University of Southern California

Part-Time MBA.PM

Requirements

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


Requirements   Costs & Financial Aid
Deadlines & Decisions   Interviews
Recommendations & Transcripts   Information for Reapplicants
Test Scores   Campus Choice

Requirements

Admission to the USC Marshall MBA.PM Program is highly selective. The Admissions Committee carefully 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 activities.

In order for an application to be considered complete, we require the following:

  • A four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
  • A completed online application
  • Official GMAT or GRE score report. You must have taken the GMAT or GRE exam by the time you submit an application. The GMAT code for USC Marshall MBA.PM is 389-9C-35. The GRE code for USC Marshall MBA.PM is 4852. The GMAT requirement will not be waived under any circumstance, nor will we accept the substitution of scores from another graduate school entrance exam. We recommend uploading unofficial copies of your GMAT and GRE scores into your application in addition to sending official scores to USC.
  • International students from non-English speaking countries only:  Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) score report.  (Please see the below Test Scores section.). The ETS code for the USC Marshall School of Business is 4852.
  • 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. 
  • A professional resume
  • One letters of recommendation, which must be submitted online
  • Application fee: $150

If you need to send materials by postal mail after submitting your on-line 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, send your materials to this address:

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

The USC Marshall School of Business does not conduct interviews for MBA.PM applicants. 

MBA.PM Application Deadlines & Decisions

The USC Marshall MBA.PM Program began accepting applications on a rolling basis beginning October 1, 2013. Decisions are released on a monthly basis until the end of July 2014.

Candidates are encouraged to apply early as the USC Marshall MBA.PM is a competitive and selective program. Applications submitted after the submission period may be considered, space permitting.

All decisions are posted on your online application. Please check your online application for updates and please expect a decision to be posted about 4-6 weeks after submission of a COMPLETED online application. Please remember to upload your unofficial test scores and transcripts with your online application and mail your OFFICIAL documents to USC. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to render a decision based on any materials submitted by the application deadline.

Submission Period October 1, 2013 - June 1, 2014
Notification (monthly) December 1 - July 1, 2014

Recommendations & Transcripts

Only one letter of recommendation is required. It is used as a gauge of your professional achievements and managerial potential. We prefer that your letter of recommendation be provided by a direct supervisor. This person should provide specific observations and examples of your leadership, teamwork, analytical skills and personal qualities. Your letters of recommendation must be submitted online.

You will need to submit complete, sealed, official transcripts from all prior universities attended. These transcripts may be mailed to you first or mailed directly to the University of Southern California. In either case, the transcripts must be received by the USC Office of Graduate Admission in their original sealed envelope. If the name of your official transcripts does not match the name on your application (i.e., your last name changed, you used an English name on your application, etc.), please consider sending an e-mail to USC Office of Graduate Admission to notify their office of the name on your application and the name on your official transcripts so that your records may be retrieved appropriately. Also, please inform their office of the date in which they should expect to receive your official transcripts. The contact information for the USC Office of Graduate Admission is provided below.

While the Admissions Committee will review an application with the uploaded unofficial documents, a final decision cannot be rendered until official transcripts have been received and evaluated.

International Applicants: Please ask your university to include an explanation of the grading system and information about how the transcript should be assessed. Transcripts in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English translation.

If you need to send materials by postal mail, DHL or FedEx, please use the following address:

USC Office of Graduate Admission
3601 South Flower Street
Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915
E-mail: gradadm@usc.edu

Test Scores

GMAT or GRE
We require the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the GRE exam because they provide a uniform and standardized way of evaluating all candidates. This requirement will not be waived under any circumstance, nor will we accept the substitution of scores from another graduate school entrance exam.

The GMAT or GRE are 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 scores, applicants are encouraged to think of their application in its entirety. We look at the entire profile and evaluate all of a candidate's strengths when reviewing an application.

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-35. For more information about the GMAT, please visit: http://www.mba.com/. The GRE code for USC is 4852. For more information about the GRE, please visit http://www.ets.org/gre.

English Language Exams
All international applicants who did not earn a bachelor's degree from a university in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand MUST submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). To avoid delay in processing your application, we suggest that you request to have your TOEFL, PTE Academic or IELTS scores to be sent to USC Marshall when you pre-register for the examination. You may also upload copies of your TOEFL, PTE Academic or IELTS scores -- and your GMAT or GRE scores -- with your application.

For additional information, please visit:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): www.toefl.org

Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): www.pearsonpte.com

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): www.ielts.org

Costs & Financial Aid

Program Cost

Exact cost figures will be provided by the MBA.PM Program Office to students during the summer before classes begin. The approximate overall cost of the program is $108,000 (Note: Roughly half the overall costs are incurred in the first year of the program). Costs cover tuition, textbooks, classroom materials, parking, university fees, and required lodging costs for the MBA.PM GLOBE residential. Additional costs for the MBA.PM GLOBE residential including some meal costs will be the responsibility of the student.

Marshall does not offer scholarships or fellowships for any students in our fully employed programs, including the MBA.PM program. However, many employers participate in tuition assistance programs and there are a number of additional loan options available for USC Marshall MBA.PM students.

Financial Aid

Please visit the USC Student Financial Aid website at http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/loans/ to inquire about Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans, and Private Loans. For additional helpful links, please also visit:

USC Student Financial Services

Federal Stafford Loans

USC Tuition Payment Plan

Corporate Tuition Reimbursement

Sponsor Payments/Agency Billing

Interviews

The Admissions Committee conducts a very limited number of interviews for the MBA.PM Program.  Interviews are available by invitation only.  The majority of MBA.PM admission decisions are made without an interview.

Information for Reapplicants

We welcome reapplicants and appreciate your continued interest in the USC Marshall MBA.PM Program.  If you are reapplying, please submit the following:

  • Official transcripts
  • Official score reports for any tests taken (GMAT or GRE, TOEFL or PTE) since your last application
  • An updated professional resume
  • An application fee of $150.00

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

Campus Choice - Los Angeles or Orange County

The USC Marshall School of Business offers two great locations to complete your first year of core classes. Classes are offered at the USC University Park Campus in Los Angeles and at the USC Orange County Center in Irvine. Both campuses are taught by our highly qualified faculty and provide excellent facilities, including state-of-the art computer labs and meeting spaces.

You may attend the core year (first year) of the MBA.PM program at either campus. Please make sure to indicate your preference on the application. If you select 'either campus' or fail to identify a preferred campus choice, the Admissions Committee will place you at its discretion. Please note that once a student is placed at a particular campus it is difficult to switch campuses at a later date. Most elective courses (after the first year) are held at the Los Angeles campus.