical and practical civil, structural, and construction
engineering concepts. Through the application of these concepts, the gaining of “machine-shop” experience, and the development of problem solving skills, students are familiarized with managing a project’s entire workflow - design, fabrication, and cost engineering. Judged primarily on the construction economy, lightness, and stiffness of the bridge, the competition invites students to produce the most structurally sound and efficient bridge.
The American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter at the University of Southern California is a student-run organization that enriches the lives of civil and environmental engineering students through social events, community service, industry interaction, and engineering competitions. USC ASCE serves as the link between the university and ASCE & the professional experience.
To promote and enhance the technical competency and professional well-being of our members, and through quality programs and activities in mechanical engineering, better enable its practitioners to contribute to the well-being of humankind.
USC mechanical engineers have the resources to be academically competent, so the student ASME chapter aims to cultivate networking, provide contacts to industry, promote technical competency, and enhance their professionalism. It is a Mecca for engineers to learn and get excited about the field of Mechanical Engineering. Our vision is to be the premier organization for promoting the art, science, and practice of mechanical engineering throughout the world.
ASBME is a student-run undergraduate biomedical engineering organization at USC that serves the engineering student body through academic, corporate, mentoring, social, and outreach events. Students gain clarity of their chosen field of study and the opportunities that being a BME major brings. Students are also able to get a foot in the corporate door at the annual ASBME Corporate Dinner, attended by USC alumni as well as other corporate representatives. Finally, our flagship event, the Makeathon, allows students to put their classroom knowledge to the test in a 30-hour medical device design challenge.
Join ACM, USC's largest computer science organization to meet a group of awesome and nerdy individuals who are enthusiastic about CS! ACM hosts networking events to connect students with professionals, workshops to supplement in-class work, and even social events to connect Trojans! Everyone with an interest in computer science is welcome!
AIM Consulting is a student-run organization established and managed by undergraduate students at the University of Southern California. We provide quality marketing consultancy services for clients across multiple industries. Some of past clients include Google, Roblox, Acura, Sweetgreen, and Madhappy. Student consultants work on semesterly projects with clients on teams of 5, preparing three deliverables per semester for the client to address a pre-determined pain point.
USC’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Design Team is a student-run organization that creates an AUV each year to compete in the Robosub competition. Robosub draws around 60 teams from around the world to the US Navy’s TRANDEC facility in San Diego. Vehicles must complete a series of tasks designed to mimic current challenges in underwater autonomy. Throughout the year, student members collaborate to design, manufacture and test the vehicle working on a wide variety of projects including structures, power systems, sonar, and computer vision. AUV gives members the opportunity to apply classroom learnings to practical engineering challenges.
CAIS++ (pronounced “case plus plus”) is a USC Viterbi-affiliated undergraduate student organization that serves as the student branch of the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS). In brief, our students work to promote the development of AI applications for social good.
The Cyber Security & Forensics Organization (CybOrg) was founded to provide students interested in learning about Cyber Security with opportunities to meet recruiters, learn about all the career paths in the security and digital forensics industries, and practice their networking and Capture the Flag (CTF) skills. We invite students from all backgrounds and disciplines to attend our events and become a part of our organization.
Code the Change started in 2015 by a group of civic-minded developers and designers looking to use their skills for service.
Since then, we’ve partnered with around three nonprofits yearly, working in solidarity with the communities to help our partner organizations accomplish their missions. Our teams consist of developers, designers, and a product manager to produce the best possible product for our clients.
However, it goes beyond the vague buzzword of “tech for social good”. We as technologists have a responsibility to hold our community accountable for tech’s harms and its role in society.
We must do better than technosolutionism—we’re currently growing our organization not just to build short term projects, but engage our members in activism, foster discussions on campus, and promote service in our communities.
If this mission toward a better future resonates, we’d love to have you join us.
The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) is a national organization that works with universities and industry to achieve a common goal of improving our nation’s infrastructure through the practice and teaching of construction management.
The USC CMAA chapter was formed to help connect students to professionals in the construction industry. In addition to info sessions, job walks, and other professional events, USC CMAA sends approximately 40 students each year to compete with other universities in the Associated Schools of Construction Regional Competition in Sparks, Nevada.
The University of Southern California Chapter of Engineers Without Borders USA is an entirely student-managed organization. Founded in 2006, EWB-USA’s USC Chapter is the Viterbi School of Engineering’s only humanitarian organization. We work to build a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs and equip leaders to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
Our close-knit, dedicated member base is composed of Trojans studying a wide variety of disciplines. All members of EWB-USA’s USC Chapter are volunteers who share a common vision of making a difference in rural communities of developing countries while enhancing their engineering education at the University of Southern California.
The EWB-USA USC Chapter’s members are the heartbeat of our organization; these members volunteer their time, their energy, and their expertise in pursuit of EWB-USA’s vision of a world where every community has the capacity to sustainably meet their basic human needs.
Our diverse students are dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact in the world. Since our inception, our club has become strongly involved in several international projects in developing countries. In the EWB-USA USC Chapter, students and professional mentors work together to deliver critical infrastructure projects to rural communities in developing countries. For each project, EWB-USA collaborates with the local community members to design and implement sustainable engineering projects. Through the project design and implementation process, students have the opportunity to learn and apply engineering skills and develop strong leadership qualities.
Want a tight knit group of women in the tech industry at USC? Join Girls in Tech USC! We’re dedicated to empowering and mentoring female college students of all backgrounds/majors interested in the tech industry. We provide educational resources, business-oriented networking events, and empowerment & leadership-related seminars and workshops. In previous years, Girls in Tech USC has toured Google Venice Campus, Bird, Ticketmaster, and NASA JPL. Check out our Instagram here: instagram.com/gitusc/
Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) are Google-affiliated and student run tech communities around the world that bridge the gap between theory and practice. Through technical workshops, guest speakers, and projects, we provide a space for students of all backgrounds to learn, grow, and connect. We'll teach you practical skills that your classes won't in areas ranging from machine learning to web dev, getting you ready for the workforce. We'll also be organizing teams for the Google Solution Challenge, which is an annual competition where teams of students create and submit projects addressing an issue that Google chooses every year. You'll be competing against other students from around the world, and we'll give you the support you need to compete.
USC IISE is the only organization on campus dedicated to ISE students. We strive to provide our members opportunities with valuable experiences, skills, and a familiarity with Industrial Engineering and related professions. Our mission is to provide knowledge, training, networking opportunities and recognition to enhance the skills and effectiveness of the industrial and systems engineering profession and those individuals involved with improving quality and productivity.
The Klein Institute for Undergraduate Engineering Life (KIUEL) was established to provide Viterbi undergraduates a variety of personal and professional activities that will enhance undergraduate engineering student life experiences outside the classroom.
KIUEL supports and enhances already-existing student development programs in Viterbi, as well as creates and implements new initiatives that contribute to the holistic experience of Viterbi undergraduates.
KIUEL coordinates a multitude of events to educate the student body about the various university and professional initiatives in an effort to create a community that desires to learn about and explore engineering. We aim to strengthen leadership within Viterbi and to connect students with Viterbi professors, staff, and organizations to promote involvement.
The purpose of this organization is to provide Korean-American students pursuing STEM (i.e. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) with resources and opportunities to build fruitful careers, help grow a national network of students and professionals, and foster a friendly student community where members can benefit from each other academically and socially.
Fully immerse yourself in the startup experience.We are the University of Southern California’s premiere, student-run, product incubator. Every semester, LavaLab invites a new cohort of visionary designers, developers, and project managers to build tomorrow’s startups, today. LavaLab takes a cohort of 28 students composed of designers, developers, and project managers. After getting to know your fellow cohort members, you are then put into teams of 4 to create your startup. Dream big: makeup company, bar hopping app, parking hardware--anything goes. Our trademark curriculum teaches you how to build a product, from ideation to deployment, while reinforcing principles of entrepreneurship and innovation. Learn the ins-and-outs of your role as a designer, developer, or project manager.
MCAA is a student professional organization designed to help its members learn more about the mechanical contracting industry and network with contractors. Our parent organization, CPMCA, represents over 2,600 firms across the nation, and our student chapter at USC is a result of support from MCAA local affiliates, such as ACCO Engineered Systems, Murray Company, and Pan-Pacific Mechanical. Each year we host two competitions to create a project bid for a mock specification put forth by one of our contractors. This competition provides students a way to learn more about contracting and gain experience in working with industry-standard software such as Procore and Bluebeam Revu. The finalists of the competition then present their submission at a national conference that all student chapters attend. These conferences provide an excellent avenue for members to interact with both contractors and other student chapters. Furthermore, USC MCAA hosts several engaging events each year, such as football game tailgates, to give members opportunities to network and get internships with contractors, who are eager to hire USC students. CPMCA is committed to developing student’s professional skills that will make for a smooth transition into the mechanical contracting workforce after graduation.
Founded in 2015, MEDesign provides students with hands-on medical device design experience by entering medical device design competitions, participating in make-a-thons, and taking on independent medical device projects. We lead students through the entire process of creating a medical device from customer discovery to design process, patents, and eventually product launching. MEDesign invites prestigious speakers to talk to our club members about the medical device industry. Some of our previous guests include BME Chair Dr. Loeb and Dr. Larry Yin from LA Children's Hospital. Our club takes pride in the diversity of our students' interests; our members include business students, neuroscience majors, engineers, and even music majors!
Website
Our mission is to bring a game from conception to an open-alpha release each semester. We take in a cohort a the beginning of the term, brainstorm an idea for a game, develop it, and release it by finals week. As a member, you'll make games with fellow students from the world's best games school. You'll bring your own talent and vision to a real-world project in an exciting and fast-paced development environment. And best of all, you'll join the tight-knit Open Alpha family and partake in awesome community events throughout the semester.
Join us for a weekend dedicated to filling the gender gap, exploring technology, and building the next big thing! Our mission is to support and nurture women (trans and non-binary inclusive) in tech by hosting Southern California's premier hackathon for women, femme and non-binary students. Expect a weekend full of workshops, mentorship, tech talks, social activities, food, and more! No experience necessary, you just need passion.
Queers in Engineering, Science, and Technology (QuEST) is a student organization for LGBTQ+ students and allies in STEM fields. We hold social, academic, and professional events to both provide a safe community space and to help close the gap for LGBTQ folks in the workplace, academia, and beyond.
USCRPL’s mission is to explore next-generation space exploration technologies in an amateur, student-driven context.
In addition, USCRPL aims to provide students the opportunity to apply knowledge taught in the classroom to a project with both tangible challenges and tangible results, as well as to provide an academically stimulating environment comprised of ideas from different disciplines and levels of experience.
Science Outreach is the largest early-education, student-run organization focused on promoting STEM education in local elementary schools. Every week, we visit over 400 first, second, and third grade students (junior scientists) at schools including Accelerated Charter Elementary School, 32nd Street School, Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary School, and John W. Mack Elementary School. During our weekly visits, we hold lectures and conduct live demonstrations of our experiments, highlighting a variety of science topics including physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, and more at no cost to the students or the elementary schools. Junior scientists can note down their observations and participate in discussions with their science booklet that Science Outreach provides to every student. We also hold monthly sessions at elementary schools that are further away from USC, such as Wilshire Park Elementary, to increase our community engagement. In addition to these sessions, we host an annual science fair on USC campus for students of all ages to see some of their favorite experiments like catapults, bottle rockets, and elephant toothpaste. Over the course of every semester, SCouts form meaningful relationships with our junior scientists that not only promote youth education but also create unforgettable memories for both parties.
We are part of the official USC chapter for the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (USC SASE). SASE is a professional, social and cultural club, which produces many networking and social events. As a chapter of SASE, students gain access to special networking opportunities and a fun community!
Our mission is to be the central contact for recruiters looking for inventive, driven, and effective leaders in the cosmetics industry. SCC@USC students are the best of the best, and we aspire to match them with companies who share the same priorities and ambitions as we do. We achieve this mission by inviting professionals to campus, touring facilities, learning about brands, formulating cosmetics, and presenting members with career opportunities. Our vision is to inspire those who would like to pursue a career in the cosmetics industry by offering opportunity and community. This career is a unique one in that creative and scientific thinkers work together to create products that people care about. We would like to prepare our members by giving them true insight into different career possibilities within cosmetics.
Spark SC is a USC's leading student-run entrepreneurship organization. We're starting by redefining entrepreneurship! Entrepreneurship is not just for business majors—it's really about turning ideas into reality—whether the idea is a product, a political vision, a clothing line, a senior thesis, or a coffee shop.
**How do we do this?**
1. Build community among students who want to build the future
2. Design new ways for them to learn about and experiment with ideas
SC Esports is a recreational organization that manages competitive teams and provides a casual environment in which students can play games and meet new people. We encourage and facilitate gaming on both the casual and competitive levels and are open to students with no prior gaming experience. We have an assortment of collegiate esports teams including League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League and are currently in the process of creating more. Due to the limitations of COVID-19, we are increasing engagement within the community through online platforms. These events will be themed and perfect for socializing with fellow game enthusiasts, playing games, and having fun! We plan on hosting virtual party games, game meetups, and Netflix viewing parties on top of our usual LAN parties. We meet every week on Fridays from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
SC Formula Electric combines the Viterbi Build Team experience with startup culture. Members have the opportunity to build an electric racecar from the ground up, abiding by FSAE regulations. Students will get hands-on experience in 3D modeling, vehicle dynamics, electrical systems, battery controls, and design review. The year culminates in a final national competition, where FSAE teams from around the country go head-to-head in engineering and business challenges.
With a spacious garage space in the new Baum Family Makerspace, SC Formula Electric is looking to bring its first car to competition, and everyone is welcome to be a part of the journey. There is neither previous experience required nor a “perfect major.” If you have a desire to learn and get your hands dirty, we are looking for you!
SC Solar Car is an engineering design team working to build USC's first ever fully solar powered race vehicle to compete at the American Solar Challenge. We welcome members from all majors and experience levels to get hands on experience working on an engineering team to design, build, and test electrical and mechanical systems while managing a social and inviting cooperative atmosphere with an emphasis on learning and leadership.
Build and learn cool things with great people. That’s the motto that Scope was built on. As a member of Scope you will be learning a new industry-standard framework every semester, and creating a project with other members that will allow you to flex those new skills.Best of all, you will be joining our tight-knit family with over 350 members and alumni and partake in community events throughout the semester. Scope hosts retreats, industry recruiting events, hackathons, and more to encourage an inclusive culture of creation at USC.
USC SWE's mission is to stimulate women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity. To accomplish our goal, we hold a variety of career development, community outreach, and student bonding activities for our members. Everyone is welcome -- even if you aren't a women in engineering, we love having allies!
Tau Beta Pi California Delta Chapter is a way that Engineering majors can connect with other like minded people, explore professional and personal development, and engage in everything that TBP has to offer. For nationally recognized members you have access to national events, exclusive scholarships, and more.
Theta Tau is USC’s premier co-ed professional engineering society. Founded over 112 years ago, it is the oldest and largest Greek-lettered organization for engineers, with over 60 active chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Members focus on the three pillars: Community, Service, and Professionalism. The members of Theta Tau bond through volunteering, professional workshops and tech talks, as well as social events. The purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of communal fellowship. The Kappa Epsilon chapter of Theta Tau is one of the fastest growing organizations on campus, with members who are committed to not only academic excellence, but are also involved in a variety of things outside the organization.
LPL’s current capabilities include engine development, feed system development, test operations and academic studies focusing on liquid propulsion technologies. Although a priority of our lab is to operate at a level close to industry standards, publishing research papers and partaking in academic conferences have great added value for the lab.
USC Makers has been the premier hardware engineering organization at Viterbi since 2016. Through learning, creating, and collaborating, we build creative projects that exercise engineering disciplines throughout mechanical design, electrical engineering, hardware, software, and artificial intelligence. These projects are then displayed at our semester-ending showcases. We host technical workshops for members and the USC community to build member skills in relevant areas. Additionally, we hold a variety of outreach events for members to build their professional network and to share our knowledge with the Los Angeles community. We hold a recruiting cycle at the beginning of every semester, and we are open to all majors and do not require prior experience! For more information about our projects or how to join, please visit our website at viterbimakers.usc.edu, our Instagram at @uscmakers, or email us at uscmakers@gmail.com.
“The overall best VEX U Robotics Program in the world”
We are a design team that competes on an international scale in a 2-minute robotic competition. The game is broken down into 2 robots against 2 robots, competing in both autonomous and driver controlled matches.
WIC seeks to create a support group environment for undergraduate and graduate women pursuing computer science or computer engineering degrees. We do not exclude anyone, especially based on gender; all who possess a general interest in computing are welcome. Through speakers, panels, corporate recruiting, and mentoring events, WIC exposes women to different career paths and fuels an innovative spirit through various workshops. It is the organization’s intent to help women in underrepresented majors such as computer science and computer engineering gain encouragement from their mentors and peers. WIC fosters a collaborative atmosphere that helps women remain on the computing path.
The primary purpose of this organization is to educate, empower, and advocate for women in chemical engineering, and their supporters, by providing an open space for dialogue, mentorship, collaboration, camaraderie, and skill building through professional development, community networking, and outreach to primary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions.
Published on November 12th, 2010
Last updated on August 4th, 2022