“How do I figure out which engineering major is right for me?”
If you’re asking yourself the same thing, you’re not alone.
My Advice? Explore More Than One Resource.
At USC Viterbi, we offer 11 undergraduate engineering disciplines. Sometimes the challenge isn’t finding a major you like, it’s narrowing down from all the possibilities. If I were starting my college search today, these are the resources I’d use to learn what each major is really about and what life as a student in that field looks like. My Personal Favorite: Major Deep Dives on our podcast, Viterbi Voices.
Step 1: The Viterbi Voices Podcast
Our podcast gives current students, faculty, and alumni the chance to talk about their fields of study in their own words. They share what drew them to their field, the classes they have taken, internships they’ve pursued, and how their interests have evolved since arriving at USC. It’s one thing to read a major description. It’s another to hear someone explain what it’s actually like to study that subject. If you’re trying to decide between majors or simply want a better sense of what a discipline looks like beyond the classroom, these conversations are incredibly helpful.
Next Steps: Academic Overviews & Curriculum
Once you’ve identified a few majors that interest you, spend some time exploring the Academic Programs section of our website. These pages go beyond a simple major description. You’ll learn about topics students study and see detailed, 4-year curriculum plans. You can explore the types of projects they work on and the real-world challenges engineers in that field help solve. As you read, pay attention to which subjects genuinely spark your curiosity. Sometimes that’s the best clue that you’re headed in the right direction.
Advanced: Blogs & Videos
Our students’ blogs cover everything from research and internships to student organizations, study abroad experiences, and day-to-day life at USC. Reading stories from students in a major you’re considering can help you picture what your own experience might look like.
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out the Viterbi Admission YouTube channel. You’ll find faculty roundtables, student panels, major-specific presentations, and videos that answer common questions about academics and student life (including some that are just about exploring Los Angeles).
Our students create this content to answer questions they had when they were in your shoes. We understand how challenging it is to get a feel for a community through a brochure or website. Our hope is that these outlets provide more for you to explore and engage… and maybe even feel like you are here. No single website, podcast episode, or video will tell you everything you need to know about a major. But when you combine the academic program pages with student stories, podcasts, and videos, you’ll gain a much clearer picture of what studying that discipline might actually feel like.
And who knows? You may even discover a major you hadn’t considered before.
