Dec 27, 2024

USC Catalogue 2024-2025

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USC Catalogue 2024-2025

Intelligence and Cyber Operations (BA)

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The Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence and Cyber Operations brings scholarship in international relations together with technical expertise in information technology to prepare USC students for a rapidly emerging field of scholarly activity and professional practice. This interdisciplinary major requires 55-56 units in total: 12 at the lower-division level and 43-44 at the upper-division level.

Lower Division Required Courses (12 units)

IR 210gw International Relations: Introductory Analysis Units: 4
ITP 125L From Hackers to CEOs: Introduction to Information Security Units: 2
ITP 115 Programming in Python Units: 2
or
ITP 165 Introduction to C++ Programming Units: 2
IR 213 The Global Economy Units: 4
or
ECON 203g Principles of Microeconomics Units: 4

Upper Division Required Courses (16 units)

IR 304 National Intelligence and the Shaping of Policy Units: 4
IR 320 Technology and International Relations Units: 4
ITP 325 Ethical Hacking Units: 4
ITP 375 Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Investigations Units: 4

Security and Violence (4 units)

Choose one:

IR 313 Religions and Political Violence Units: 4
IR 315 Ethnicity and Nationalism in World Politics Units: 4
IR 318 Violent Conflict Units: 4
IR 319 Human Security and Humanitarian Intervention Units: 4
IR 342 The Politics and Strategy of Weapons of Mass Destruction Units: 4
IR 381 Introduction to International Security Units: 4
IR 386 Terrorism and Counterterrorism Units: 4
IR 387 Strategic Studies Units: 4

International Finance (4 units)

Choose one:

ECON 452 International Finance Units: 4
(Prerequisite: ECON 305 )
ECON 457 Financial Markets Units: 4
(Prerequisite: ECON 303 )
IR 328 The Evolving Global Economic Architecture-Capital Mobility Units: 4
IR 329 The Global Finance and Monetary Regime Units: 4
IR 431 Commercial and Financial Globalization-Trends, Challenges Units: 4

Cyber Law, Policy and Management (4 units)

Choose one:

DSCI 429 Security and Privacy Units: 4
ITP 370 Cybersecurity Management and Operations Units: 4
ITP 479 Cyber Law and Privacy Units: 4

Technical Elective (7-8 units)

Choose two:

ITP 303 Full-Stack Web Development Units: 4
ITP 357 Enterprise Networks: Design and Architecture Units: 4
ITP 365 Managing Data in C++ Units: 4
ITP 425 Web Application Security Units: 4
ITP 446 Cyber Breach Investigations Units: 3
ITP 457 Network Security Units: 4
ITP 475 Advanced Digital Forensics and Incident Response Units: 4

Regional Electives (8 units)

Choose two courses, each from a different category:

The Middle East

IR 362 The International Relations of the Contemporary Middle East Units: 4
IR 463 Islam and Arab Nationalism Units: 4
MDES 340g The United States and the Middle East Units: 4
REL 402 Cultural Heritage, Religion, and Politics in the Middle East Units: 4

Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia

IR 345 Russian and Post-Soviet Foreign Policy Units: 4
IR 346 Communism and Post-Communism: Eastern Europe and the Balkans Units: 4
IR 438 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict after Communism Units: 4
IR 439 Political Economy of Russia and Eurasia Units: 4

East Asia

HIST 366 The People’s Republic of China Units: 4
IR 333 China in International Affairs Units: 4
IR 340 The Political Economy of China Units: 4
IR 360 International Relations of the Pacific Rim Units: 4
IR 384 Asian Security Issues Units: 4

Total Units for Major: 55-56

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