<p>I know the film program is tops...and also engineering & communications...but how are the pure sciences at usc?? im interested in life sciences..probably a bio-related major...are the sciences here comparable to schools like vanderbilt, uva, rice and georgetown? PLEASE HELP!!</p>
<p>USC's science departments may not be the first class, but respectable. I personally think they are one par with uva, rice, lower than vandy, but better than georgetown. If you consider MCB, USC get fairly strong faculty here.</p>
<p>I'm one half (or maybe one third...) physics major, I wasn't originally but I liked my intro honors physics courses so much I decided to tack on the double major. So yeah, I like the physics department here.</p>
<p>Dunno much about the bio department, I took one bio general education class from this one professor who was just awesome and has won all sorts of teaching awards...but that's the extent of my life sciences experiences here.</p>
<p>Though there <em>is</em> a major called "biophysics" which seems to be increasingly popular...</p>
<p>My daughter had a great experience with her intro geology class (earthquakes), and has also had excellent counseling from a couple other professors in that department. I can't say how the quality of that department compares with other schools, but there is a lot of personal attention and research opportunities are offered to freshmen. She was not initially looking at a major or minor in the sciences but has enjoyed dealing with that department so much she is probably going to do Geology (Geohazards emphasis) as one of her 2 planned minors.</p>
<p>Overall, USC's science departments are not strong</p>
<p>What makes the science departments at UCLA/UCSD supposedly so much better than USC? I keep hearing about rankings and such, but I can't find exactly HOW they're stronger/weaker.</p>
<p>Tennisplayer, don't be hectic.</p>
<p>They are only marginally better in most the fields you are interested in, not so much better. And that factors in the graduate program and facutly research, not teaching. For neuroscience, USC is on par with UCLA, I think if you don't count in the medical school's faculty.</p>
<p>yeah, i don't really think it's worth stressing over which sci dept is better than the other; you'll be getting an excellent education, no matter which school you go to :]</p>