Advising Process — Minors

All Thornton minors have an assigned academic advisor. Minors are not required to meet with their advisor, but they usually need to obtain departmental clearance (D-clearance) to take specific courses for their minor. D-clearances may be requested through the Thornton Minor D-Clearance Request Form. Refer to your STARS report on OASIS to view your minor requirements. OASIS is accessible through your MyUSC page. Please see below for detailed instructions on D-clearance requests and registration preparation.

Priority D-Clearance Advisement Schedule

Advisement and Registration Process

1. 1. REVIEW your STARS report (accessible via OASIS in MyUSC). Make a note of minor program requirements that you have completed, courses currently in progress, and courses still left to complete.
   2. BUILD a proposed schedule on Web Registration (accessible via MyUSC). Be sure to review the requirements for your minor as listed in the USC Catalogue for the appropriate Catalogue year.
   3. D-Clearance Requests
      • • Individual Instruction Courses (for Musical Studies, Jazz Studies, and Musical Theatre minors) — If you are planning to take an individual instruction class (e.g., MPKS 301) please complete the Individual Instruction Request form under the correct department that you intend to take lessons. These request forms will open on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
        • Other Required Courses — If you intend to take a required course (not individual instruction) for your Thornton minor that requires D-clearance, please submit the Thornton Minor D-Clearance Request Form during the appropriate priority D-clearance week. The password for this form will be sent to your USC email address from thornton.minors@usc.edu at the beginning of your priority D-clearance week. Thornton Student Affairs will be in touch with you once your request has been reviewed. (If you would like additional assistance from your Thornton minor advisor, please email your advisor.)
   4. When you receive D-clearance, officially REGISTER using Web Registration for the course(s) you were given clearance to add, as well any other appropriate course(s) that do not require clearance. (D-clearances issued during the priority advisement weeks will be set to expire by Friday, May 2.)

Important: It is always your responsibility to register for your classes on the Web Registration system. Your advisor will only grant you clearance to register; you will need to officially register for the courses for which your advisor has granted you clearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is D-clearance?
  D-clearance is an abbreviation for “departmental clearance.” D-clearance is required when the department offering the course restricts enrollment in the course. The purpose for this restriction generally relates to either the need to reserve spots in the course for students who need it to fulfill degree requirements, or the need to assess a student’s readiness for the content covered in the course. Most courses in the USC Thornton School require D-clearance.
• How do I know if a course requires D-clearance?
  The course will have a letter “D” after its five-digit section number listed in Web Registration and the Schedule of Classes. If the course has a letter “R” after its five-digit section number, then the course does not require D-clearance. You are able to register for “R” classes without departmental clearance, so long as space is still available in the class.
• How do I obtain D-clearance?
  For individual instruction courses (e.g., MPKS 301), complete the Individual Instruction Request form under the correct department that you intend to take lessons. All other D-clearances for required courses in your minor must be requested through the Thornton Minor D-Clearance Request Form. Please follow the process described above to request D-clearance.
• When should I register?
  You will be assigned a Permit To Register, which is the earliest time you can complete registration on the Web Registration system. Once you have been granted D-clearance for a course, you can register for the course any time after your Permit To Register. It is important to note, however, that unless otherwise advised, your D-clearance(s) will expire on the last day of classes for the current semester.
• When is my Permit To Register?
  Your Permit To Register is viewable on OASIS. You can access OASIS via MyUSC.
• My D-clearance expired before I was able to register. What do I do?
  The Thornton Minor D-Clearance Request Form will no longer be available once your D-clearance has expired. Please contact your advisor to see if your D-clearance can be reissued. Many courses fill up quickly, and it may not be possible to reissue your clearance. So be sure to register as soon after you receive D-clearance as possible.
• Classes have already started for the semester. How do I request D-clearance?
  Once classes begin for the semester, instructors manage their own class rosters. To try to secure a seat in a course that requires D-clearance, you will need to gain the instructor’s approval with a Thornton Course Addition Clearance Form. You can pick up this form in The Music Complex (TMC), Room 200, during regular business hours. If possible, attend the first day of class with this form. If you’ve already missed the first day of class, plan to attend the next class session or reach out to the instructor via email to request approval. If there are open seats in the course and the professor approves your enrollment, s/he will sign the form, which you should then bring back to TMC 200 for processing. Once you are granted clearance, you will need to officially register for the class on the Web Registration system.
• How do I know which classes are required for my music minor?
  Please refer to your STARS report for minor requirements. You can also refer to the USC Catalogue or the minor requirements lists here. Please note that your required courses will depend on the Catalogue year you are following, which is usually the year you started at USC. If you have questions about your specific minor requirements or your Catalogue year, please email your minor advisor.
• I’m a declared music minor. Why can’t I register for my minor classes?
  As a music minor, you are not automatically cleared for minor courses. You will need to request D-clearance each semester for the courses you wish to take that are part of the minor curriculum. Music majors and minors are given priority to request D-clearance for required courses. You will receive an email from Thornton Minors each semester when it’s time to begin planning classes for the following semester and when you are able to request D-clearance. Information on advising and registration schedules is described in the Advisement and Registration Process above.
• I’m a music major. How can I obtain D-clearance for my music minor?
  Please request D-clearance for your minor classes from your major advisor during your mandatory advisement appointment each semester.
• How do I add a music minor?
  To be considered for admission to a music minor, you must submit an application. Please refer to the minors section of the USC Thornton Admission website.
• I’m planning to add a music minor, but I’d like to take classes now. How do I obtain D-clearance?
  Please visit our office in TMC 200 or contact us at (213) 740-4721 for instructions on the Thornton non-major/non-minor D-clearance request process. Declared music majors and minors are given priority to request D-clearance for required courses, so we will evaluate your D-clearance request after priority advisement for current Thornton majors and minors.
• I’ve completed my music minor requirements, and I want to take more minor classes. How do I obtain D-clearance?
  Please follow the D-clearance advising process here. We prioritize D-clearance requests from major and minor students who have unfulfilled requirements, so we will consider your D-clearance request after priority advisement for current Thornton majors and minors.

Academic Advisors — Minors

Contact

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Thornton Student Affairs. Our office is located on the University Park Campus in The Music Complex (TMC), Room 200.

You can reach our office by calling (213) 740-4721 or via email at thornton.studentaffairs@usc.edu.