Thanks! So I would be able to take any SCA courses as electives as long as they aren’t indicated to be exclusive to other majors? And most SCA classes consist of a mix of students from prod, studies, etc?
As a CAMS major you can take almost any SCA, except the thesis courses (310 & 480). There is a limit to the number of upper div classes that will count toward your degree (40), but beyond that nothing preventing you from taking more. We asked the exact same questions a couple of years ago, so I’ll copy & paste from the DM’s of those who helped us…
“The 40 unit cap is for upper division classes in general, including required CAMS classes. However, the department usually lets people take up to 50 upper division units, and I’m actually currently at 54 (but anything above a 40 won’t count towards the general 128 units required for the degree).”
“Most production classes are available to CAMS majors, except for thesis classes such as 310 and 480, and the prep classes for those (294/295, 450). But if you go to the USC schedule of classes (classes.usc.edu) and go into SCA and Production, any class number that has an R at the end of it is open to everyone. Class numbers that end with a D require departmental clearance, and are usually available to Production kids only.”
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Thanks again sm!!! It sounds like I’ll definitely enjoy the program even if I can’t transfer.
@romns116 was as usual very helpful in his answers. @MrStarWarsMan I just wanted to add that my daughter is a freshman now in CAMS (Cinema and Media Studies). She’d originally applied for Production first choice, CAMS second but by the time decisions were coming out she’d kind of been thinking she might prefer CAMS and that’s how it worked out! She likes that she can double major more easily if she wants and I’m sure she will take some production classes but at this point, she doesn’t plan to try to transfer. Congratulations to the newly admitted SCA class!!
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Thank you!! The freedom to chose coursework is definitely a big bonus for me too
Hi @CAtransplant ! So good to hear you chime in and even happier to hear your D is enjoying CAMS! I’m excited the SCA students get to work together on campus in the near future.
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good to see you on here too! I am so excited for my daughter to finally get to campus in the fall! Maybe we will even meet up one of these days!
Thanks for posting, that is amazing for your son! My daughter was accepted yesterday the same way, production first choice, accepted into CAMS. Can you give me any insight on how difficult it was to transfer? Was the counselor helpful? Thank you so much for any info!
Thanks for posting this! This is really helpful to hear and understand. So glad to hear that your daughter is happy in CAMS, I’m guessing my daughter will feel the same. I think the double major ability is definitely a plus. Thanks again, always so nice to hear about happy kids!
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Hi @Smh1972 , congratulations on your child’s acceptance into SCA! Get your sweater now 
It’s my pleasure to help new SCA parents and students because of the great help we’ve received here.
Transfer to Prod - not as daunting a process as the freshman application, but here’s what we think helped my son:
- Grades - His 4.0 GPA for the required 48 credits to transfer into Prod.
- New short - He wrote, directed, and produced a brand new short film that received a few laurels and festival showings.
- LOR - He was very blessed to work with two industry professionals (not big names, but small prod company owners). One being an SCA alum who still has close ties to the university, the other a high budget event video production owner.
- Essays - He didn’t recycle the same content used in his freshman app. Instead he spoke from the vantage point of an experienced USC student who knew his SCA professors and his excitement to work with them in specific production courses. More specific detail, the better.
He maintained regular email communication with both counselors (USC & SCA), especially during his freshman Fall semester as a Spring Admit. When we visited campus (twice), we made sure to stop by the SCA office to meet AO face to face.
The challenge is to keep making films, even when school is in session. They’re looking for student who are passionate enough to grind out the work, even if nobody notices or it isn’t being graded. They’re looking for someone who stand out with out trying to. I hope this helps.
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Thank you so much! Incredibly helpful to understand. Right now my daughter is just enjoying being in, and looking forward to starting this fall. I think once she is there and gets settled she will have to figure out if she wants to attempt to transfer. Again, thanks, this process is incredibly stressful, and every little tidbit of info feels remarkably enlightening.
You’re welcome! My son was incredibly content with CAMS, and believes he would’ve been completely happy staying in the major. The schedule flexibility allows for another major/minor, which isn’t practical for Prod.
If your student has any interest in screenwriting, look into the minor. It’s only 16 credits, with acceptance hinging on a B or higher grade in the intro class. The screenwriting professors are world class working professionals (along with most of the SCA faculty).
The excitement of being an SCA parent never goes away. There always seems to be industry news abuzz. Welcome to the SCA Trojan family!
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This is really helpful! Sounds like a lot of work, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. Any chance you can send links to the two different films he submitted? Also, does your son have an Instagram or some other way I could contact him directly? I’d love to get in touch with him!
Sending you a DM. He’d love to hear from you!
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