From artificial intelligence and public health to professional sports and government, some of today’s most consequential questions are also legal questions. USC is expanding how undergraduate students can study those connections, bringing legal thinking into fields where regulation, policy, institutions and emerging technologies increasingly shape outcomes.
The new offerings at USC Gould School of Law include a Bachelor of Science in Law and Economics (in partnership with the USC Dornsife Department of Economics), along with five interdisciplinary minors developed with schools and departments across the university. The programs give students opportunities to study law alongside the disciplines they may enter as professionals—and to understand how legal frameworks influence those fields.
“Legal education is especially useful when students can see how law operates in the broader institutions and disciplines that shape our society,” USC Gould Dean Franita Tolson said. “These programs give students the opportunity to approach legal questions from multiple perspectives and to understand the connections between law and the fields they may ultimately enter.”
Exploring new programs
Designed for students interested in the intersection of law, economics, business, technology and government, the Law and Economics major develops skills in legal reasoning, economic analysis and quantitative methods while examining how legal systems and economic forces shape markets and institutions. The program can prepare students for careers in law, consulting, finance, business and government, as well as graduate study in law, economics, government and related fields.
The Law, Advocacy and Persuasive Performance Minor (16 units), offered in partnership with the USC School of Dramatic Arts, examines advocacy and communication through performance. The Law and Public Health Minor (20 units), offered with the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, explores the relationship between law and public health.
The Sports Law Minor (16 units), offered with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, examines legal issues in the sports industry. The Law and Innovation Minor (18 units), offered with USC Iovine and Young Academy, focuses on law, innovation and emerging technologies.
The Law and Government Minor (16 units), offered with the USC Dornsife Department of Political Science and the USC Price School of Public Policy, connects legal study with political institutions and government. Students in Gould’s Legal Studies Track who participate in the USC in D.C. Spring Semester Program may declare the minor and complete its requirements while studying at USC’s Capital Campus.
“These programs recognize that many of the most important questions facing society do not fit neatly within a single discipline,” said Professor Robert K. Rasmussen, faculty director of Undergraduate Law Programs. “Whether students are interested in government, health, technology, sports or advocacy, understanding the legal dimensions of those fields can add an important perspective to their education and future work.”
The programs also create opportunities for students to pursue legal study without treating it as a separate track from their other academic interests. A student interested in technology, for example, can explore the legal questions surrounding innovation; a student focused on health can examine how law affects public health; and a student participating in the USC in D.C. program can connect classroom study with the nation’s capital.
At this time, the BS in Law and Economics is not on the Common App and is available only to current USC students. More information about the new major can be found at https://gould.usc.edu/academics/undergraduate/bs-law-economics/.
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