USC Intelligence and Cyber Operations
Transfer Requirements and Classes
The major preparation USC lists for Intelligence and Cyber Operations transfers starts with IR 210gw, TAC 125L and IR 213; 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.
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Which classes count at your community college?
Pick your college to see its class for each USC requirement.
Major Requirements
USC Intelligence and Cyber Operations Major Preparation
The courses USC lists as Intelligence and Cyber Operations 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.
Lower-Division Required Courses (12 units)
Complete all of these
- IR 210gw International Relations: Introductory Analysis
- TAC 125L Hackers to CEOs: Intro to Cyber Security in the AI Era
Complete 1 of these
- IR 213 The Global Economy
- ECON 203g Principles of Microeconomics
Complete 1 of these
- TAC 115 Programming in Python
- TAC 165 Introduction to C++ Programming
Upper-Division Required Courses (16 units)
Complete all of these
- IR 304 National Intelligence and the Shaping of Policy
- IR 320 Technology and International Relations
- TAC 325 Ethical Hacking
- TAC 375 Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Investigations
Security and Violence (4 units)
Complete all of these
- IR 310 Peace and Conflict Studies
- IR 313 Religions and Political Violence
- IR 315 Ethnicity and Nationalism in World Politics
- IR 318 Violent Conflict
- IR 319 Human Security and Humanitarian Intervention
- IR 321 Civil War, Peace Building and International Intervention
- IR 323 Politics of Global Environment
- IR 332 Money, Guns and Oil
- IR 342 The Politics and Strategy of Weapons of Mass Destruction
- IR 379 Cyber Conflict: Problems and Policy Issues
- IR 381 Introduction to International Security
- IR 382w Order and Disorder in Global Affairs
- IR 383 Conflict Mediation & Negotiation
- IR 386 Terrorism and Counterterrorism
- IR 387 Strategic Studies
- IR 422 Ecological Security and Global Politics
- IR 427 Seminar on Economics and Security
International Finance (4 units)
Complete all of these
- ECON 452 International Finance
- ECON 457 Financial Markets
- FBE 462 International Trade, Finance and Commercial Policy
- IR 328 The Evolving Global Economic Architecture-Capital Mobility
- IR 329 The Global Finance and Monetary Regime
- IR 331 The Global Economy 2040
- IR 431 Commercial and Financial Globalization-Trends, Challenges
Cyber Law, Policy and Management (4 units)
Complete all of these
- DSCI 429 Security and Privacy
- LAW 401 Cybersecurity and Cybercrime
- TAC 370 Cybersecurity Management and Operations
- TAC 479 Cyber Law and Privacy
The Middle East and Africa
Complete all of these
- IR 350 Power and Authority in the Middle East
- IR 359 The United States and the Middle East
- IR 362 The International Relations of the Contemporary Middle East
- IR 367 Africa in International Affairs
- IR 463 Islam and Arab Nationalism
- MDES 301g The Global Middle East
- MDES 340g The United States and the Middle East
- POSC 351 Middle East Politics
- POSC 358 Politics of Sub-Sahara Africa
- REL 402 Cultural Heritage, Religion, and Politics in the Middle East
Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia
Complete all of these
- IR 345 Russian and Post-Soviet Foreign Policy
- IR 346 Communism and Post-Communism: Eastern Europe and the Balkans
- IR 439 Political Economy of Russia and Eurasia
East Asia
Complete all of these
- EALC 361 Global East Asia
- HIST 366 The People's Republic of China
- IR 333 China in International Affairs
- IR 340 The Political Economy of China
- IR 360 International Relations of the Pacific Rim
- IR 384 Asian Security Issues
- IR 407 Chinese Foreign Policy
- IR 442 Japanese Foreign Policy
Central and Latin America
Complete all of these
- IR 365 Politics and Democracy in Latin America
- IR 425 The New Triangle: China, the U.S. and Latin America
- IR 466 Contemporary Issues in Latin American Politics
- POSC 350 Politics of Latin America
Also listed by USC
USC lists these under the headings shown, apart from the list above.
Technical Elective (8 units)
- TAC 357 Enterprise Networks: Design and Architecture
- TAC 425 Web Application Security
- TAC 443 Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering
- TAC 445 Apple Forensics and Security (macOS and iOS)
- TAC 457 Network Security
- TAC 458 Defending and Investigating Compromised Networks
- TAC 475 Advanced Digital Forensics and Incident Response
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does USC have an Intelligence and Cyber Operations major for transfer students?
Yes. USC offers Intelligence and Cyber Operations and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.
What classes do I need to transfer to USC for Intelligence and Cyber Operations?
USC's Intelligence and Cyber Operations major preparation includes IR 210gw, TAC 125L, IR 213, ECON 203g, TAC 115 and TAC 165, 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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