MS Business Analytics (MSBA) Admissions

Four-year undergraduate degree, or equivalent

To be in the program the applicant must have earned the equivalent of a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree with a competitive GPA. Applicants in the process of finishing an undergraduate degree may apply, with acceptance contingent on finishing the undergraduate degree and ability to be physically present at the start of the program. Please see degree requirements by country.

Prerequisite

All applicants must have completed at least one statistics course at undergraduate level or above. Eligible statistics courses must be taken for credit from an accredited college or university and must cover all the following topics. They can be from multiple courses as long as the subjects are covered.

1. Basic probability

2. Probability distributions (normal, exponential, etc.)

3. Inferential statistics such t-tests, and Chi-square test, confidence intervals, and sampling

4. Intro to linear regression

Note: Prior programing experience is not required. Applicants who have not completed the statistics courses will not be considered.

USC students/staff/alumni, US military veterans, and select other groups qualify for an application fee waiver. Please review Fee Waiver categories and instructions on how to apply or a waiver.

Transcript requirements are set forth by USC Office of Graduate Admission. Please view their website for detailed guidelines.

International graduate applicants must demonstrate English-language proficiency by submitting TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores.

Minimum Requirement for MSBA:
TOEFL: Total 100; each band 20
IELTS: Overall 7; each band 6

PTE: Overall 68, each band 53

Exceptions: International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement only under the circumstances linked here English-Language Test Waiver

Submitting Scores: To avoid delays in the processing of your application, please have your TOEFL or IELTS scores sent to USC when you pre-register for the examination, using the codes below. We also recommend uploading electronic (PDF) copies of your TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores with your application in addition to sending official scores through the testing service. Official scores must be received directly from the testing service and dated no earlier than 2 years (24 months) prior to the month in which you submit your application to USC. Do not enter the name and contact information of your specific intended graduate department. Please see here to learn about how to send official scores to USC.

Code:

TOEFL: 4852 (no department code is required)

IELTS: Choose “University of Southern California, Graduate Programs” from the list of available institutions.

It is not necessary to submit financial documents or a copy of a valid passport for your application to be reviewed or for an admission decision to be rendered. However, these documentations are required for certified students to request I-20 in Trojan International.

Please read carefully through USC Graduate Admissions financial documentation requirements, particularly the Financial Statement Expense Figures as well as the detailed guidelines for submitting proof of financial support.

Tuition
Tuition is calculated per unit based on the unit price of the given academic year. Tuition is subject to increase each academic year. Please review detailed information on tuition and mandatory fees. Please keep in mind this information relates only to the listed academic year.

The MSBA program is a 33-unit program of Business Graduate (500 level and above) Coursework.

In addition, we ask students to budget for approximately $4000 in additional university and program fees. Students are also responsible for housing, food, transportation and student health insurance costs.

Scholarships
Master of Science in Business Analytics program offers limited amount of scholarship to admitted students. Recipients will be chosen based on a holistic assessment. There is no separate application for the scholarship. U.S. citizens and and international students are eligible. Applicants are encouraged to apply for round 1 and 2 for priority scholarship consideration.

Applicants to the MSBA progressive degree program must meet the following qualifications:

• Have completed at least 64 total units of undergraduate coursework, excluding AP, IB, or transfer units earned prior to graduation from high school
• Have at least one full semester remaining before completion of their undergraduate degree
• Have completed an undergraduate statistics course
• Have at least a 3.0 cumulative USC GPA
• Plan to begin the MSBA Progressive Degree Program in Fall 2025
• Students may apply in their junior or senior year, but no later than the semester prior to beginning graduate coursework (students graduating in May must apply by the March 1st deadline).
• Be able to enroll in a minimum of 12 units of MSBA coursework in the Fall 2025 semester and 4.5 units of MSBA coursework in the Spring 2026 semester. Be ready to complete 30-33 units over at least three semesters.
• Plan to enroll in only one Progressive Degree Program. Students who are currently enrolled in a PDP cannot apply for another one.
• Senior international students who wish to pursue a PDP are not allowed to apply for OPT for the summer between the completion of the Bachelor’s degree in May and the start of the Master’s program in August.

If you meet the qualifications mentioned above, you may apply to the MSBA Progressive Degree Program for Fall 2025. A completed application includes:

- MSBA Online PDP Application (Opens: October 1, 2024)
- STARS report
- Professional Resume
- Most recent undergraduate course plan from your undergraduate advisor
- USC Progressive Degree Application and Proposed Course Plan Form (no signatures required)

Decisions are released approximately 8 weeks after each round deadline.

If the MSBA admissions committee recommends you move forward with the process, you will meet with an MSBA advisor to discuss the next steps in the admission process. For Marshall Undergraduate students, the MSBA advisor will also discuss options to count some 500-level MSBA electives toward Marshall Upper Division Elective units.

PDP Proposed Course Plan Instructions

Please do your best to prepare the first draft of the USC Progressive Degree Application and Proposed Course Plan Form based on the instructions below and submit it with your MSBA Online PDP Application.

Your proposed course plan will not impact your admission decision. If you are recommended by the MSBA committee to move forward after your MSBA application is reviewed, the MSBA Advisor will work with you to revise and customize your plan.

• Refer to the MSBA PDP Course Plan on the Office of Academic Programs Progressive Degree Program website for detailed information about course plan requirements
• Fill out the USC Progressive Degree Application and Proposed Course Plan Form starting with the current semester
• Enter the MSBA courses along with any remaining undergraduate coursework (see intended terms for the MSBA core classes below)
• Enter all MSBA electives as “Graduate Degree Elective.” Do not enter the course title
• Feel free to add more lines to the semesters if there’s no room
• Do NOT get any signatures on the form since this is a first draft
• Do not fill in your total number of units until after you meet with the MSBA advisor
• The Recommendation Forms are not required

For your reference, please note the intended terms for all MSBA core classes:

First Semester (Fall)
GSBA 542: Communication for Management (1.5 units)
GSBA 545: Data Driven Decision Making (1.5 units)
DSO 545: Statistical Computing and Data Visualization (3 units)
DSO 576: Algorithmic Thinking with Python (3 units)
DSO 552: SQL Databases for Business Analysts (1.5 units)
DSO 555: Advanced Databases for Business Analysts (1.5 units)

Second Semester (Spring)
DSO 510: Business Analytics (1.5 units)
DSO 530: Applied Modern Statistical Learning Methods (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (1.5 units)

Summer
DSO 595: Internship in Data Sciences or Operations (0-1.5 units)

Third Semester (Fall)
DSO 573*: Data Analytics Driven Dynamic Strategy & Execution (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (1.5-3 units)

*DSO 573 can be replaced with DSO 574: Getting Ready for Big Data or DSO 556: Business Models for Digital Platforms