LOS ANGELES — (AP) — The University of Southern California will begin in-person classes for the upcoming academic year on Aug. 17, a week earlier than originally scheduled.

USC President Carol L. Folt says final exams will be completed by Thanksgiving to help minimize spread of the coronavirus. Folt says almost every undergraduate in-person class will also be offered online. There will also be a wide range of modifications of classrooms, offices and campus spaces to accommodate physical distancing.

Residence halls and on-campus dining facilities will be modified to reduce density and contact, and take-out dining options will be expanded. Face masks will be mandatory.