About Academic Honors and Fellowships
Our Mission
Grounded in the mission of Academic Programs, USC Academic Honors and Fellowships (AHF) supports students in their pursuit of transformative academic experiences. We offer advisement, programming and resources that encourage the exploration and attainment of high-impact experiential learning opportunities. We partner with USC faculty, staff and alumni to support applicants throughout prestigious fellowship application processes that require evaluation, endorsement and feedback.
Our Vision
To help students construct meaning from their lived and learned experiences, so that they can develop self-efficacy, personal agency, aspirations, sense of purpose, and understanding of one’s self in relation to the world. As such, research and fellowships are valued not for their outcome, but for the enriching insights the process can provide each student.
Our Focus:
Cultivate Success
Visualize multiple pathways towards success
Support cohort models and mentorship
Celebrate achievement journeys
Support Inquiry
Create opportunities for exploration
Partner with faculty mentors
Facilitate access to academic resources
Advance Equity
Meet students where they are
Promote diversity of opportunities
Develop a network of advocacy
Our Portfolio
Signature Academic Events
Our Signature Academic Events invite undergraduate students to explore diverse disciplines, showcase scholarly and creative endeavors, and foster academic and professional growth. Events include Welcome Week Micro-Seminars, Research and Fellowships Week, Undergraduate Writers’ Conference, and SCymposium. Learn More
USC Awards
AHF recognizes the outstanding abilities of its undergraduate students and has created various opportunities to financially support students in their pursuit of interdisciplinary study, global exchange, and civic engagement. Awards include the Academic Achievement Award, Exceptional Funding for Trustee and Presidential Scholars, Africa Student Fund, and Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service. Learn More
Commencement Honors
AHF coordinates Commencement Honors for graduating seniors in partnership with USC Schools and faculty committees. Honors include: USC SCholar Distinctions (Renaissance, Global, and Discovery) and Valedictorian and Salutatorian Learn More
External Fellowships
AHF supports applicants with individual advising, information sessions, and workshops for select competitive national and international scholarships and fellowships. AHF facilitates campus review committees for endorsement required awards such as Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Rhodes, Marshall and Truman Scholarships. Learn More