USC Neuroscience
Transfer Requirements and Classes

The major preparation USC lists for Neuroscience transfers starts with MATH 125g, PSYC 100Lg and BISC 220Lg; the full list is below.

80 California community colleges have a current transfer agreement with USC for this major. Pick yours below to see which of its classes count.

California community colleges with a transfer agreement for Neuroscience

Your community college

Which classes count at your community college?

Pick your college to see its class for each USC requirement.

Major Requirements

USC Neuroscience Major Preparation

The courses USC lists as 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.

Introductory Requirements (8 units)

Complete all of these

MATH 125g Calculus I
PSYC 100Lg Introduction to Psychology

General Biology Requirement, Choose One (4 units)

Complete all of these

BISC 220Lg General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology
BISC 221Lg Advanced General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology

General Chemistry Requirement, Choose One (4 units)

Complete all of these

CHEM 103Lgx General Chemistry for the Environment and Life
CHEM 105aLg General Chemistry

Statistics Requirement, Choose One (4 units)

Complete all of these

BUAD 310g Applied Business Statistics
ECON 317 Introduction to Statistics for Economists
HP 340Lg Health Behavior Statistical Methods
MATH 208x Elementary Probability and Statistics
MATH 307 Statistical Inference and Data Analysis I
MATH 407 Probability Theory
PSYC 274Lg Statistics
QBIO 305g Statistics for Biological Sciences
QBIO 310 Statistical Thinking for Quantitative Biology

Neuroscience Requirements (13 units)

Complete all of these

BISC 407 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
BISC 408 Systems Neuroscience: From Synapses to Perception
BISC 421 Neurobiology
NEUR 199 Neuroscience Colloquium

Graduate Courses

Complete all of these

BME 575 Computational Neural Engineering
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.

Elective Courses

ADSC 250 Fundamentals of Addiction Science
BISC 307L General Physiology
BISC 312x Molecular Biochemistry
BISC 313L Evolution and Population Genetics
BISC 320Lg Molecular Biology
BISC 325 Genetics
BISC 330L Biochemistry
BISC 403 Advanced Molecular Biology
BISC 411 Advanced Cell Biology
BISC 406L Biotechnology
BISC 410 Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine
BISC 422L Neurobiology Laboratory
BISC 423 Epilepsy to Ecstasy: Biological Basis of Neurological Disorders
BISC 424 Brain Architecture
BISC 425 Genetics through the Scientific Literature
BISC 426 Principles of Neural Development
BISC 438 Nutritional Biochemistry
BISC 444 Practical Analysis of Biological Data in R
BISC 461 Seminar in Molecular and Computational Biology
BISC 462 Seminar in Neurobiology
BISC 466 Neuroimmunology
BISC 480L Developmental Biology
BPSI 405 Organ Systems Physiology, Drug Delivery and Drug Action
CHEM 350 Molecular Principles of Biochemistry
CSCI 360 Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Foundations
CSCI 445L Foundations of Robotics
ECON 405 Neuroeconomics
GERO 310 Physiology of Aging
GERO 320g Psychology of Adult Development
GERO 321 Introduction to Psychology and Aging
GERO 414 Neurobiology of Aging
GERO 415 Neuroaffective Disorders of Aging
GERO 494 Resilience in Aging: A Cross-Cultural Exploration
HBIO 306 Biology of the Non-Human Primates
HBIO 308 Origins and Evolution of Human Behavior
HBIO 420L Applied Human Physiology
HBIO 435 Neurobiology of Feeding Behavior and Obesity
HP 409 Environmental Impacts on the Brain
LING 385Lg Human Language as Computation
MEDS 320 Human Cadaveric Anatomy
MEDS 340 The Brain in Health and Disease
MEDS 350 Neurochemistry of Addiction: Drugs, Brain, and Behavior
PSYC 301L Cognitive Processes
PSYC 304L Sensation and Perception
PSYC 305 Learning and Memory
PSYC 320 Principles of Psychobiology
PSYC 326 Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 337L Adult Development and Aging
PSYC 339Lg Origins of the Mind
PSYC 420 Animal Behavior
PSYC 424 Neuropsychology
PSYC 425 Functional Imaging of the Human Brain
PSYC 426 Motivated Behaviors and Addiction
PSYC 427 Neuropsychopharmacology
PSYC 428 Advanced Psychobiology Seminar
PSYC 432 From Eugenics to Neurodiversity: History of DisAbility
PSYC 438 Behavioral Genetics
PSYC 440 Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 450 Neural Network Models of Social and Cognitive Processes
PSYC 452 Social Neuroscience
PSYC 468 Happiness: Research in Neuroscience and Positive Psychology
QBIO 481 Structural Bioinformatics: From Atoms to Cells
RXRS 403 Neuropharmacology in Health and Disease
RXRS 405 Breaking Brains: The Pharmacology of Addiction
RXRS 412 Ethics, Drugs and Society
SCRM 487 Regenerative Medicine: Principles, Paradigms and Practice

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does USC have a Neuroscience major for transfer students?

Yes. USC offers Neuroscience and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.

What classes do I need to transfer to USC for Neuroscience?

USC's Neuroscience major preparation includes MATH 125g, PSYC 100Lg, 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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