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USC CS37: Scientists and Engineers student perspectives

Program​

CS37 is Scientists and Engineers, a program built to give people from science and engineering backgrounds a CS foundation. Its 37 units include the four-unit 455x programming course, required in the first semester and not counted toward the other 33 degree units. It costs more time and tuition than the general MSCS, and in exchange you get a much more clearly laid-out foundation path. There's no thesis option.

Courses and workload​

455x leads into 402 OS. The foundation also includes either 450 networks or 457 computer organization, and 570 algorithms is required. 402, 450 and 570 are genuinely useful for switching into CS. For application development, 571 Web is the pick; 585 DB looks easy but covers material you'll actually use in real development.

You can keep the overall schedule fairly light, but the required foundation eats a good chunk of the units, so electives are less free than the full CS catalog makes it look. The light combinations popular among 2021–2022 entrants also depended on the specific instructor and course version.

Recruiting and campus jobs​

The program is strongly job-oriented: mass applications, LeetCode and internship experience matter a lot, and career fairs have limited reach. Beyond industry internships, campus labs also offer coding work, and RA openings go out through university email. TA/RA pay only comes with an actual position. There were honors-to-TA cases in 2023, but hitting a GPA bar doesn't automatically land you a job.

Life and CPT​

LA is a comfortable place to live, with lots of food in Koreatown and the Chinese neighborhoods and no shortage of weekend plans. Living near campus, in Downtown LA or farther out each comes with tradeoffs, and the commute and whether you have a car make a big difference. The downside is cost: on top of tuition for 37 units, you're paying living expenses for a longer stretch.

As of October 11, 2026, USC only recognizes practical training required of all students in the program. CS37 has no published graduation requirement like that, and 597/598 don't count toward the degree, so "two CPT internships" can no longer be treated as a built-in perk of the program.