Admission Requirements

Click here to download the EMBA Essay Requirements (pdf)

Recommendations & Transcripts		Test Scores
International Degree Verification		Costs & Financial Aid
Requirements		Information for Reapplicants
Deadlines		International Applicants

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Recommendations

As part of the application process, we require one recommendation to be submitted online. We use this recommendation as a gauge of your professional achievements and managerial potential. Your recommender should provide specific observations and examples of your leadership, teamwork, analytical skills, and general likeability. We prefer that your recommendation comes from a direct supervisor. Start early to allow ample time for your recommender to complete this important piece of your application.

Transcripts

You will need to submit one official copy of each transcript from all prior universities attended. Transcripts must be received in their original sealed envelope. Please have your institution include instructions on how to interpret the transcript and an explanation of its grading system. If the transcript is not in English, you will need to include an English translation. You may use the forms provided with the online application to request that your transcripts be sent to the mailing address below.

University of Southern California
Office of Admission and Financial Aid
GRADUATE
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

If you use a courier service, such as DHL or FedEx, use the following address:

University of Southern California
Office of Admission and Financial Aid
3601 South Flower Street, Tyler 1
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0911

We encourage applicants to upload unofficial transcripts to the online application.  However, while the Admissions Committee can review an application with unofficial transcripts, a final decision cannot be rendered until official transcripts have been received and evaluated by Graduate Admissions.

International Degree Verification

The USC Office of Degree Progress requires verification of international prior degrees from the International Education Research Foundation (IERF). Details about their services, including application forms, fees, and required documents are available at www.ierf.org/usc.

Please contact Degree Progress (dprogss@usc.edu, 213.740.7070) if you have any questions, or need more information regarding prior degree verification.

Requirements

Admission to the USC Marshall EMBA Program is highly selective. The Admissions Committee assesses each candidate on a number of dimensions including prior academic, professional, and personal accomplishments. We seek students with outstanding leadership potential as well as those with the intellectual and interpersonal abilities to contribute to our academic and extracurricular programs. In order for an application to be considered complete, we require the following:

• Four-year undergraduate degree, or equivalent
• A completed online application
• Official academic transcripts
• One required essay, as outlined in the online application. An optional essay is provided for any additional information you wish to convey to the Admissions Committee. Download the Essay Requirements (pdf) here.
• A professional résumé
• One letter of recommendation, which must be submitted online
• Official GMAT or GRE exam (optional for USC Marshall EMBA candidates). The GMAT code for the USC Marshall EMBA is 389-9C-48. The GRE code for USC is 4852.
• Official TOEFL,IELTS, score reports. Only international students are required to take an English language exam.
• Application fee: $150.00
• Eight years of work experience (recommended)
• Interview

Interviews are conducted after a completed application has been reviewed. Interviews are by invitation only and a requirement of the EMBA application process.  USC Marshall offers interviews at our main campus in Los Angeles and at our campus in San Diego.  

If you need to send materials by postal mail after submitting your online application, use the following address:

University of Southern California
Office of Admission and Financial Aid
GRADUATE
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

If you use a courier service, such as DHL or FedEx, use the following address:

University of Southern California
Office of Admission and Financial Aid
3601 South Flower Street, Tyler 1
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0911

EMBA Application Deadlines

The USC Marshall EMBA Program will begin accepting applications on a rolling basis beginning September 1, 2013. Decisions are released on the 1st of each month approximately 4-6 weeks after submission of an application. Notification dates, beginning December 1, 2013.

Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as the USC Marshall EMBA is a competitive and selective program. Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered, space permitting. Decisions will be posted on the online application (Apply Yourself).

Test Scores

GMAT/GRE: The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) exam or Graduate Record Exam for USC Marshall Executive MBA candidates is an optional component of the application. The GMAT or GRE exam is highly recommended for those applicants who are unable to demonstrate, either through past academic performance or work experience, sufficient strength in the areas of quantitative and analytical reasoning. After an initial review, the Admissions Committee may request candidates to submit a GMAT or GRE score in order to supplement their application materials.

You may take the GMAT or GRE more than once and the Admissions Committee will consider only your highest score. GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years. The GMAT school code for the USC Marshall EMBA Program is 389-9C-48. For more information about the GMAT visit: http://www.mba.com/. The GRE code for USC is 4852. For more information about the GRE visit http://www.ets.org/gre.

English Language Exams

International students are required to take an English Language Exam. USC Marshall accepts the following exams:

• TOEFL(http://www.toefl.org/) the Test of English as a Foreign Language ,
• IELTS (http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx) the International English Language Testing System

An English language exam is not required for U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. It can be waived for international students under either of two conditions: 1) If the candidate's native language is English (students from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, excluding Quebec); or 2) If the candidate has received his/her bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university.

If you are required to take an English Language Exam, an official score report must be forwarded to USC by the testing agency. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years. The TOEFL code for the USC Marshall MBA program is 4852.

Costs & Financial Aid

Program Costs
Exact figures will be provided by the USC Marshall Executive MBA Program Office to students during the summer before classes begin. The approximate overall cost of the program is $123,000. Costs cover textbooks, classroom materials, parking, university fees, and lodging costs for the required domestic and international residentials. Airfare and some meal costs during the international residential will be the responsibility of the student. Please note that lodging is not provided or included for regularly scheduled bi-weekly classes.

Loans and Financial Aid
The USC Marshall Executive MBA Program does not offer scholarships or fellowships for any students in our fully employed programs. However, many employers participate in tuition assistance programs and there are a number of additional loan options available. Three types of loans are available to finance your MBA - Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans, and private loans. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, we recommend that you apply for the Federal Stafford Loan first, because of favorable interest rates and origination fees. International students are not eligible to receive federal funding through this loan program.

Federal Stafford Loan. There are two types, subsidized and unsubsidized. For subsidized Stafford Loans, the federal government pays the interest while you are in school and during authorized deferment and grace periods. For the unsubsidized Stafford Loans, deferred interest is capitalized (added to the principal) at repayment. The maximum amount you can borrow under the Stafford Loan system is $20,500 per academic year ($8,500 subsidized and $12,000 unsubsidized). For more information, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Graduate and professional students may wish to consider this low-interest, credit-based federal loan to cover their expenses. You must first exhaust your full Federal Stafford Loan eligibility for this loan.

Private Loans. Private loans are available to both domestic and international applicants. You should be aware that interest rates and fees vary significantly among lending institutions. International applicants may be required to have a U.S. citizen co-sign the loan.

For more information about applying for financial aid, please visit our financial aid link.

Information for Reapplicants

We welcome reapplicants and appreciate your interest in the USC Marshall EMBA Program. Reapplicants must submit the following:

• A completed online application for admission
• A 500 word personal statement that addresses the following topic:

'Please describe any significant professional, personal, or academic growth since your last application to the USC Marshall School of Business. Discuss your specific professional goals and how the USC Marshall EMBA Program will help you achieve these goals.'

• One new letter of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• Official score reports for any test (GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS) taken
• An updated résumé
• Application fee of $150.00
• Interview

If you have any questions regarding the reapplication process, please contact us.

Information for International Applicants

We encourage all interested international students to apply. Please be aware that all students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit copies of their passport as well as work visa documentation. In addition, final admission to the university may be contingent upon prior degree verification that requires visual verification of original language diplomas and transcripts, along with official English translations.

Every admitted international applicant must have a passport on file in order for an I-20 or DS-2019 to be issued. If no passport is available at the time of application, applicants can submit the passport with financial documents after they have been admitted.