Why Marshall
Leadership
Dean Geoffrey Garrett
Dean's Cabinet
Boards
Real-World Learning
Human Leadership
Tech Fluency
Global Opportunities
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Teaching + Innovation
Experiential Learning Center
Open Expression Statement
Programs
Undergraduate Programs
Admissions
Degrees
BS Business Administration (BUAD)
Business Emphases
BS Accounting (ACCT)
World Bachelor in Business (WBB)
BS Business of Cinematic Arts (BCA)
BS Artificial Intelligence for Business (BUAI)
Undergraduate Minors
Graduate Programs
MBA Programs
Full-Time MBA (FTMBA)
Executive MBA (EMBA)
Part-Time MBA (MBA.PM)
International MBA (IBEAR)
Online MBA (OMBA)
Specialized Masters
MS Business Administration (MSBUSAD)
MS Business Analytics (MSBA)
MS Entrepreneurship + Innovation (MSEI)
MS Finance (MSF)
MS Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSCM)
MS Marketing (MSMKT)
MS Social Entrepreneurship (MSSE)
Master of Business for Veterans (MBV)
Master of Management Studies (MMS)
Accounting Masters
Master of Accounting (MAcc)
Master of Business Taxation (MBT)
Master of Business Taxation for Working Professionals (MBT.WP)
PhD Program
Accounting
Data Sciences + Operations
Finance
Management + Organization
Marketing
Graduate Certificates
GC in Business Analytics
GC in Financial Analysis + Valuation
GC in Management Studies
GC in Marketing
GC in Optimization + Supply Chain Management
GC in Strategy + Management Consulting
GC in Sustainability + Business
GC in Technology Commercialization
GC in Library and Information Management – Online
Executive Education
Departments
Business Communication (BUCO)
Faculty
Data Sciences and Operations (DSO)
Finance + Business Economics (FBE)
Leventhal School of Accounting (ACCT)
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (BAEP)
Management and Organization (MOR)
Marketing (MKT)
Institutes + Centers
Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute
Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management
VanEck Digital Assets Initiative
Institute for Outlier Research in Business
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Incubate USC
USC Marshall Venture Fund
Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab
Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making
Center for Effective Organizations
Center for Global Innovation
Center for Investment Studies
Initiative on Digital Competition
Trojan Network
Recruiting
Undergraduate
Graduate
Career Services
Giving + Support
Alumni Engagement + Resources
Student Organizations
Helping First-Gen Marshall Students
Jason Tran, assistant director for Undergraduate Career Services remembers well his feelings of uncertainty as he navigated UCLA as a first-generation college student.
So when Undergraduate Career Services leadership determined that the time was right to launch a program targeting the one in five—approximately 800—Marshall students who identify as “first-gen,” he eagerly agreed to help head up the efforts.
“I felt like I was coming full circle,” he said.
Extending an extra hand to this particular population of students has become increasingly important as the Marshall School broadens its student body.
“Educating first-generation students is part of our mission here at USC Marshall,” said Ramandeep Randhawa, vice dean for undergraduate programs and professor of data sciences and operations. “The ability of such education to transform society is unparalleled. I have personally witnessed it as my father was a first-generation student.”
The First on a Campus
First-generation students are those whose parents did not attend—or did not graduate from—an institution of higher learning. As Tran—and Vice Dean Randhawa—both know, first-gen students face distinct challenges when navigating opportunities that students whose parents did graduate may take for granted.
For example, first-gen students may be unaware that USC offers career services through an entire team of professionals whose job is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to develop career readiness skills necessary to navigate internships and job searches and position them for success post-graduation. Marshall Undergraduate Career Services does more than simply help write resumes and prepare for networking and interviews; it provides opportunities for students to engage with employers and alumni and the means to connect to employment opportunities.
“I was in my last year of college before I’d even heard of career services,” said Tran. “We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen for Marshall students.”
“Our first-generation Marshall and Leventhal students have worked hard to get here,” said Undergraduate Career Services Director Onma Lwin. “We want to make sure that our students know we’re here for them and to encourage them to take advantage of all the resources available to them.”
There are other distinguishing features between first-gens and other students. Many first-generation students don’t realize that attending college is much more than just getting good grades, for example.
“They focus on the academics, which is important,” said Tran. “But doing well in courses is just one piece of the puzzle.” Joining student organizations, developing leadership and communication skills, building a personal and professional network, and gaining internship experience is what makes the student stand out, he said. “During their Marshall journey, students need to work to build out their resumes.”
First-gen students may feel like they don’t have the same advantage as those students whose parents went to college, maybe even to USC, who can pick up the phone to call personal and/or alumni contacts for internship and job opportunities.
“We’re here to tell them no, you are Trojans. You have the same network as everyone else does,” said Tran. “Through your peers, your professors, your mentors; you are very much part of the Trojan Family.”
Inside Information
Called the First-Generation Initiative, the new program aims to answer a wide-range of questions: How does one explore different career paths? How do you conduct research on a potential employer? How do you prepare for an interview at an entertainment company vs. a finance firm? What is considered appropriate business attire?
“Our newly launched program offers career resources and first-gen alumni panels to answer all of these questions and more,” said Tran. “We have career services sessions tailored to upper classmen, those about to graduate, and underclassmen, just beginning their Marshall career. The underlying key to the success of these efforts is to have open and honest conversations.”
“We want all of our students to succeed,” he said. “But as a first-generation student myself, I know personally that if weren’t for my mentors, I wouldn’t be here. So it is an honor and a mission for me to help other first-gen students succeed.”
RELATED
An Early Network
USC Marshall was the first West Coast business school to join the Consortium. It still plays a role in creating a diverse full-time MBA cohort.
Trojans Give Back
The 2021-22 Impact Report details positive outcomes of Trojan giving unrestricted funds to support scholarships, experiential learning, and DEI, to name a few.
A Decade of Training Global Business Leaders
The 10th cohort of the ground-breaking World Bachelor in Business program arrived at USC Marshall in the fall.
Op-Ed: Southwest Airlines Winter Disaster Offers 4 DEI Lessons To Companies Across Industries
Shaun Harper, University Professor of Business and Education, reviews Southwest's calamitous December and presents analogous implications for mishandling of DEI in companies across sectors for Forbes.
Marshall Alumni Represent in 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30
Marshall graduates demonstrate their startup savvy in annual list of young entrepreneurs.