USC Computational Neuroscience
Transfer Requirements and Classes
The major preparation USC lists for Computational Neuroscience transfers starts with MATH 125g, MATH 126g and BISC 220Lg; the full list is below.
82 California community colleges have a current transfer agreement with USC for this major. Pick yours below to see which of its classes count.
Your community college
Which classes count at your community college?
Pick your college to see its class for each USC requirement.
Major Requirements
USC Computational Neuroscience Major Preparation
The courses USC lists as Computational Neuroscience major preparation for transfer applicants, for the 2026-27 academic year. Course numbers are USC's own; pick your community college above to see the matching class there.
General Science Requirements (24 units)
Complete all of these
- MATH 125g Calculus I
- MATH 126g Calculus II
Complete 1 of these
- BISC 220Lg General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology
- BISC 221Lg Advanced General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology
Complete 1 of these
- CHEM 103Lgx General Chemistry for the Environment and Life
- CHEM 105aLg General Chemistry
Complete 1 of these
- PHYS 135aLg Physics for the Life Sciences
- PHYS 151Lg Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics, Oscillations and Waves
Complete 1 of these
- PHYS 135bL Physics for the Life Sciences
- PHYS 152L Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism
Statistics Requirement, Choose One (4 units)
Complete all of these
- HP 340Lg Health Behavior Statistical Methods
- MATH 208x Elementary Probability and Statistics
- MATH 307 Statistical Inference and Data Analysis I
- PSYC 274Lg Statistics
- QBIO 305g Statistics for Biological Sciences
Neuroscience Requirements (9 units)
Complete all of these
- BISC 421 Neurobiology
- NEUR 199 Neuroscience Colloquium
- PSYC 100Lg Introduction to Psychology
Upper-division Core Courses (8 units)
Complete all of these
- BISC 407 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- NEUR 408 Systems Neuroscience: From Synapses to Perception
Basic Computational Skills (2-4 units)
Complete 1 of these
- BISC 444 Practical Analysis of Biological Data in R
- CSCI 103L Object Oriented Programming
- CSCI 455x Introduction to Programming Systems Design
- EE 155L Introduction to Computer Programming for Electrical Engineers
- TAC 115 Programming in Python
- TAC 116 Accelerated Programming in Python
- TAC 168 Introduction to MATLAB
- TAC 249 Introduction to Data Analytics
Computational Courses (8 units)
Complete 1 of these
- BISC 406L Biotechnology
- BME 202 Control and Communication in the Nervous System
- BME 210 Biomedical Computer Simulation Methods
- BISC 461 Seminar in Molecular and Computational Biology
- CSCI 360 Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Foundations
- CSCI 445L Foundations of Robotics
- CSCI 467 Foundations of Machine Learning
- DSCI 352 Applied Machine Learning and Data Mining
- TAC 310 Design for User Experience
- TAC 365 Data Structures in C++
- TAC 449 Applications of Machine Learning
- MATH 308 Statistical Inference and Data Analysis II
- PSYC 434 Intelligence, Problem Solving and Creativity
- PSYC 450 Neural Network Models of Social and Cognitive Processes
- QBIO 401 Introduction to Computational Analysis of Biological Data
- QBIO 478 Computational Genome Analysis
- QBIO 481 Structural Bioinformatics: From Atoms to Cells
Biological Area (4 units)
Complete all of these
- GERO 414 Neurobiology of Aging
- HBIO 435 Neurobiology of Feeding Behavior and Obesity
- HP 409 Environmental Impacts on the Brain
- MEDS 330 Bionics: Solutions to Enable the Disabled
- MEDS 340 The Brain in Health and Disease
- QBIO 481 Structural Bioinformatics: From Atoms to Cells
- RXRS 403 Neuropharmacology in Health and Disease
- RXRS 405 Breaking Brains: The Pharmacology of Addiction
Complete 1 of these
- BISC 423 Epilepsy to Ecstasy: Biological Basis of Neurological Disorders
- BISC 424 Brain Architecture
- BISC 461 Seminar in Molecular and Computational Biology
- BISC 462 Seminar in Neurobiology
Behavioral Area (4 units)
Complete all of these
- ECON 405 Neuroeconomics
- LING 385Lg Human Language as Computation
- MEDS 330 Bionics: Solutions to Enable the Disabled
- MEDS 340 The Brain in Health and Disease
- PSYC 301L Cognitive Processes
- PSYC 304L Sensation and Perception
- PSYC 326 Behavioral Neuroscience
- PSYC 420 Animal Behavior
- PSYC 424 Neuropsychology
- PSYC 425 Functional Imaging of the Human Brain
- PSYC 426 Motivated Behaviors and Addiction
- PSYC 437 Adolescent Development
- PSYC 438 Behavioral Genetics
- PSYC 440 Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience
- RXRS 405 Breaking Brains: The Pharmacology of Addiction
Graduate Courses
Complete all of these
- BME 502 Advanced Studies of the Nervous System
- BME 575 Computational Neural Engineering
- CSCI 561 Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
- CSCI 662 Advanced Natural Language Processing
- EE 559 Machine Learning I: Supervised Methods
- NSCI 524 Advanced Overview of Neurosciences
- NSCI 531 Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology
- NSCI 532 Systems and Behavioral Neurobiology
- PSYC 506 Learning and Cognition
- PSYC 540 Cognitive Neuroscience
- PSYC 544 Psychophysiology
- PSYC 545 Neuropsychology
- PSYC 547 Functional Neuroanatomy
- PSYC 551 Decision Neuroscience
- PSYC 555 Introduction to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Also listed by USC
USC lists these under the headings shown, apart from the list above.
Other Electives (4 units)
- CSCI 170 Discrete Methods in Computer Science
- MATH 225 Linear Algebra and Linear Differential Equations
- MATH 226g Calculus III
- MATH 245 Mathematics of Physics and Engineering I
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does USC have a Computational Neuroscience major for transfer students?
Yes. USC offers Computational Neuroscience and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.
What classes do I need to transfer to USC for Computational Neuroscience?
USC's Computational Neuroscience major preparation includes MATH 125g, MATH 126g, BISC 220Lg, BISC 221Lg, CHEM 103Lgx and CHEM 105aLg, with more courses in the list on this page. Pick your community college on this page to see which of its classes match.
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