Admission Requirements

We recommend that you begin the application process early and take time to reflect on your past experience and future goals. The following information provides you with a comprehensive overview of our admissions process. If you would like more information about the USC Marshall MBA Program, you may contact us directly at marshallmba@marshall.usc.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.

Recommendations & Transcripts

As part of the application process, we require two recommendations to be submitted on-line. We use these recommendations as a gauge of your professional achievements and managerial potential. We suggest that one of your recommendations comes from a direct supervisor. Your recommender should provide specific observations and examples of your leadership, teamwork, analytical skills, and general likeability.

One set of transcripts from the institution where you earned your undergraduate (bachelor's or first) degree and graduate degree is required. Use the forms provided in your application materials and request that the transcripts be sent directly to you. If your school does not permit transcripts to be returned to you, have the materials sent directly to the University of Southern California. 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.

If you need to send materials by postal mail, use the following address:

If you use a courier service, such as DHL or FedEx, send your materials to this address:

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Requirements

Admission to the USC Marshall MBA Program is highly selective. The Admissions Committee carefully assesses each candidate on a number of dimensions, including prior academic, professional, and personal accomplishments. Please note, in order to process your application and consider it complete, all required materials must be submitted. We require the following:

• A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Official GMAT score report. GMAT must be taken by the time application is submitted. All incomplete applications will automatically be considered for the following round. The code for the USC Marshall MBA, full time program is 389-9C-23.
• Official TOEFL score report (*Only international students required to take the TOEFL must submit scores). The ETS code for the USC Marshall School of Business is 4852.
• A completed on-line application
• Résumé
• Essays (three required, one optional)
• Two letters of recommendation. All letters must be submitted online.
• Official academic transcripts
• Application fee: $150

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

If you use a courier service , such as DHL or FedEx, send your materials to this address:

Interviews are granted only through the discretion of the Admissions Committee. Applicants chosen to interview will be contacted via e-mail or by phone. Interviews may take place on campus, off campus or by phone. Members of the Admissions Committee may interview some international students by invitation at international recruiting events.

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Deadlines & Decisions

All application materials including official score reports must be received by the deadline at 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time.

*This is a non-binding deadline for applicants who have elected the USC Marshall MBA Program as their first choice.

Applications are considered for one of the specific rounds listed above. Each applicant may only apply once a year. Since space is limited, we encourage you to apply early. Later rounds become highly competitive.

• The recommended deadline for international students and students who want to be considered for a fellowship is January 15, 2009.
• Notification dates may vary for international and dual degree candidates.
• All decisions are posted on the Apply Yourself online application.

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Test Scores

GMAT: We require the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), because it provides a uniform and standardized way of evaluating all candidates. We will not waive the GMAT under any circumstances nor will we accept the results of any other graduate school entrance exam in its place.

The GMAT is not used as the sole criterion for admission. Just as a high score does not guarantee admission, a low score does not eliminate a candidate from consideration. While most of our admitted students present strong GMAT scores, we encourage you to think of your application in its entirety. We look at the entire profile and evaluate all of a candidate's strengths when reviewing an application.

Following the guidelines set forth by the Graduate Management Admissions Council, GMAT results that are over five years old are not valid. An official score report must be forwarded to USC by the testing agency. The GMAT school code for the Marshall MBA Full Time Program is 389-9C-23.

For more information about the GMAT, go to: http://www.mba.com.

TOEFL: All international applicants who did not earn a bachelors degree from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). To avoid delays in processing your application, we suggest you request that your test scores be sent to USC Marshall at the time you pre-register. You should send a photocopy of the official GMAT and TOEFL scores with your application. However, official scores must be forwarded to USC Marshall by the testing agency. Please note that we do not accept the IELTS exam.  For additional information, please contact:

TOEFL
Educational Testing Service
Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
USA
www.toefl.org

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Costs & Financial Aid

The estimated cost of attending the USC Marshall MBA Program for one academic year is $69,000. This includes tuition and fees of $49,000 and estimated living expenses of $16,000. Please be aware that living expenses vary greatly among MBA candidates. Some choose to live on or near campus while many others choose to live in various communities and neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area.

Fellowships

Due to the generosity of alumni, corporations, and interested individuals, a number of merit-based fellowships are awarded to students at the USC Marshall School of Business. Fellowships are awarded throughout the admissions process to new students and returning students before their second year.

The Admissions Committee offers awards based on a range of criteria including scholastic merit, leadership, work experience, and other characteristics that may add value to the academic and social atmosphere at the USC Marshall School of Business. Two-year awards vary from partial to full tuition remission.

The Dean's second year Scholarships are awarded to second-year students who did not receive fellowships upon admission to the program. Awards are based on first-year accomplishments, including superior academic performance, leadership initiatives, and contributions to the USC Marshall MBA and USC community.

Loans

Two types of loans are available to finance your MBA: Federal Stafford Loans and private student loans.

Federal Stafford Loans

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, we recommend that you apply for the Federal Stafford Loans first, because of favorable interest rates and origination fees. International students are not eligible to receive federal funding through these loan programs. Stafford Loans are available for U.S. domestic applicants, and come in two forms: 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 of Stafford Loans that you can borrow is $18,500 per academic year ($8,500 subsidized and $10,000 unsubsidized). For more information, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Private Loans

Private loans are available to both domestic and international applicants. You should research individual lending institutions for their respective lending requirements since interest rates and fees may vary. For international applicants, these lending institutions may require that a US citizen co-sign.

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Focus on Diversity

At the USC Marshall School of Business, diversity, first and foremost, is about diversity of ideas. We believe the ability to arrive at solutions to business problems are directly related to having access to the greatest range of ideas, opinions and experiences. Our diverse student body offers unlimited opportunities for intellectual exchange, practical experience, and professional networking. By cultivating a diverse pool of high quality MBA's, the USC Marshall School of Business is helping to redefine the business community of the new millennium.

The USC Marshall School of Business continues to build on this legacy of inclusiveness, with memberships in the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management, the Forté Foundation, and Management Leadership for Tomorrow. Each of these groups target different areas of diversity; visit their websites for specific information.

Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management

The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of the leading American business schools in partnership with the corporate community, is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious under representation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both our member schools' enrollment and the ranks of management. We will achieve this missions by recruiting for graduate business education qualified U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents from these underrepresented groups, as well as other persons who can demonstrate a commitment to the Consortium's missions and can best assist the Consortium in pursuing this mission.

The USC Marshall School of Business encourages prospective candidates to apply to the USC Marshall MBA Program using the Consortium application. If you apply as a Consortium candidate, you are not required to complete the USC Marshall School of Business application. For more information please visit the website at www.cgsm.org.

 Forté Foundation

Forté Foundation is a consortium of major corporations, top business schools, and influential non-profit organizations that has become a powerful change agent directing talented women towards leadership roles in business. Through a combination of research, scholarships, and network development, Forté Foundation reaches a broad spectrum of women from college, business school, and beyond to ignite and sustain their participation in the global economy as corporate and entrepreneurial achievers.

The USC Marshall MBA Program is proud to be a member of the Foundation. We encourage you to visit the website at www.fortefoundation.org to learn more and to sign-up to receive information about Forté's upcoming events.

Management Leadership for Tomorrow

Management Leadership for Tomorrow was created to increase the presence of qualified students of color in leading entry-level careers and major graduate business schools as preparation for leadership positions in corporations, non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures.

A specific component of MLT is the MBA Preparation program (MBAP) designed to help young professionals apply successfully to leading graduate business schools. Participants receive one-on-one coaching from experienced MLT staff and MBA Admissions Officers, attend seminars focusing on the application process culminating in their application submission. Specific areas of emphasis include GMAT preparation, individual work-plan development and execution to address perceived strengths and weaknesses, school research and selection, industry research and career guidance, writing skills, interviewing skills, financial planning, and application/essay strategy.

For more information please visit the website at www.ml4t.org.

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Information for Reapplicants

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

• An 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 a USC Marshall MBA will help you to achieve these goals.'
• One letter of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• Official score reports for any tests (GMAT or TOEFL) taken
• An updated résumé
• An application fee of $150.00

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USC's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy

The University of Southern California is proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding men and women of every race, creed and background.

The University is also firmly committed to complying with all applicable laws and governmental regulations at the federal, state and local levels which prohibit discrimination, or which mandate that special consideration be given on the basis of color, race, religion, national origin, gender, age, Vietnam veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic which may from time to time be specified in such laws or regulations. This good faith effort to comply is made even when such laws and regulations conflict with each other.

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