Graduate Student Resources

D-Clearance

D-Clearance stands for Departmental Clearance.

For ASTE on-campus students:

For on-campus 500-level courses d-clearance, go to myViterbi> D-Clearance Request Manager.
If seeking for DEN class D-clearance, they need to submit DEN petition.
If seeking engineering courses outside ASTE, visit their department website to see their d-clearance process.

For ASTE DEN students:

If seeking on-campus class D-clearance, for 500-level courses d-clearance, go to myViterbi> D-Clearance Request Manager.
If seeking for DEN class D-clearance, students can request D-clearance for all engineering DEN sections through myViterbi. Please follow How to request D-Clearance
- Review Astronautics Now to see how to request non-ASTE courses to count towards degree requirements. Taking a non-ASTE course without prior approval may risk not counting the course towards the degree.
For in-person sections under other Viterbi departments, visit their department website to see their d-clearance process.

For non-ASTE students, please confirm with your respective department advisor to determine wether the ASTE course you plan on taking will count towards your degree requirements. After confirmation, please follow above steps to request for D-clearance.

Note: It is rare that a 400- or 500-level ASTE on-campus class requires D-clearance, however you will find this is needed often for classes in other engineering departments.

Prerequisite Waivers

Prerequisite information can be found by searching for the department on the schedule of classes Schedule of Classes.

To request pre-requisite waiver, please follow waiver of the required course steps.
To request a prerequisite waiver for a course outside of ASTE, visit their department website to see their d-clearance process.

Please note: DEN@Viterbi Students must have all pre-requisites waived before requesting DEN d-clearance via myViterbi.

Directed Research

Directed Research is mainly available for on-campus full-time students only. If you wish to enroll in Directed Research, you will need to first set up a meeting with an ASTE professor to discuss this option and commit to a topic and research plan.

Once you have received preliminary approval from your professor, proceed with the following steps:

Log on to http://myviterbi.usc.edu.
On the main page of myViterbi, under Student Resources, select the Directed Research link.
Click ASTE and on the next page you will need to select a Term, Class (ASTE 590 for M.S. students), Units (up to 3 for M.S., typically 6 for Ph.D.), and Faculty. You will also need to include a Project Description of about 3-4 sentences. If a professor you wish to work with is not listed on the dropdown faculty menu, please email professor.
An automatic email will be sent to the professor alerting them of your request. They will log in to myViterbi to either approve or deny your request.
You will receive a confirmation email that your professor has either approved or denied your request. If approved, ASTE graduate advisor will provide you with D-Clearance.
After receiving the email, you will need to log on to Web Registration to register for the course (ASTE 590) and the specific units requested.

Note:

M.S. students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and may request up to 3 units of ASTE 590 towards your M.S. ASTE degree.
Ph.D. students may request up to 6 units of ASTE 790 per semester.

If you have any questions regarding the Directed Research process, please contact graduate academic advisors.

Account Restrictions

Students should check for their holds and restrictions on a semesterly basis.

myUSC -> ExperienceUSC-> My Academics

When there is no holds, you should see the following image stating "Great Job! You don't have any activity restrictions for the semester":

Restrictions includes the issuing office of the hold and their contact information to resolve the issue.

The most common account restrictions include:

HOLD	DESCRIPTION	HOW TO REMOVE HOLD
STU50	Restricts registration and USCard application (prevents registration)	Complete Immigration Status Verification (ISV) with OIS upon arrival in the U.S.
ADM40 or RNR 40	Degree Verification (allows registration)	Verify previous degree(s) with USC Office of Degree Progress. Deadline for all degree verifications is by the end of your first semester. If you are unable to complete verification within your first semester, this hold will become ADM 41.
ADM 41	Degree Verification (prevents registration)	Verify previous degree(s) with USC Office of Degree Progress. This hold will prevent registration until verification is complete. Department advisors cannot lift holds.
ADM 20	Conditional Admission (allows registration)	A program condition of admission, or ADM 20 hold, is placed by the graduate admissions office when a student is recently admitted into a program. There are various reasons this hold can be placed on a student record, such as a lower than 3.0 GPA when applying to the program, lack of a prerequisite course or academic background, or others. An ADM20 hold will not prevent you from registering. See FAQs list for more details.
ADM 21	Conditional Admission (prevents registration)	See your Admission Letter for any specific conditions. A condition was placed on your record at the time of admission. Please contact the student advisor to review your holds. The hold can be lifted if you met the conditions outlined when you were admitted.
ENGR 01	Advisement Hold	Please contact your academic advisor as soon as possible to discuss why this hold was added to your record. Most M.S. students will see this hold if their overall GPA is below a 3.0.
SCH10	Missing Proof of Immunizations	USC requires that all students submit proof of receiving two doses of MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) vaccine, or show proof of Measles and Mumps immunity, and two other vaccinations prior to their ﬁrst semester of enrollment at USC. More information can be found here: Immunization Requirements.

Your academic advisor/student services cannot lift any collection/financial holds. Please contact USC Financial Services if you have a collection or financial hold.

Graduate Transfer

Graduate Transfer Credit Policy for M.S. ASTE from other instituition:

USC allows the transfer of up to 4 units of graduate coursework from another institution toward the M.S. ASTE degree. Only graduate-level coursework is eligible for transfer.

USC does not conduct pre-admission transfer credit evaluations for prospective graduate applicants.

Steps for Graduate Transfer Credit Information:

M.S. ASTE Program Faculty Adviser will evaluate the technical content of the course you wish to transfer. Send an email request to the M.S. ASTE Faculty Adviser including the following information:
1. Course name
2. When you took the course, where it was taken, and the grade received
3. Course syllabus (as listed in the catalog)
4. Required textbook(s)
5. Course instructor
6. Whether the course included homework assignments (and how many), course projects, term papers, and exams
After the M.S. ASTE Faculty Adviser evaluates the course for suitability, contact the ASTE Student Adviser. The Student Adviser will request USC Degree Progress to have the course made available for transfer credit and applied to your degree program.

Graduate Transfer Credit Policy for M.S. ASTE from other USC programs:

The M.S. ASTE degree requires completion of the following coursework:

4 required courses: ASTE 520, ASTE 535, ASTE 575, ASTE 580
3 core elective astronautics courses
2 technical electives

Courses taken while pursuing another engineering or hard science graduate degree may be applied toward the technical elective requirement.

We generally approve most graduate-level engineering and hard science courses (with a few exceptions). Therefore, coursework completed as part of a Master’s degree in electrical, industrial, aerospace, mechanical engineering, physics, or related fields will most likely be approved as technical electives toward the M.S. ASTE degree.

To request review of previously completed coursework: Please send an email to the M.S. ASTE Program Faculty Adviser (with a copy to the ASTE Student Adviser) that includes the list of courses you have taken, along with course numbers and titles. The Faculty Adviser will review the courses and respond by email regarding their suitability as technical electives.

How to Register

If you are having issues registering for classes, make sure you are registering for the correct section! DEN students must select the DEN@Viterbi section while on-campus students must select the section w/ a campus building and room number location (ex: OHE 100C or RTH 109).

To review available courses within the Viterbi School of Engineering and ASTE/other departments, use the USC Schedule of Classes. Course descriptions are provided, and in many cases syllabi for the courses. You can also look at past semesters to check syllabus or class frequency. Note: The syllabus can be changed on discretion of the professor.

If you are a continuing student or new domestic student register as soon as your Permit to Register indicates you are able to!

If you are a new international student, you can register for classes once you arrive at USC and clear any holds on your account. For details on how to lift these holds, please visit the OIS website. While some classes may be full, there will still be options available for you to enroll in. However, please be flexible when choosing your first semester classes.

myViterbi

Advisement Appointment System (Department or academic graduate advisors) Note: It is best to schedule an appointment through Advise USC.
Application to Graduate: M.S. students who have registered for their final class(es) must submit a graduation application in order to be cleared to graduate, have their STARS report updated, and ensure they receive their diploma at the end of completing the degree.
Apply for an hourly position to support a class (eg. Grader, etc..)
D-Clearance Request Manager
DEN Petition Request Form
Directed Research
Graduate Academic Verification Form for Program Extension
Internship Course Request Form
Leave of Absence Requests
MS Progress Review
Optional Practical Training Graduation Verification Form
Pre-Req Waiver Request Manager
Progressive Degree Program
Temporary Removal of Verification of Degree Holds
Withdrawal Request

Application to Graduate (M.S. Students ONLY)

The Application to Graduate is only for master’s students who are finishing their degree within the next semester. This application must be submitted on myViterbi before week 2 of the desired semester you anticipate completing your degree. You must complete Step 1 and Step 2, or else it will be sent back to you. Be sure to be enrolled in final courses before submitting the application, unless instructed otherwise.

Leave Of Absence

Students must be enrolled at USC every Fall and Spring semester until all degree requirements are completed to satisfy continuous enrollment.

If you will not enroll in classes during an upcoming Fall or Spring semester, you must submit a Leave of Absence (LOA) Form to maintain your status in the program and ensure you can return the following semester. LOA requests must be submitted by the add/drop deadline of each semester. Students who are in good standing and making satisfactory progress towards their degree can take up to 4 leave of absences total

Leave of Absence Info (Domestic Students): Submit your completed LOA request in myViterbi ->Leave of Absence.
Leave of Absence Form (international students):
1. Consult with OIS before declaring a leave of absence. After speaking with them, submit the OIS leave of absence request
2. Submit the academic LOA request on myViterbi ->Leave of Absence.

When returning to USC, please submit the "LOA Return Form" in myViterbi.

If you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement for an authorized LOA, please note that you still have to submit the request and it will be denied. Contact the graduate advisor to discuss your options after LOA has been denied.

Please note: When declaring a Leave of Absence, students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if there are any financial implications for those with outstanding student loans, scholarships, etc.

For additional and general information, please visit USC Leave of Absence website.

Reduce Course Load (RCL) for International Students ONLY

International M.S. students: if you plan to register in less than 8 units during any fall or spring semester due to academic difficulty, medical emergency, or because you need less than 8 units to finish your degree in your final semester, you must file a Reduced Course Load (RCL) form with the VSAS Office before the end of the third week of classes for the semester. You must submit this form in order to maintain your visa status.

Visit Viterbi RCL for more information.

Please note: ASTE Academic Advisors cannot sign off on RCL paperwork. All forms must be signed by an advisor in the VSAS Office.

Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is work authorization that allows F-1 international students to participate in paid off-campus academic internships during their degree program. The purpose of CPT is academic, not just for employment purposes, and the internship must be considered an integral part of a student’s degree program.

Students must have a specific job/internship offer to apply.

If the internship is an unpaid or volunteer position, CPT is not required. Students CANNOT accept any kind of compensation for work performed in an unpaid internship.

More information and the CPT form can be found here: Viterbi CPT

Please note: ASTE Academic Advisors cannot sign off on CPT paperwork, all forms must be signed by an advisor in the VSAS Office.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a benefit given to F-1 international students who are completing a Bachelor’s or graduate degree in the United States. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for employment experience in a student’s field of study. OPT is approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

For more information regarding the necessary paperwork and online workshop to start the application process, more info can be found here: Viterbi OPT information.

Please note: ASTE Academic Advisors cannot sign off on OPT paperwork, all forms must be signed by an advisor in the VSAS Office.

Leave of Absence (LOA)