Program Policies

The university has six Unifying Values that support our mission and guide our behaviors. These are reflected in the Integrity and Accountability Code that all members of the university community, including USC Online Exploration Course participants, are expected to follow. 

In addition, although USC Online Exploration Course participants are not considered students at the university, all participants are required to follow the policies governing conduct and behavior set forth in Living Our Unifying Values: The USC Student Handbook. This document contains important policies that apply during your time as a participant in USC Online Exploration Course, including rules regarding academic integrity and safety. It is required that you thoroughly read through the USC Student Handbook and sign below. 

USC Online Exploration Courses, like all university programs, are operated in accordance with the Notice of Non-Discrimination.  USC Online Exploration Course participants are required to follow the university’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation. Concerns regarding potential violations of this policy by faculty, staff, participants, or others should be reported to the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX.  Policies for addressing prohibited discrimination, harassment, and retaliation are the purview of the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. It is required that you read through these policies, view the websites, and sign where designated. 

The University of Southern California is foremost a learning community committed to fostering successful scholars and researchers dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas. Academic misconduct is in contrast to the university’s mission to educate participants through a broad array of first-rank academic, professional, and extracurricular programs and includes any act of dishonesty in the submission of academic work (either in draft or final form). 

All participants are expected to submit assignments that are original work and prepared specifically for the course/section in this academic term. You may not submit work written by others or “recycle” work prepared for other courses without obtaining written permission from the instructor(s). Participants suspected of engaging in academic misconduct will be reported to the Office of Academic Integrity. 

Other violations of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication (e.g., falsifying data), knowingly assisting others in acts of academic dishonesty, and any act that gains or is intended to gain an unfair academic advantage. 

Academic dishonesty has a far-reaching impact and is considered a serious offense against the university. Violations will result in a grade penalty, such as a failing grade on the assignment or in the course, and disciplinary action from the university itself, such as suspension or even expulsion.

As a student, you may elect to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and image generation aids responsibly and in accordance with the university’s academic integrity policies. Keep in mind the following:

• AI tools are permitted to help you brainstorm topics or revise work you have already written. 
• If you provide minimum-effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will need to refine your AI prompts to get good outcomes. This will take work. 
• Proceed with caution when using AI tools and do not assume the information provided is accurate or trustworthy. If AI produces a number or fact, assume it is incorrect unless you either know the correct answer or can verify its accuracy with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. AI works best for topics you understand. 
• AI is a tool, and one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining how and why you used AI and indicate the prompts you used to obtain the results. Failure to do so is a violation of USC’s academic integrity policies. 
• Be thoughtful about when AI is useful. Consider its appropriateness for each assignment or circumstance. The use of AI tools requires attribution. You are expected to clearly cite any material generated by the tool used. 

This USC Libraries research guide provides guidance on citations for AI generated material.  Additionally, USC’s Generative AI General Policy provides guidance to the USC community for the use of the University’s enterprise-grade Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) tools and the appropriate use of USC data with those tools. 

Please ask your instructor or course mentor if you are unsure about what constitutes unauthorized assistance of AI on an assignment, or what information requires citation or attribution. You are always expected to submit work that demonstrates your own mastery of the course concepts. If suspected of or found responsible for an academic integrity violation, you may be assigned university outcomes, which could include being asked to explain your assignment completion process, being asked to revise and resubmit an assignment, receiving zero credit on an assignment, or expulsion from the USC Online Exploration course. 

Tuition for USC Online Exploration Courses must be paid electronically by credit card. We do not accept checks or other offline forms of payment. Accepted payment methods and payment instructions will be provided when tuition is due. 

Payment plans are not available, and full tuition payment is required by the published payment deadline. 

Program scholarships are not currently available for USC Online Exploration Courses. Students are welcome to pursue external funding sources, such as employer sponsorships, alumni sponsorships, or third-party scholarships. However, all tuition payments to USC must be submitted by credit card through the approved payment process. Students are responsible for coordinating any reimbursement or funding arrangements directly with the sponsoring organization and for ensuring tuition is paid by the applicable deadline. 

Students may request a full refund within three (3) days of the course start date. After this period, no refunds will be issued.

Students enrolled in USC Online Exploration Courses are expected to complete their course within 90 days of the course start date. Access to course materials may be discontinued after this period. 

Upon successful completion of all course requirements (e.g., course content, videos, knowledge checks, and assignments), students will be issued a certificate of completion, which will be emailed to the address on file with the Program. 

USC Online certificate courses are non-credit-bearing; completion of a USC Online certificate course does not result in academic credit issued by the university.

Participant, parent(s) and legal guardian(s) agree to obey all rules and policies mandated by Program personnel in these standard forms, as well as the Letter of Understanding and Privacy Policy (available on the Program website).

Participants, parent(s) and legal guardian(s) are responsible for informing USC of participant’s medical condition(s) or disabilities of which the Program should be aware of while participating

in the Program, especially if any condition constitutes a disability that would make it difficult for the participant to participate in the Program.

Participants, parent(s) and legal guardian(s) also accept full and sole responsibility for tuition, fees, purchases, and any interest garnered on delinquent payments resulting from participant’s participation in the Program. I understand if the participant is dismissed from the Program or withdraws from the Program, there will not be a refund of tuition, fees, or any other Program charges.

No student may commit sexual harassment, defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or virtual conduct of a sexual nature. This includes suggestive or obscene communication via letters, notes, text messages, images and any material distributed via social media, or any type of digital communication.

Students shall not engage in or encourage lewd, indecent or obscene behavior in the university community or at Program-sponsored activities. Encouraging or permitting others to engage in misconduct is prohibited within the university community. Students should notify an appropriate Program administrator of the misconduct.

All students are required to follow the USC Student Sexual, Interpersonal, and Protected Class Misconduct Policy, available online here.

Additional rules regarding individual conduct may be given to each student (e.g. classroom behavior, offenses, student handbook, etc.). No virtual abusive conduct, including verbal abuse, is permitted. Violation of any of these rules or the additional rules will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the Program.

Parents or guardians of USC Online Exploration Course participants can find a wealth of resources regarding USC’s commitment to protecting minors on its campus on the Office of Youth Protection and Programming website. Please read through USC’s Protecting Minors Policy, our staff Guidelines for Interacting with Minors, resources for abuse prevention, and information on USC’s protocols for reporting abuse or neglect. The safety and well-being of your child is our priority; should you have any concerns and wish to make a report, you may do so at any time by visiting USC’s Report & Response website (anonymous reporting is possible). 

My student and I agree to obey all rules and policies mandated by Program personnel in the Program’s Letter of Understanding and Privacy Policy (available on the Program website).

My student and I will not photograph, videotape, and/or audiotape ourselves or others during the Program. It is understood and agreed by the student and Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s) that any photos and videos taken by USC photographers, staff or other Program students during the Program may be used for promotional purposes. I understand my student will not be identified by name unless I give my express permission. By signing the Letter of Understanding, I waive and release on behalf of myself and/or my student, any rights to compensation for, or ownership of, such images and/or sounds.

I understand my student and I are expected to comply with federal, state, and local laws. The success of the Program requires the cooperation of everyone involved.

USC reserves the right to change prices, to cancel, or change courses and/or to amend timetables at any time prior to enrollment and to make additions or amendments to these terms and conditions.

All Program participants, and if the participants are minors, their parent(s) or guardian(s) must sign the Program’s Letter of Understanding prior to the start of the course. By signing the Letter of Understanding, I agree that the University of Southern California and its officers, trustees, employees, agents, representatives, and any department, organization or group affiliated therewith (collectively, “USC”) assumes no responsibility for any injury or damage arising out of, or in part caused by, participation in the Program. I agree that I, my spouse, assignees, heirs, guardians, and legal representatives hereby voluntarily indemnify, release from liability, agree to defend and hold harmless USC for any accident, injury, illness, death, loss, theft, damage to person or property, or other consequences arising or resulting directly or indirectly from participation in the Program, including but not limited to claims arising from or related to USC’s negligence.

By signing the Letter of Understanding, I expressly agree that this release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as the State of California will allow and that if any portion is held invalid, they agree that the balance shall, notwithstanding, continue in full legal force and effect.

Signing the Letter of Understanding indicates you have read all of the policies as outlined above and agree to the terms and conditions as set forth and stated in the USC Student Handbook, the behaviors and rights as outlined through the Office of Academic Integrity, Office of Community Expectations, and Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. Failure to adhere to these policies can result in an immediate termination in USC Online programs.