A Love of Learning
By Karen Newell Young
They read Homer’s “Odyssey,” write about Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and
debate the virtues of Virgil’s “Aeneid.” They are the intellectually
adventurous students of the freshmen class who have been invited to
participate in an intense liberal arts program for honors students
called Thematic Option.
Since its beginning in 1975—due, in large part, to a $750,000 grant
from the National Endowment for the Humanities—Thematic Option has
grown from 60 students to the nearly 200 who each year are invited to
participate in the unique combination of core classes, supplemental
theme courses and writing seminars.
Just as the level of excellence of USC students has increased, so has
the quality of those enrolled in Thematic Option. This year’s
participating freshmen have an average GPA of 4.17 and an average SAT
score of 1463.
Housed within USC College, it’s not surprising that Thematic Option
includes a majority of liberal arts students. However, the program
serves the entire campus; this year’s freshmen are enrolled in the USC
Annenberg School for Communication, the USC School of
Cinema-Television, the USC Thornton School of Music and other units
across the
university.
Thematic Option also includes many classics majors, supported by the program’s close connection with the classics
faculty.
“Students in Thematic Option and the classics have a lot in common,”
says Robin Romans, director of the program. “They begin with the
foundation of Western culture in Greece and Rome, and examine the
evolution of culture from many perspectives. They think about the
connections between how we live our lives today and how that compares
with earlier cultures.”
With its emphasis on small interdisciplinary classes, Thematic Option
provides a learning environment comparable to the finest small liberal
arts colleges, says Romans. “It’s an intellectual community that
emphasizes serious liberal arts study. Faculty are attracted to the
program because there is room for experimentation in classes with
serious students that have a thirst for learning. The students are
attracted by its focus on writing, close advisement, field trips and
annual research conference.
“These kinds of activities foster tight bonds among classmates and
faculty, and help strengthen community,” adds Romans.
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