Business Administration Major

Internal Transfer Application Requirements

Thinking about transferring into Marshall?

At USC Marshall, Business Administration majors develop a thorough knowledge of business fundamentals, including: business economics, business statistics, accounting, organizational behavior, finance, marketing, business communication, and business strategy.  In addition to business core courses, students are required to gain a deeper understanding in one or more aspects of business in which they have an interest.

 


APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following courses must be completed or in-progress when applying to the Business Administration major:

  • WRIT 130 or WRIT 140 or WRIT 150
  • MATH 118* or higher
  • ECON 351x**

* MATH 118 is a prerequisite for ECON 351x.
** ECON 351x must be taken in residence at USC.

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the Accounting major must complete BUAD 285ab or BUAD 286ab or BUAD 280 and BUAD 281 (or BUAD 305, if eligible)  in addition to completing the above required courses.

Students who wish to pursue one of Marshall's undergraduate emphases must first apply through the internal transfer admissions process to be admitted to the Business Administration major. 

Admission decisions are based primarily on students’ academic performance at USC with special attention given to the required coursework listed above. In order to be competitive, students are advised to complete 16 units of academically rigorous, letter-graded coursework in each term of enrollment. Students must be currently enrolled during time of application. A cumulative USC GPA of 3.6 or above and grade of A- or better in ECON 351 is recommended to apply.

In the past several admissions cycles, the average overall USC GPA for admitted students has been approximately 3.8. The majority of successful applicants earned grades of A- or better in the courses required to apply for admission (94% earned an A- or better in ECON 351; 89% earned an A- or better in Math; 74% earned an A- or better in Writing) while completing 16 units of rigorous letter-graded coursework every term.  

We take context into consideration when reviewing applications, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges will be considered as we evaluate each student's academic record. We encourage students to utilize the application essays to report and explain any necessary information about the impacts of COVID-19 or other challenges on their course plan or grades.

In order for students to make satisfactory degree progress and finish their degrees in a timely manner, we strongly recommend students apply for internal transfer admission to the Marshall School of Business prior to reaching 64 total units (not including coursework-in-progress, or AP, IB, or A-level units).

Effective Spring 2021, students may apply no more than twice for internal transfer admission to the Marshall School of Business.

 


MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to connect with an advisor, we offer drop-in advising via Zoom on Mondays through Thursdays from 3pm-4pm (PST). We will not have drop-in advising during holidays, fall break, winter break, spring break, and summer break. The Zoom link is available here. 

Please note: drop-in advising is intended for students who have already reviewed all information on this website. Once you have joined the drop-in advising session, please wait to be "admitted" to the room by the session's host. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs: undergrad.advising@marshall.usc.edu. 


APPLICATION FOR INTERNAL TRANSFER ADMISSION

We offer three application cycles: fall, spring, and summer. 

The spring 2024 application will be due on Friday, April 26, 2024 at 11:59pm and can be found HERE.

We recommend submitting ONE application and keep in mind that the application includes optional essays. If you would like to submit responses for the optional essays, please do so BEFORE submitting your application. 

Admission decisions for the spring 2024 cycle will be sent to students' USC email accounts by the end of week 3 of the fall 2024 semester. Any questions concerning internal transfer admission decisions can be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs within ten business days of the notification date. Admission decisions are final; appeals may be considered only in the case of a documented grading error in required or related course work.

 


PRE-ADMISSION COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS -
What to register for in the following semester when you're awaiting your decision

SEMESTER ONE SEMESTER TWO SEMESTER YOU ARE AWAITING ADMISSION DECISION
  • MATH 118/125 (required course for admission)
  • WRIT 130/150 (required course for admission) OR GESM
    • For transfer students, WRIT 150/GESM may be replaced with courses from your current or alternate major.
  • GE
  • GE or Current/Alternate Major
  • ECON 351 (required course for admission)
  • GESM OR WRIT 130/150 (required course for admission)
    • For transfer students, WRIT 150/GESM may be replaced with courses from your current or alternate major.
  • GE
  • GE or Current/Alternate Major
  • GE
  • GE or Alternate/Current Major
  • Alternate/Current Major
  • ECON 352*, BUAD 280*, or BUAD 310* or Alternate/Current Major or other University requirement

If you are submitting an application this semester, you may register for a maximum of one of the above listed Marshall courses (ECON 352, BUAD 280 or BUAD 310) for the following semester. The remaining courses on your schedule should include a variety of current or alternate major courses and University requirements. Please consult with your current and/or alternate major advisor for course recommendations.

If you are offered admission to Marshall, you will be assigned an academic advisor who can assist you should any changes be necessary to your schedule in order to stay on track with the Marshall major. 

 


CONTACT US

The Marshall Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs is available to assist prospective internal transfer students with their questions concerning the program requirements and the application process.