<p>Is there any sort of a cap on the amount of courses you can take during the summer?</p>
<p>Would it be theoretically possible to take classes at a Junior College in each of three summers, taking 16 units each summer, thereby saving a year and a half worth of tuition?</p>
<p>All of the classes would be taken for elective credit, not for a specific major.</p>
<p>You have to clear it with the advisors as to which courses you can take & get credit for at USC--for engineering, most courses have to be taken at USC--either during the regular semesters or their summer school, not at any other school. This is particularly true for the last 60 credits of your degree.</p>
<p>My S got 32 credits (the max you can) when he entered USC. The only trouble is they don't satisfy most of the requirements for his engineering degree but help with advanced standing for registration purposes. <sigh> The school knows they want your money & for you to take courses at their U for credits toward a degree. PLEASE check things out with your advisor before you make further plans.</sigh></p>
<p>At this point, I'm sort of getting some sort of a plan together before I speak to my advisor (planning to do that as soon as I get back from Winter Break)</p>
<p>In general, my understanding is that the Engineering degree has hardly any elective units (that is, almost all classes that are taken fullfill some sort of requirement for the major.) These classes must be taken at USC in most cases.</p>
<p>However, a major such as Policy Planning and Development (which is what I might switch my major to), has many Elective units as opposed to units taken towards fullfilling the major. </p>
<p>The elective units are what I'd be fullfilling during my Summer, and my hope is that they don't need to be taken at USC. Hopefully I am not mistaken.</p>
<p>once you hit 64 units, you can only transfer in 8 more or so maximum. Before that, there's still a max, but it's less restricted.</p>
<p>It's helpful if you read the catalog for the year you entered USC, which contains the graduation requirements. It will set forth what you may transfer for your major.
I'd read the catalog, make your game plan & then meet with your advisor to see how to "tweak it" & be sure everything is correct BEFORE you make further plans.
Engineering is a special case, which is why the advisors meet with the students each quarter before registration (otherwise graduating will take much longer than 4 years). From my understanding, my S got lots of credits but not many of them will satisfy requirements--only one CS course, on history course & one or two other courses. Oh well, he got a good background with the courses he took in HS.</p>