Information for DEN@Viterbi (off campus) students
This page contains information for DEN@Viterbi (online) students. On campus students that need access to DEN@Viterbi courses, please see the information provide below under "On Campus Access to DEN@Viterbi Resources".
Enrollment Options for DEN@Viterbi students
Carefully review & select one of the DEN@Viterbi enrollment options:
Admitted Students (Off-campus via DEN@Viterbi) Admitted students have formally applied for admission and have been accepted to a graduate degree program. All coursework applied toward a Master of Science degree requires the prior approval of the degree-granting department usually in the form of a study plan. All departmental rules and regulations must be followed. Admitted students may be eligible for financial aid.
- Submit your Graduate Application to the university after reviewing your appropriate department instructions. Note: The application requirements for each department may vary - please be sure to check the department website prior to applying.
- If you are admitted to the university, you will receive further instructions on next steps and how to register for classes.
- Newly admitted off-campus students will need to create a DEN@Viterbi Profile to gain access to courses and specific support for off-campus students.
Limited Status Students (Off-campus via DEN@Viterbi) A student wishing to take course work for official USC credit, without having been formally admitted to a degree program, may be allowed to register as a Limited student. Qualified candidates for Limited student enrollment must have a B.S. degree in engineering or a closely related field (such as mathematics or science) from a regionally-accredited institution, with a minimum 3.0 GPA. They must also have the necessary background for the USC courses they wish to take. In addition, please note the following:
- Limited student enrollment is not a promise of future admission.
- A maximum of 12 units may be taken as a Limited graduate student and later applied for credit toward an advanced degree or graduate certificate.
- Limited students ARE officially enrolled at the University and pay full tuition.
- Limited students are not eligible for financial aid.
- Grades earned as a Limited student will be considered when applying for formal admission.
- Individuals who were previously denied admission to a USC engineering graduate degree program are not eligible to take courses as a Limited student.
- Individuals must be located in the United States in order to pursue Limited Status Enrollment. If you are interested in pursuing your program via DEN@Viterbi from outside of the United States, you must review ‘DEN@Viterbi Information: Pursuing Programs from Outside the United States’ and apply for formal admission
- Create a profile with DEN@Viterbi.
- Once your profile has been approved, a computer-generated password and your 10-digit student ID will be sent to the e-mail address you provided when creating your profile. Please allow up to 3 business days for this process. You can change the password upon initial log-in.
Audit Students
A student who wishes to view a course for non-credit via DEN@Viterbi can enroll as an audit student. Audit students will receive class materials but do not complete homework or take examinations. A course taken for audit will not receive university credit and will not appear on the USC transcript or grade report. A course taken for audit will be assessed at the current tuition rate.
- Create a DEN@Viterbi profile. If you have been admitted to the university, select "Admitted." If you have not yet been admitted, select "Limited."
- Check the schedule of classes for course availability and enroll in your classes. Select the Audit option.
- For courses that require D-clearance, the faculty member has the right to decline your participation.
How DEN@Viterbi Works
DEN@Viterbi strives to meet the needs of engineering professionals, providing the opportunity to advance your education while maintaining your career and other commitments. By breaking down geographical and scheduling barriers, DEN allows you to take your classes anytime and anywhere.
DEN@Viterbi students undergo the same academic requirements, curriculum, and must adhere to the same academic standards as on-campus students, therefore, your diploma is ultimately issued by the University of Southern California. There is no difference between remote students and on-campus students.
Lectures:
- Courses are transmitted from studio classrooms at the USC campus via an Internet-delivery system. DEN students view the same lecture as on-campus students.
- Students can view the courses live, or later at their convenience. Lectures are archived for the entire semester.
- Live instruction is interactive - students can call by a toll free phone line to ask the professor questions. Additionally, students can provide remote presentations.
- Professors' in-class notes are digitized and posted so students can print them and watch the lecture.
Homework & Exams:
Students upload homework assignments within their online course pages. Exams are proctored at local testing centers for students outside of Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties. Students in these local areas are required to come to the USC main campus for their exams. Visit the Homework and Exams policies page for more information.
Administrative Support:
Online students have full support for academic advisement and enrollment services from the Office of Viterbi Admission & Student Engagement. Online orientation is hosted each semester for new students, and a team of advisors is available to provide guidance. Exam administration is provided by a dedicated Technical Support Center, which includes advanced capabilities such as electronic tracking and routing of proctored exams. Faculty support services have also recently been improved to incorporate electronic grading in many courses. Additional services provided include: career services, library services, writing workshops, financial aid office and services, bookstore, USC email and USCard.
Academic Integrity:
Admissions standards for online programs offered through DEN@Viterbi are identical to on campus students and remains competitively high. As such, online students receive the same identical degree upon completion of their degree programs. Exams are proctored for all online students and coordinated by DEN@Viterbi's exams coordinator. Visit the Homework and Exams policies page for more information.
Technical Support and Requirements
DEN maintains its own dedicated help desk and IT support services. Live help desk hours are provided throughout the extended class schedule. The dedicated IT staff monitors and supports systems and technical services. The help desk provides phone, email, and remote desktop support to all students and faculty participating courses offered through DEN@Viterbi as part of the Office of Viterbi Admission & Student Engagement. Visit the Technical Support Center for additional information including technical requirements.
Technical Support and Requirements
DEN maintains its own dedicated help desk and IT support services. Live help desk hours are provided throughout the extended class schedule. The dedicated IT staff monitors and supports systems and technical services. The help desk provides phone, email, and remote desktop support to all students and faculty participating courses offered through DEN@Viterbi as part of the Office of Graduate and Professional Programs. Visit the Technical Support Center for additional information including technical requirements.
Things to do BEFORE you register for courses:
Follow these steps for a smooth DEN@Viterbi registration experience. If, at any time, you experience any difficulty in the registration process, please contact the VASE Office and we will be happy to assist you.
- Create a DEN@Viterbi Profile. Newly Admitted DEN@Viterbi students should create a DEN@Viterbi Profile to gain access to courses and specific support for DEN@Viterbi students.
- Verify your registration appointment time. Check your permit to register on myUSC, Web Registration or on OASIS by clicking on Permit to Register.
- If you have an active USC email account: You may access OASIS through myUSC using your USC email username and password.
- If you do not have a USC email account: You may access OASIS directly using your 10-digit student number in 1234567890 format and enter your passcode. This is initially your date birth MMDDYY format. After you first login, the system will prompt you to create a password.
- View and clear any restrictions or holds before registering. Check OASIS for any additional restrictions or holds.
- Complete your Mandatory Training for Graduate Students
- Contact your academic advisors if necessary. Students with any specific degree completion questions, course specific or course credit questions should contact their Department Advisor.
- Request D-clearance for DEN@Viterbi courses. You must obtain D-clearance before you will be permitted to register for any DEN@Viterbi course. After your profile has been approved, log on to our course management system (username is full email address) and click on DEN@Viterbi tools to find the D-clearance link. Once your d-clearance has been reviewed and approved (you will receive an email), you can register for the course.
- Register for courses. Please review the Web Registration Instructions prior to registering.
- If you have an active USC email account: You may access Web Registration through myUSC using your USC email username and password.
- If you do not have a USC email account: You may access Web Registration directly using your 10-digit student number in 1234567890 format and enter your passcode. This is initially your date birth MMDDYY format. After you first login, the system will prompt you to create a password.
Things to do AFTER you register for courses:
Now that you have successfully completed the registration process, here are a few final steps help to prepare you for the start of the semester.
- Verify your registration. Check your registered course list link in OASIS or myUSC.
- Check your billing balance and settle your tuition. Please check the academic calendar and be sure to settle your tuition on time to avoid late fees and penalties. Students can use USCe.pay to review current balances and pay online from OASIS. DEN@Viterbi students who have corporate reimbursement can also take advantage of DEN@Viterbi's Tuition Deferment Program or Corporate Billing.
- Check for required textbooks or software. You can view your Book List through OASIS or the Schedule of Classes in the Info column next to the course. You can purchase your textbooks through the USC Bookstore or any retailer of your choice.
- Obtain your USC ID card. A USC ID card identifies you as a currently enrolled student and can also entitle your access to other privileges and potential uses on and off campus. You can request your USC ID card online by following visiting the USC Card website and entering these options when you are ready to upload your photo:
- School/ Department or Special/Non-Credit Program: USC Viterbi School of Engineering
- Status: Graduate Student
- Where would you like to pick up your USCard?: Online Student
- Accept the DEN Terms of Service. Login to DEN@Viterbi's Course Management System and click on the "Accept DEN Terms of Service" link located in the DEN Tools section to trigger your course links to appear when DEN uploads registration information from the University. Course links will not appear until 2-3 days before the start of the semester.
If you are registered in an appropriate on campus section of a course supported through DEN@Viterbi, you will have access to the course via DEN's course management system, including webcasts, course documents, and access to other interactive tools to communicate with your professor and other students.
Access Instructions for On Campus Students
TO VIEW THE WEBCAST OF YOUR COURSES:
Step 1: In order to view your archived lectures via DEN, all you need to do is register for your residential classes through the university. You do NOT need to request or create a profile for access since we automatically create your accounts based on your course registrations.
Please be sure to register for the ON-CAMPUS section of the course.
Off-campus sections are reserved for off-campus DEN students.
Step 2: After you've registered, an email will be sent to your USC e-mail account from DEN. It will have instructions for creating a password and logging into your DEN webpage.
If you did not receive a password, please visit this link and fill out the form (see sample below): https://courses.uscden.net/d2l/lp/forgotPassword/forgotPassword.d2l. Please use all lower case letters. Example:
Username: [Enter your full email address as the username]
Step 3: You will log onto DEN's Course Management System in order to view the archived lecture of your courses. Many courses also ask on-campus students to download assignments and/or readings from DEN.
Step 4: Links to your registered courses will not appear on your DEN webpage until 2 days before the semester begins.
Step 5: Archived lectures are usually available one hour after class ends.
Step 6: DEN is a study-aid for on-campus students. VIEWING LECTURES ON DEN IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ATTENDING CLASS.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR RESIDENTIAL INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
International students attending USC on either an F or J visa are limited by the Department of Homeland Security SEVIS regulations to only one distance education off-campus course per fall or spring semester that will count toward the full-time enrollment requirement. Information about SEVIS is at https://ois.usc.edu/.
It is the responsibility of the international student to register in accordance with the SEVIS regulations. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to enroll in an off-campus course, please contact the Office of International Services (OIS). OIS hours, location, and phone numbers are at https://ois.usc.edu/.
On Campus Students who need to register in DEN@Viterbi (online) sections of a course must get approval first. Submit your DEN Petition for on-campus students online.
Technical support information for DEN@Viterbi students and those registered in courses supported through DEN@Viterbi:
Technical Support Page
Published on August 17th, 2017
Last updated on November 1st, 2022