<p>Actually, GMR, students who maintain a 3.75 GPA are offered 2 extra free units (getting up to 20)/semester if they are pursuing double major or dual degree. Otherwise, taking 2 units above the 18-limit will cost about $3000 extra each semester. And that is, of course, assuming that the courses needed (in sequence) are offered in the semester. In college, a GPA of 3.5 is quite high (counts all GEs, etc) so 3.75 is far from an easy thing to achieve, but certainly possible for the right students.</p>
<p>Since the new shift at SCA which makes the Production major a BFA, there will be a lot of information I hope we’ll hear in the coming months and years as to the ability to combine it with other majors/degrees. In the School of Dramatic Arts, for example, which has offered both a BFA and a BA for acting undergrads, the School flatly says it is not possible to get a second major (or dual degree) and even minors are discouraged for BFAs. That means a student who wants to take the musical theatre minor (through Thornton) will have to get the BA in SDA. Likewise, many acting students arrive with professional backgrounds and some already have agents, and they are told that those who want to pursue the BFA degree at SDA may not take outside acting gigs during the school year. BAs, however, can. For these reasons, some of the most talented/experienced acting students are taking the BA option. I bring this up because I suspect there may–down the road–be similar decisions made by film students who want a double major, or minor(s), or who want to have more flexibility in scheduling their classes. </p>
<p>Thanks for your kind words, A&L. I have seen many Critical Studies majors whose student films made at USC are amazing and who go on, after graduation, with no distinguishable difference in outcomes from those who have majored in production. This is not meant to ding production students, but since CS students can take most production courses offered, the choices of how deeply to delve into film production at USC is not a function of the name of the sub-major. Like real life (!), how one takes advantage of what is offered at SCA is in the hands of the individual. I mentioned that Bryan Singer was a CS major (and his name is now on that major!) but as one more example of a non-production student who is well known, Judd Apatow was a screenwriting major. I think if you google USC’s most successful grads in film & tv, you will be hard pressed to discover which major at USC they actually had. Their bios often simply say they graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts. </p>
<p>So congratulations to those very very few who were admitted to the film school.</p>