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FAQs

GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAJOR

What are my chances of getting into the business school? What would make me a more competitive applicant? Where can I get application materials?

Please review the application process here. You can also contact the Marshall Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs in JFF 201, or email undergrad.advising@marshall.usc.edu for further information.

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How many total units do I need to graduate with a B.S. in Business Administration?

128 units (for one degree).

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How many total units do I need to graduate with a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.S. in Accounting? A B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Psychology?

160 units (for two degrees). You would be pursuing a second bachelor’s degree by adding Accounting or Psychology to your Business Administration major. A second bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 32 additional units above the 128-unit minimum. In some cases, more than 32 additional units may be needed in order to successfully complete the requirements set forth by each degree. Please see your academic advisor for additional information.

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What is a passing grade at Marshall?

For a letter grade, D- or above in a course is a passing grade at Marshall. For a P/NP grade, C- is a passing grade. However, in order to graduate, you will need to have a major GPA of 2.0 and a cumulative GPA of 2.0.

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Can I take ____ for P/NP?

Courses required for the business administration major and Marshall minors may not be taken pass/no pass. Please see the USC Catalogue for more information.

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Can I use my AP, IB, or A-level scores or college credit from another institution to fulfill the ECON 351x and ECON 352x requirements? How do I know if my AP, IB, or A-level scores can be used to fulfill other USC degree requirements?

No, ECON 351x and ECON 352x must be taken in residence at USC. However, it’s possible your AP, IB, or A-level scores may be used to fulfill other USC degree requirements (such as a general education requirement). Please see a list of approved AP, IB, or A-level exams that may satisfy certain general education categories or other courses here: AP exams, IB exams, A-level exams.

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Does the BS in Business Administration curriculum have a concentration/emphasis requirement?

Students are required to take a minimum of 12-units of upper-division business elective coursework. Students can choose to declare an emphasis, but it is not required. To read more about the business emphases please click here.

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How can I satisfy the 12-unit upper-division business elective requirement?

Students can select 12 units from Marshall’s various academic departments (BAEP, BUCO, FBE, DSO, MOR, and MKT). Students can elect to take 12 units from the same department or from multiple departments. Acceptable business upper-division elective courses are numbered 300-499 and must be taken for a Letter Grade. Courses marked with an “X” cannot be used to satisfy the upper-division business elective requirement.

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What courses can I fulfill through a study abroad or exchange program?

If you participate in the Marshall International Exchange Program (IEP), you can fulfill your upper-division business elective requirement. You may not fulfill business core, business minor, or general education requirements. If you study abroad through another program, including one offered by the Office of Overseas Studies, you will earn elective credit only. If you are participating in another program (such as pre-med, pre-law, a minor, or honors program) you may be eligible to fulfill some of those requirements abroad – please see an advisor for that department or program for more information. If you have a declared business emphasis, please review the business emphases website for more information on how many units can be fulfilled through an IEP program. 

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QUESTIONS ABOUT REGISTRATION

How can I add a class that is full?

There are no centralized wait lists for Marshall (BUAD, BAEP, BUCO, FBE, DSO, MOR, MKT) undergraduate courses. However, the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs provides a system by which students can indicate their interest in enrolling in courses (not sections) that are currently full in order to track demand and manage classroom space effectively. To add your name to this list, please stop by JFF 201. Marshall professors cannot add students to full courses. For Leventhal courses, please contact the Leventhal School Office of Student Services in ACC 101 for information about wait lists and how to add a course.  Additional details can be found at https://students.usc.edu/current-students/academic-advising/forms-and-other-resources

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How can I add a class once the semester begins?

Most Marshall undergraduate classes are open enrollment (R-clearance) through the first week of class. In other words, students are freely able to add a class (if there is an open seat). Professors cannot add students.

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How many Marshall courses can I take prior to admission to a Marshall major or minor?

Students may enroll in up to three (3) courses prior to being admitted to a Marshall minor or Marshall major. Courses from the following academic departments are considered Marshall courses: ACCT, BAEP, BUAD, BUCO, FBE, DSO, MOR, and MKT. Withdrawing from a Marshall course is considered enrollment and it will be counted as one of the three courses that students can enroll in prior to being admitted to a Marshall program.

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Can I be dropped from a class for non-attendance?

Registration in a class does not by itself guarantee a space in that class. An instructor may replace any student who without prior consent does not attend these class sessions:

  • the first two class sessions, or
  • the first class session of the semester for once-a-week classes

However, it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw officially from the course.

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QUESTIONS ABOUT MINORS

Can I substitute another Accounting course for the ACCT 410 (Foundations of Accounting) requirement?

To request this substitution, please contact Marshall’s Office of Undergraduate Advising; an advisor will need to review the course.

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Can Marshall Minor courses be taken Pass/ No-Pass?

No. All courses used to satisfy a Marshall minor requirement must be taken for a letter-grade. A letter-grade of D- or higher will satisfy a Marshall minor requirement.

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Can Marshall Majors (BUAD, BAIR, BCT, BREF, BALT, BCOM, BEI, BFIN, BLDR, BMKT, BRSK, BUSW, ACCT) add a Marshall minor?

No. With the exception of the Consumer Behavior, Performance Science, Social Entrepreneurship, and Technology Commercialization minors, Marshall students cannot pursue a Marshall minor.

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Can Marshall minor courses be taken through a study abroad program?

No. Courses must be taken in-residence at USC. 

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QUESTIONS ABOUT PROGRESSIVE DEGREE PROGRAMS

What is a Progressive Degree Program?

The Progressive Degree Program (PDP) enables USC undergraduate students to apply undergraduate coursework toward the completion of a USC master’s degree.  Pursuing a progressive degree can deepen your education and further prepare you for future career opportunities in as little as one additional year.

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How long will it take to complete a PDP? Can I complete a PDP within 4 years?

 In most cases, it will add an additional year to students’ course plan. Most students complete their undergraduate and PDP program within 5 years. The number of APs, IBs, and transfer coursework may contribute towards an earlier completion date.

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Where can I learn more about Marshall PDPs?

Students can learn more regarding Progressive Degree Programs by reviewing the PDP website.  On the website, students will be able to learn about eligibility and see a list of eligible Progressive Degree Programs. Applicants should apply to no more than one PDP at a time

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When can I apply for a PDP?

You may apply in your junior (recommended) or senior year but no later than the semester prior to beginning graduate course work. To become eligible to apply, students must have completed at least 64 total units of undergraduate course work, excluding AP, IB, or transfer units earned prior to graduation from high school. Please refer to the PDP website to learn more about the application deadlines.

Please note all Marshall PDPs have a supplemental application in addition to the general PDP application; therefore,  it's important for students to connect with the specific master program to learn more regarding the application process.  Applicants should apply to no more than one PDP at a time.

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When can I reach out to my advisor regarding pursuing a PDP?

Students are expected to thoroughly review the PDP website to learn about eligibility and the application process before reaching out to an advisor. Once students are eligible to apply for a PDP (Junior or Senior standing), they can reach out to their advisors.  Students are also expected to reach out to the master program for additional information.

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Where can I find contact info for the PDP that I want to pursue?

On the general progressive degree program website, you can find a list of PDPs along with an email contact to inquire for more information.

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Where can I find information to complete the PDP application course plan?

Students can reach out to their assigned advisors for an updated undergraduate course plan, which will only display remaining undergraduate requirements. For graduate requirements, most Marshall master programs expect students to review the specific master program's course plans, which can be found on the general PDP website, to help students complete the PDP application course plan. Students are encouraged to connect with the master program or with the Progressive Degree Program Coordinator, Stephanie German (pdp@marshall.usc.edu) for questions related to graduate course planning or assistant with the application.

 

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How do I get undergraduate signatures for the PDP course plan application?

For Marshall PDPs, applications do not require signatures until after the student has been admitted/recommended into the program. Students can contact their undergraduate advisor to request support with facilitating the undergraduate signatures. 

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Once accepted to a Marshall PDP, can some of my grad electives count towards my Marshall Upper Division Electives (MUDE)?

Yes, but it depends on how many MUDE units you still have left to satisfy. Once you have been accepted to the PDP program, please connect with the master program to see whether you are eligible to have grad electives count towards MUDE. If so, you will work with the master advisor and the undergraduate advisor to update your course plan. Please note, we ask students to send their UG advisors an editable form of a completed course plan application.

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What graduate courses are eligible to count towards my MUDE requirement (only Marshall PDPs)?

If eligible to have some graduate courses count towards MUDE, these courses must be:

  • graduate electives part of master curriculum (No core graduate courses can count)
  • in ACCT, BAEP, BUCO, DSO, FBE, MKT or MOR
  • if pursuing an emphasis, the course must be within the same department as  emphasis
  • if pursuing Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance (ACFN), students can use FBE 500 level coursework to satisfy the 4 units of FBE upper division
  • the first eligible graduate electives taken will be counted toward MUDE
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Can courses be counted towards undergraduate and graduate requirements?

Courses cannot count for both undergraduate units and master units.  If grad units will be counting for MUDE, those grad units will count towards UG degree and not Grad degree.

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How does my Progressive Degree level affect my Financial aid?

To learn more, we strongly encourage students to connect with financial aid advisors as well as to review the financial aid page for Progressive Degrees. 

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