Bachelor Programme
Popular Music (BM)
USC Thornton's BM in Popular Music trains the next generation of artists for changing careers in the music industry. Students enter with a primary emphasis (guitar, bass, keyboard/piano, drums, voice, singer/songwriter or multi-instrumentalist) and then, in a collaborative cohort, build further skills in other instruments, songwriting, vocal performance, arranging and music production. Graduates leave as versatile, all-round creative professionals. Students apply through the Common App to USC, choosing this major in the USC Thornton School of Music.
University
University of Southern California
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Arts & Humanities
Duration
4 years full-time (8 semesters)
Language
English
Campus
University Park Campus (Los Angeles)
Degree
Bachelor of Music (BM) in Popular Music
Intake
Fall only (August, University Park Campus, Los Angeles). USC Thornton does not accept first-year applications for spring admission
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry (first-year applicants, Common App, US$85 fee or waiver): Thornton majors use Regular Decision only, with a 1 December 2026 deadline for the USC application and the Thornton SlideRoom portfolio. Early Decision and Early Action are not available. Applying by 1 December gives USC Merit Scholarship consideration. Prescreen results are emailed in late December, and final decisions come by 1 April 2027. Need-based aid (FAFSA and CSS Profile) is due 3 February 2027
Tuition Information
2026-27 tuition: US$75,384 for two semesters (12-18 units a semester), the same for California residents, out-of-state and international students. USC's 2026-27 estimated cost of attendance for an undergraduate living on campus is US$103,162: tuition, fees (US$1,952), housing (US$13,510), food (US$8,442), books and supplies (US$670), transportation (US$1,188) and personal expenses (US$2,016), plus a one-time US$450 new-student fee in the first semester. Some majors cost more because of lab or studio fees. US citizens and eligible non-citizens apply for need-based aid with the FAFSA and CSS Profile. International students cannot get need-based aid and must document funds for the full first-year cost, but they are eligible for USC Merit Scholarships, none of which covers the full cost of attendance
Admission Requirements
- School: USC Thornton School of Music. Applicants choose the major (with first- and second-choice options) on the Common App and are admitted to that school
- Testing: test-optional for Fall 2027 entry (the 2027-28 academic year), with no penalty for applying without SAT or ACT scores. Applicants who do submit scores must have them sent officially by the testing agency (self-reported scores are not accepted). USC records the highest score for each section across sittings
- English proficiency (international applicants whose native language is not English; no waivers): USC's recommended minimums are TOEFL iBT 100 with at least 20 in each section (tests before 21 January 2026) or 5 with at least 4 in each section (tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, C1 Advanced 185 (at least 169 in each skill), PTE Academic 68, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 650, or ACT English 27. Applicants below these scores can still be admitted, but at lower rates; admitted students average above TOEFL 111. The Duolingo English Test (minimum 130) is accepted only from applicants who cannot sit an approved exam, and Duolingo-only admits take USC's International Student Exam on arrival
- One letter of recommendation from a school counselor or a teacher is required, along with transcripts and fall grades. International applicants also submit the Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support. USC Admission does not hold evaluative interviews or track demonstrated interest
- Audition required, in two rounds. First, applicants submit a prescreen video recording through the Thornton SlideRoom portfolio (US$35 fee, waived for Common App fee-waiver recipients) by 1 December, choosing an emphasis. Prescreen results arrive in late December, and those who pass are invited to a live audition. Popular Music must be the only Thornton major and the first-choice major on the Common App; a second Thornton major needs a separate Second Major Request by 1 December