Degree Requirements

The curriculum leverages the remarkable scholarly and geographic strengths of each school. You will be invited to participate in industry-sponsored internships, research projects and colloquia. You also will benefit from USC Annenberg’s strengths in international journalism and communication practice and theory, as well as our research into new technology, global media and telecommunication. Leaders in their fields and internationally renowned experts in global economics and communication, technology and media studies will be your teachers and mentors.

Residence
This is a two-year program during which students spend their first year at the LSE and their second year at USC. For work completed during the year at the London School of Economics, students receive the equivalent of 18 USC units, and complete 24 units of coursework during the year at Annenberg.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements
There are no foreign language requirements. Students take a one-term research methods course as part of their course work at the LSE.

Course Requirements
Year at LSE: The LSE academic year has three terms. Students are required to take the four core courses, plus two optional courses and to write a dissertation. It is possible to take courses offered in other LSE departments, provided previous agreement from the supervisor. For specific information about course requirements for the year at LSE, go to the Global Media and Communications website.

Year at USC: Students must complete COMM 597 or its equivalent as well as 20 elective units (four courses) from the School of Communication graduate curriculum, excluding COMM 525, COMM 526, COMM 550 and COMM 552. Students may choose one of their elective courses from a department outside Annenberg with the approval of their advisors.

The student will produce a final research project on global communication that will be the product of work done at both the LSE and Annenberg. Students complete a dissertation during the summer after their year at the LSE, for which grades are awarded by LSE faculty. Students will continue to develop the thesis during the year at Annenberg in the COMM 597 equivalent. The final product must receive a passing grade at the LSE and a grade no lower than B minus at USC.