University of Southern California (USC)
Locations: Los Angeles, CA
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorates
Programs: Film/Television Production, Screenwriting, Interactive Media, Animation, Law, Medicine, Music, and many others
Tuition Range: 40,000+ per Year
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With an enrollment of over 37,000 students, the University of Southern California offers a wide range of programs both at its main campus in the heart of Los Angeles and in several satellite campuses spread throughout southern California. Fields of study are many, including Law, Medicine, Architecture, Music, Theatre, Fine Arts and many others. Of particular note is USC’s world-renowned School of Cinematic Arts, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Film & Television Production, Screenwriting, Interactive Media, Animation, Media Arts and others. The school also offers two Ph.D. degrees, in Media Arts and Critical Studies. In addition to its film school, USC offers related media programs such as Journalism (Communications) and Scoring for Film and Television (in its Music school). Among its many famous alumni now successful in the entertainment business are directors Ron Howard and Robert Zemeckis.
USC’s School of Cinematic Arts offers a traditional college approach to education; expect to spend a minimum of four years earning a bachelor’s degree. Current tuition rates are near the top end of the spectrum, estimated at over $40,000 per year, not including fees and room/board.
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Student Reviews
With an enrollment of over 37,000 students, the University of Southern California offers a wide range of programs both at its main campus in the heart of Los Angeles and in several satellite campuses spread throughout southern California. Fields of study are many, including Law, Medicine, Architecture, Music, Theatre, Fine Arts and many others. Of [...]
Review by Joe P.
January 11, 2012 3While I enjoyed USC’s “hands-on” approach to filmmaking, I found their screenwriting teachers weak and out of date. In 1972, a time of great change in Hollywood, the teacher passed out copies of “Lover Come Back” (1961) as an example of “contemporary” screenwriting. This was unfortunate because my goal was to become a Hollywood screenwriter.
Although I’ve been paid to write twelve screenplays (for an independent filmmaking company) and have had over 500 film reviews published, both in print and online, I haven’t found work in the Hollywood film industry… yet.
However, since I graduated (1976) USC has improved their screenwriting teaching/training over the years, and polished and developed their showbiz connections, I would recommend USC’s film department to any student with Hollywood goals.
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by John M.
January 4, 2012 5I graduated from USC with a BA in Cinema-Television Production with graduate advanced studies in film scoring. Since I had no real expectations (I’m kind of Zen – like in my philosophy of things) it was great… no regrets
5. Since graduation I have applied my knowledge and experience working with large and small corporations creating marketing-communications multimedia, etc.,…
There’s a lot of value at USC. I think they have addressed some of their program (and post graduate support) “weaknesses” since I graduated. For example, they now have a more robust internship program and seem to organize more industry relevant networking events at the new School of Cinematic Arts. So, while most schools have rising tuition cost yet lower standards of education and less benefits, I think USC has gone the other direction… sure, tuition costs, and the day-to-day cost of being a student, have increased, so has the offering. So, I think at least insofar as USC is concerned the costs and benefits are proportional.
If I were to do it all over again, I would take more ownership of getting myself out into the real production world while still in school. Immediately after graduating from grad school I accepted two offers from USC to work for them. One offer was off-line editing for the Engineering School; the other was industry liaison for the music school. While this was good in one respect, looking back, I think it kept me insulated from the outside world longer.
Debt Accrued: $5,001 - $10,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Darius C.
November 23, 2011 4I graduated with top honors at both BM and MM at USC back in the early 80′s then I went to UCLA film scoring school about 5 years ago. The USC experience gave me all the basics I needed, except the business of music. UCLA filled in the gaps that I needed to score film.
After USC (actually during my masters) I started working as a violinist on film and records. I have played on over 1,300 films (many oscar winners) and 10,000 songs with every major artist from Sinatra, Streisand, Madonna, Jackson, Stefani, the Eagles, etc. As far as after UCLA scoring – this is more of a make it or break it field. Getting your first major film is the hard part. I am currently working on my first full feature film, not a major but a credit to give me that edge when I go for a major.
While I recommend both schools, the business has changed and I would only recommend if the focus was geared to succeeding in the music biz future and not from past expectations.
Review by SchoolReview
November 22, 2011 5I went to California State University, Chico for five years and majored in Music Industry. Classes that were required by the program are as follows: Legal Issues in Music, Wild Oak Music Group I & II (year-long class where you run on-campus record label), Aural Musicianship, Piano I & II (I tested out of these classes due to my previous experience), Music Technology, Music Industry, Recording I & II, Music Theory I, II, III, & IV, Songwriting, etc.
Along with these classes, students were required to log over 160 hours of work with a company associated with the entertainment business as an internship in order to graduate from the program. Also, there were also a number of clubs and extracurricular activities highly recommended by faculty that we take part in, including KCSC Radio (On-Campus radio station), MEISA (Music Entertaiment Industry Student Association), and AES (Audio Engineering Society). I worked with these groups for at least a year each.
I was born and raised in the Bay Area in Northern California and have been what most would consider a “hip hop head” throughout my middle school days and on into high school. At this time I knew I was going to pursue a career in music since I was going to college for a Music Industry degree and still had a passion for recording and performing my own songs. Something else I grew to learn was that one day I was going to have to move to Los Angeles to help propel my success in the entertainment business.
After linking up with different emcees, DJ’s, and hip hop minded people similar to myself in college, I continued my path of making music, but I had to balance time to understand the inner-workings of the business side of things and get my grades. The summer before my last year in college I got hired on as an intern for the booking/talent agency Alliance Talent International based out of Hollywood. This company’s focus was booking hip hop artists and DJ’s for concerts, festivals, club events, and tours. So in the summer of 2009 I lived in Los Angeles for three months and worked as an assistant and driver for the CEO of the company.
Upon my graduation from Chico State in 2010, I received a job from Alliance Talent International and have been working there ever since. For the company I have worked as a driver to the CEO and tagged along with him to events like Coachella, Audiotistic, Sunset Junction, The Grammys, MTV Video Music Awards, and all the after-parties that come along with it. I have been able to experience a lot of behind the scene workings of how the music industry works, more specifically how a successful CEO of a booking agency works. Other job duties included grunt work like answering phones, doing contract work, and data input/organization.
This past year and a half since graduating from college with my music degree has been BUSY and I have seen what kind of work it takes to make it as a key player in the music business. However, I have had time to perform my solo material at a couple small shows in Hollywood, Orange County, and San Diego and am coming to a point where I would like to go to work for myself and continue on my path of making it as a hip hop artists.
With what I have learned in high school, college, and at my current job I would definitely say I am happy with where I’m at now and think that going to a school for a music degree definitely did me well. Without needing a college credit for an intern I don’t know if I would have been as adamant as I was on finding an intern like I did, which turned into one of the best learning experiences for my knowledge of the music industry. I do think that someone could get into the music industry without attending a music school because I’m a firm believer that hard work pays off, but along with hard work, a hustler’s spirit, AND the credentials from a school to back it up, I think this combination helps make your own luck.
Review by Jeremy G.
November 18, 2011 5I graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Industry in 2005. I found a job immediately after graduation so I was able to support myself.
I went to USC expecting a safe place to grow for four years while learning about music and the business of music and learning the language of the music and entertainment industries. I also received a great education in classical music and jazz. During that time I worked for myself, I had 4 internships and played in and managed my own band. I lived and worked in the music industry so by the time I graduated I had real experience that was applicable to jobs. I didn’t expect my school to deliver me a career on a platter, so yes, my music school education met my expectations because I had realistic expectations.
After graduation, I worked in entertainment marketing for three years with the drummer/founding member of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood as well as other independent musicians. After that I was the head of new media for 10th Street Entertainment and Eleven Seven Music – the management and label for Mötley Crüe, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, JET and others. Now I am the manager of Direct to Consumer marketing for the largest independent record label, Concord Music Group. Additionally I play in a band and play the primary management role in that band. We just finished our first full-length album and had our first paying placement in a television show, plus we’re being featured on a major Clearchannel local bands radio show on Monday night. I have been out of school for 6 years and use every part of my education every day.
Don’t expect a career to be handed to you. The music industry has changed SO much in the last 10 years that there is no possible way a college or university can possibly adapt to prepare students, whether they are performance majors or music business majors like me, for a proper career through education alone. The industry is new but the language is old. Use school to learn the language of the industry and the careers available then be creative and choose your own path. No matter what your focus is, take some music/entertainment business/industry classes.
Review by Carrie S.
November 16, 2011 2.8I graduated from USC School of Cinema/TV in 2002 and was lucky that my parents paid for my expectations. I loved film school. Looking back, I can’t believe my parents had/spent that much money on going to film school. I think going to a technical school, or starting at the bottom of a production and working my way up might have been better in some ways. But, the connections I made at USC, were super valuable, and the fact I went to USC film school is pretty impressive.
I was even offered a job in 2000 at Fox Searclight, while still in school. Jobs were so easy to come by back then. Sometimes, I think I should have taken it, instead of getting my degree. I went on to work at Entertainment Weekly after graduating.
If I had to pay for it myself, I don’t think I would do it all over again. I mean, it was the time of my life, and I learned a lot. But, I think technical trade schools are a lot better at getting people jobs these days. I don’t know if it’s worth $150,000 just to have a degree from USC. I feel like I should be insured or something.
Review by Will D.
October 1, 2011 1I am finishing up my utterly useless degree in film production. The hilarious levels of corruption are incredible, that doesn’t stop with the fact that every professor wouldn’t be teaching us if they weren’t unhirable in the film industry. My cinematography teacher taught us lighting techniques from the studio era and required that all night scenes have crazy amounts of moonlight, even in urban areas where sodium vapor street light exist. The head of the department refused to pick any of the driven students as senior film directors, because he hated those people when he went to USC. He told us how he hated one of his classmates at USC, who is now a huge television and film director. Not a single one of our professors have worked professionally in the last 20 years.
Review by Joe P.
July 6, 2011 2.3I attended USC’s school of Cinema / Television, and did not graduate. While I enjoyed USC’s “hands-on” approach to filmmaking, I found their screenwriting teachers weak and out of date. In 1972, a time of great change in Hollywood, the teacher passed out copies of “Lover Come Back” (1961) as an example of “contemporary” screenwriting. This was unfortunate because my goal was to become a Hollywood screenwriter.
Although I’ve been paid to write twelve screenplays (for an independent filmmaking company) and have had over 500 film reviews published, both in print and online, I haven’t found work in the Hollywood film industry… yet.
Because USC has improved their screenwriting teaching/training over the years, and polished and developed their showbiz connections, I would recommend USC’s film department to any student with Hollywood goals.