University of Southern California

Dynamic Faculty

Marshall Spotlight

University of Southern California
Houston, Texas
"USC Marshall truly is a strong culture, and the faculty and staff are the ones who set that culture. They're extremely open and available, as well as experienced. Just to be able to pool knowledge from these people is just an unbelievable resource."

No matter the metric, Marshall is among the top undergraduate business schools in the world.

USC Marshall is one of only 58 Universities that holds membership in the Association of American Universities. We are one of only three private universities in the Western US that has an undergraduate business school.

The Marshall curriculum allows undergraduates to blend the best of what professional schools have to offer with the freedom to explore beyond the boundaries of business by taking advantage of the course offerings at the 16 other colleges that comprise our prestigious University. Our breadth with depth philosophy puts you in the driver's seat as take advantage of all that USC has to offer.

With over 200 full-time faculty experts, our faculty conduct top notch research published in the top journals in the field of business. Our faculty have written some of the most influential research projects in their field, have been awarded prizes for their research and teaching excellence, have written many of the textbooks you will read, and have represented a powerful voice to audiences that include companies, the press and government.

Marshall classes are small, with an overall average 23:1 student teacher ratio. Our faculty know our students….and they care about them.

Marshall values experiential learning, whether it be in the classroom or our pioneering Experiential Learning Lab, which provides hands on training in communications, negotiations, ethical decision making, and more.



Experiential Learning

One thing that I love about Marshall is that they offer so many opportunities to learn in different environments. For example, we have the Experiential Learning Center, better known around here as the ELC. It’s the only place where, as business students, we are really forced to interact with each other and analyze how we work with others. I couldn’t ask for anything better because it really gives me hands on experience with possible business situations.

Katrina Olsen
Class of 2013

The Experiential Learning Center

The Experiential Learning Center (www.marshall.usc.edu/elc) was founded in 1967 by the Business School faculty. The Center was established as a collaborative effort between Business Communication and Management and Organization Departments. In addition to the above departments, Center's current users include but are not limited to: Marketing, IOM, Entrepreneur, Executive Education and the USC Preview program.

The Center and its mission have evolved over the years. Originally a single room, the Center is now a major facility consisting of 5 studios that are fully equipped with remote videotaping and playback equipment. This Center is located in BRI- Hall and predominantly serves the needs of the Undergraduate Students. The second ELC facility is located in the most recent building owned by the Marshall School of Business, Popovich Hall. The ELC facility in this location includes 13 studios that are dedicated to serve the needs of the Graduate Students. When not in use by a class the ELC facility at Popovich Hall is used by the Graduate Students as a study space.

Centers employ professional trainers who research, design and conduct the experiential activities for use at the ELC. A group of technicians provide the necessary support to videotape activities at the two Centers. The two facilities are among the most popular resources at the Marshall School of Business, and combined, they are utilized over 150 hours per week.

Research and Honors

Marshall students can apply to the prestigious Global, Renaissance and Discovery Scholars programs and be eligible for a $10,000 prize that can be applied to graduate study.

The Global Scholars Program recognizes undergraduates who have excelled in their studies both at home and abroad. Applicants must have spent a minimum of ten weeks abroad as part of their undergraduate experience and have completed a capstone project, paper or research piece related to their international experience.

The Renaissance Scholars Program is awarded to select undergraduate students who graduate with a major and a minor (or two majors) in widely separated fields of study. The program is made feasible by USC’s comprehensive array of undergraduate majors and minors that span the arts and humanities, the social and natural sciences, and the professions.

The Discovery Scholars Program honors students who excel in the classroom while demonstrating the ability to create exceptional new scholarship or artistic works. Students have the opportunity to earn the Discovery Scholar designation in every major concentration offered at the University. The objective is to honor creativity wherever it is found, in fields ranging from biochemistry to art history, from mechanical engineering to theatre, and from political science to cinematic arts. All USC undergraduates are encouraged to pursue this honor.

Students (particularly those potentially interested in pursuing a PhD degree inf business) are also encouraged to engage in research with faculty and can take advantage of a number of programs offered by the University to support undergraduate student research.

The Departments