USC Thematic Option Honors Program

How do we think through the BIG questions? Is there such a thing as human nature? How have conceptions of justice changed over time? Is there order in history? How do we define progress? What is the nature of truth? Where does knowledge come from? For 50 years, students in the Thematic Option Honors Program have been asked to pursue possible answers through interdisciplinary approaches to the history of ideas. As issues of epistemology, representation, and social construction emerge, T.O. students are pushed to re-conceptualize the world and their role within it. To that end, the program is constantly innovating new courses and new opportunities that integrate learning inside the classroom with explorations out in the wider metropolis of Los Angeles.
Your generous contributions to the Thematic Option program will directly support our mission to develop critical and dialectical thinkers who value complexity, dialogue, and curiosity.