University of Southern California
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

USC’s general education requirements classified as “GE-C” and GE-G” courses prepare students to take on Global Perspectives that include the necessary skills to demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between individual and collective human action, organizations, institutions in social and culture settings, and their roles in worldwide problems and local challenges. This global lens is essential to address sustainability challenges because these courses support students in developing skills to address the ecological, economic, and social aspects of sustainability challenges by taking on a holistic worldview of sustainability challenges. All undergraduates are required to take these courses, or their transfer equivalents, to graduate from USC.

GE-C. Social Analysis
The social sciences seek to explain the causes and consequences of a range of complex phenomena, including how human action shapes and is shaped by economic organizations, political institutions, and social and cultural settings. These phenomena include the role of gender, sexuality, race, class and other aspects of identity across time in the United States and around the world. Courses in this area introduce students to the methods and analytical approaches of the social sciences and demonstrate how these tools help us understand our world. In the Social Analysis category students learn to apply the methods of at least one social science discipline to the study of human behavior in economic, political, cultural and/or social settings; to understand the nature of empirical evidence and assess the usefulness of qualitative and quantitative evidence in explaining specific social phenomena; and to demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between individual and collective human action, organizations, and institutions in social and cultural settings.

GE-G. Global Perspectives
The requirements in Global Perspectives prepare students to act as socially responsible members of the global community, respectful of the values and traditions of diverse cultures, aware of the structures of power that affect people differently by race, class, gender and other socially constructed categories, sensitive to the interplay between worldwide problems and specific, local challenges. The Global Perspectives requirement includes two courses, one in each area. The first examines the contemporary situation (GE-G), while the second explores some dimensions of the historical context that has given rise to the current global scene (GE-H). While no course can meet all of these objectives, these requirements help students appreciate the dynamics at work in complex global issues and their varying local forms.

USC examined programs that require a sustainability-focused course, as identified in the AC-1: Academic Courses inventory. Sustainability-focused courses were mapped onto all USC programs, and programs in which ALL graduates (not just graduates of certain concentrations/tracks) were required to take a sustainability-focused course were considered as having a program-level sustainability learning outcome.

Data on graduates from each of the identified programs with a sustainability learning outcome was obtained from the Office of Institutional Research.

Data on total number of graduates from degree programs was obtained from the IPEDS 2019-2020 Completions report, which covers the 2018-2019 Academic Year: https://oir.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IPEDS_Completions_Survey_2019-20.pdf

MAJOR PROGRAMS:
Architecture (MArch)
Architecture (PhD)
Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Emphasis, (BS)
Chemical Engineering, Sustainable Energy Emphasis (BS)
Civil Engineering (Transportation Systems) (MS)
Civil Engineering (Water and Waste Management) (MS)
Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering Emphasis (BS)
Electrical Engineering (Electric Power) (MS)
Environmental Engineering (BS)
Environmental Risk Analysis (MS)
Environmental Science and Health (BA)
Environmental Science and Health (BS)
Environmental Studies (BA)
Environmental Studies (BS)
Environmental Studies (MA)
GeoDesign (BS)
Global Geodesign (BS)
Green Technologies (MS)
Health and Humanity (BA)
Heritage Conservation
Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence (MS)
Master of Heritage Conservation/Master of Planning
Mechanical Engineering (Energy Conversion) (MS)
Public Policy (BS)
Transportation Systems Management (MS)
Urban Studies and Planning (BS)



MINOR PROGRAMS:
Construction Planning and Management Minor
Cultural Competence in Medicine Minor
Environmental Chemistry and Sustainability Minor
Environmental Engineering Minor
Environmental Studies Minor
GIS and Sustainability Science Minor
Landscape Architecture Minor
Natural Science Minor