PhD Admissions

All required application materials (below) must be submitted. In the online application system, you will be required to fill out four sections. Please refer to the following four sections (Personal Information, Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials) in which to submit your documents.Please refer to program materials section of the Marshall PhD Program Application to specify the program (accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations, or statistics) you would like to pursue. Under the questions on the program materials section, you will identify your program track of interest.

The Marshall PhD program requires a complete application including valid GRE/GMAT and English proficiency scores and your scores may be self-reported when you apply. Due to Covid, we are accepting the online/home-based exams.

Inputting unofficial (student) score reports via the online application system is a requirement to complete the Marshall PhD application. We know that you may have requested official score reports be sent to USC when you took your exams, but, unfortunately, these records are not immediately available to the Marshall PhD program. Even if you have requested official score reports to be sent to USC, you still need to input the unofficial (student) score report to the online system to ensure timely review of your application. Official test score reports will be requested of applicants who proceed to Round 2 of applications review. Round 2 decisions are sent in mid- to late-February.

If any requirements change due to Covid, further information will be posted on this page.

1. Completion of Bachelor's Degree or the Equivalent by Term of Admittance:
   Applicants must have completed or expect to complete a four-year bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) by the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester with the equivalent of a 3.0 GPA (B average) on the U.S. 4.0 scale. For international applicants, specific equivalencies by country are available on the USC Graduate School website.
2. Transcripts (unofficial copies of ALL transcripts must be uploaded):
   Uploading unofficial transcripts via the online application system is a requirement to complete the Marshall PhD application. You should not have official transcripts mailed to USC unless we directly request them. If you do have official transcripts mailed to USC, you still need to upload unofficial transcripts in the online application system because the official copies are not immediately available to the Marshall Ph.D. program.
   Please do not upload protected PDF copies of the transcript to the online application system.
   Official transcripts may be requested of applicants who proceed to Round 2 of applications review. Round 2 decisions are sent in mid- to late-February. Please refer to the Graduate Admission site for more information on transcripts and submission of official transcripts.
3. GRE or GMAT scores (valid scores must be submitted; no exceptions):
1. GRE and GMAT should be taken within 5 years from the date of the intended date of enrollment. Your scores are considered valid only if earned within five years to the month of your intended first term at USC. (For example, no earlier than August 1 five years prior if applying for the fall term).
4. IELTS or TOEFL scores (for international students ONLY; valid scores must be submitted; no exceptions):
   Even if you have earned a graduate, master's, and/or PhD degree in the U.S. or another English-speaking country, you must submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. You are exempt from submitting the TOEFL or IELTS score if:

1. you are a U.S. citizen,
2. you are a U.S. permanent resident,
3. your native language is English,

This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec), where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.

USC does not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on any other consideration such as work experience, ESL enrollment, etc. It also cannot be waived for undergraduate programs taught in English in non-Anglophone countries, or for graduate degrees earned in the U.S. or other qualifying countries.

To determine if USC requires TOEFL/IELTS scores for the country, please check here.

       4. you have a bachelor's degree completed in its entirety in the United States or another Anglophone country. The bachelor’s degree should be earned at a regionally accredited university located in the United States, or at an officially recognized university in another country where English is both the language of instruction and the only officially recognized language of the country. Please note that the entire program needs to have been completed in the qualifying country. All other applicants must submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. TOEFL and IELTS should be taken within 2 years from the start of the academic semester applied for. For example, when applying for Fall 2023, the TOEFL must be taken after August 1, 2021. For additional information for the Fall 2023 admission, please refer check here.

• TOEFL SCORE REQUIREMENTS
• Test Format

Minimum Score

• Internet-based

Total Score=100 and component scores >=20

1. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the intended date of enrollment. Applicants for Fall 2023 must have taken the TOEFL between August 2021 and August 2023.
2. For more information about TOEFL or to register for an exam, visit www.ets.org/toefl. USC's institution code for TOEFL is 4852.
3. IELTS Score Requirements
   Minimum IELTS Score - 7 with at least 6 on each band
   For more information, please refer to the USC Graduate Admissions "English Proficiency Criteria".
   IELTS scores are valid for two years from the intended date of enrollment. Applicants for Fall 2023 must have taken the IELTS between August 2021 and August 2023. For more information about IELTS or to register for an exam, visit www.ielts.org/

As a reminder, please input unofficial (student) score reports via the online application system is a requirement to complete the Marshall Ph.D. application.

In this section of the online application, you will be required to provide your personal information such as First and Last (Family) Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Phone Number, Email Address, Mailing Address, etc.

1. CV/Resume
2. Passport Copy (for international students ONLY)

1. Three Letters of Recommendation:
   Letters of recommendations are submitted via the online application system. In the online application, you will submit the names and email addresses of three recommenders. The system will send them an email that provides instructions on how to submit the recommendation letter on your behalf.
   
   The admissions committee prefers recommendations from academics familiar with your scholastic and research capabilities; those from faculty members with whom you have worked in a research capacity are particularly valued. 
2. Personal Statement: Please upload a personal statement addressing the following two prompts:

1) Statement of Purpose: Please describe why you wish to pursue a PhD degree in Business Administration in your chosen field of specialization. Please also explain why you believe that the Marshall School of Business would be a good fit for you.

2) Research Experience/Interest: Please describe any significant academic research experience you have had, if any. Indicate who you worked with, the topic you studied, the skills you developed, activities you engaged in and the output from the project (e.g., conference paper, publication, etc.). You can also describe your research interest as well.

If desired, you can upload additional documents pertaining to your research experience. For example, if your previous research experience culminated in a conference paper or journal publication, you can upload it under "Optional Documents" below. Again, this is not required.

The USC Marshall School of Business provides full financial support to PhD students for five years in the form of a fellowship or assistantship. After a student has advanced to candidacy (typically in the third year), the student becomes eligible for additional research awards.

Fellowships & Graduate Assistantships

All applicants who apply by the deadline(s) are automatically considered for competitive fellowships each year. Accepted students receive a package that includes a full tuition waiver, generous stipend, individual health and dental insurance, and coverage of mandatory student health center fees. The total financial support provided is approximately $100,000-110,000K per year, depending on a student's course-load.

Fellowship recipients are guaranteed funding through either the continuation of the fellowship or through an assistantship for five years provided they maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Outside Funding

Occasionally a student brings outside funding to replace or supplement the funding from the USC Marshall School of Business. Examples of outside funding sources include the foreign governments and the National Science Foundation program. Such funding is acceptable, but applicants should understand that funding source is not considered in the evaluation process. We accept only the top applicants regardless of the source of funding.

Research Support & Awards

Marshall Ph.D. students are provided with a discretionary account for teaching and research activities. The annual funding increases as the student progresses in the program into more research activities in the later years.

After advancing to candidacy, students become eligible for competitive research awards open exclusively to USC Marshall Ph.D. students. Past awards have been sponsored by the Ford Foundation, USC Marshall Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurship and other awards sponsored by Marshall or the USC Graduate School.

Total Number of Applications: 663

Number of Students Enrolled: 15

Mean GMAT: 98.50 Percentile

Mean GRE: Q79.89 Percentile

Mean GRE V: 85.44 Percentile

Mean Age: 25

Age Range: 21-38

Percent Women: 40%

Percent International: 53%

Percent with Prior Graduate Degree: 47%

Prospective students often wonder how they measure up to our past admitted students. Please refer to the snapshot for the incoming, Fall 2021, cohort for reference.

We caution applicants who review these profiles that they are raw means and actual values vary widely between individuals and among applicant pools. The admissions committee reviews all aspects of a students' application, such as academic preparation, letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose. A low ranking in individual criteria will not necessarily preclude a candidate who is otherwise qualified.

At USC Marshall, we believe that successful solutions to business problems depend on having access to the widest range of ideas, opinions, and experiences. By cultivating a diverse pool of Ph.D. students, we are helping redefine the academic business community of the 21st century.

The PhD Project

The PhD Project. Since 1994, the PhD Project has more than tripled the number of minority business school professors, who inspire a new generation of business professionals. Participation is available to anyone of African American, Hispanic American, and Native American descent interested in business doctoral studies. USC Marshall currently has three PhD Project scholars, Courtney (Alexis) Keys, Jacob Roberson, and Calvin Wright. We actively recruits at the annual PhD Project conference. Learn more and apply to the conference: http://www.phdproject.org/