This Friday will be the last day to register and add classes for the semester, but many USC undergraduates might still struggle to find one- or two-unit classes as ideal supplements to their class schedules.

To make the most out of their tuition, students often take one- or two-unit classes, as tuition covers up to 18 units. In other instances, they simply take these classes for professional development or sheer interest. The University’s one- and two-unit classes usually center around technology, dance, music and sports –— with most intended for skill training.

Some of the most well-known ones include the Physical Education & Mind Body Health department under the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, which puts forward a variety of classes focused on sports and healthy lifestyles, including yoga, surfing, first aid and stress management for healthy living. The Viterbi School of Engineering also provides students with a wide array of courses such as coding, video game production and Adobe Photoshop.

Admittedly, the University is offering many one- and two-unit classes that are great ways for students to explore new interests in college. However, in many departments, there are almost no one- or two-unit electives that students can take. Students may either need to fit another four-unit class in their schedules or completely give up taking courses in this program. This could potentially turn students away from discovering potential passions and interests.

To better address this issue, USC should consider expanding its course catalog and encouraging the creation of one- or two-unit courses that can be gateways to other departments and programs. Some of the potential two-unit introductory level classes could include photography, film studies, painting, culinary and foreign languages. For instance, Stanford University offers a two-unit class called “Painting Off the Wall,” for both new and experienced students to learn to be creative in what they paint and how they paint.

One of the most notable advantages could be enabling students to fit more of their classes of interest into their schedules; With the general education, foreign language and writing requirements to fulfill aside from major and minor requirements, students might find it difficult to include other four-unit electives in their schedule.

Providing more one- and two-unit introductory-level classes in other programs can be profoundly helpful for students looking to strike a balance between the classes they are interested in and their major requirements. For instance, the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures offers a two-unit introductory level course called “Conversational Chinese and Intercultural Communication.” The course was intended for students to obtain some basic conversation skills as well as knowledge of cross-cultural communication. For students who study one language for their Dornsife language requirement but would love to explore another language, having more two-unit class options would provide a valuable opportunity to embrace a different culture without feeling the pressure of a four-unit course. This class could serve as seamless segue into a four-unit class under the same discipline. A more diverse course catalog gives students the opportunity to be more actively engaged in interdisciplinary studies, and possibly inspire them to pursue another major or minor.

Creating more one- and two-unit classes can also be beneficial to reducing overall academic stress. A 2022 journal article published in Frontiers in Psychology suggested a strong correlation between college students’ perceived academic stress and overall mental well-being. Students who are able to take four-unit electives might sometimes find themselves frustrated by their workload and difficulty, and have a harder time catching up with their classmates who are from that major. Besides, after finishing all the GE requirements, students might be less driven to explore other fields and, instead, choose to take more classes pertaining to their majors. Diversifying one- to two-unit classes would be an optimal way for the University to address both of these problems.

But it is also important for the administration to differentiate the work load of each class based on their respective units. In this case, students will know that a one- or two-unit class can be a great entryway for them into a specific field without worrying too much about how this class will jeopardize their GPA or consume even more time than a four-unit course.

There should also be a standard for the hours of work that classes require based on their units, which the University can post on the course catalog website so that students know what they can expect for different classes. Students can also reflect later in course evaluations on whether they believe they are spending too much time on a specific class.

College plays a major role in shaping their students, providing them with an environment where they can realize their potential, pursue their passions and set clearer goals for their lives. Having more diverse one- and two-unit class offerings will be beneficial in keeping that progress.