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Admissions - Online MBA

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USC Marshall, one of the nation’s premier business schools, offers an online MBA specifically designed for working-professionals who desire a flexible, rigorous and uncompromising program. In accordance with the program’s high standards, admissions requirements are equally stringent for Marshall’s online and residential programs. 

Admissions Deadlines

Students have two opportunities to start Marshall’s Online MBA program — fall and spring. Our fall cohort begins in August and our Spring cohort begins in December. 

Spring 2022 

Review Round  Submission DEADline Notified By 
Application Review Round 1  September 15  November 1 
Application Review Round 2, Scholarship Deadline  October 25  December 3 
Application Review Round 3 (Final Round)  Rolling  Decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants can typically expect to hear a decision within 6 weeks if their application is complete upon submission.  
Classes Start  December 13   

Admissions Requirements

To be considered for the USC Online MBA program, candidates must meet the following admissions requirements: 

  • Earned a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution

  • Completed a minimum of 2 years of work experience

  • Submit GRE or GMAT scores (optional for Spring 2022)

While Marshall’s Online MBA program does not have a minimum GRE or GMAT score requirement, applicants are required to submit their official GRE or GMAT scores. Test scores have proven to be helpful in predicting whether students are prepared for the rigorous study of an MBA, particularly the quantitative and analytic parts of the program. 

Steps to Apply

The spring 2022 application will be available on August 5, 2021.
1. Complete and submit your Graduate Admission Application.

If you are starting your application for the first time, begin by creating an account through USC’s application portal. Return to your application at any time by signing in through the same application portal.

The OMBA admissions team communicates important application updates and admissions decisions primarily via email. Applicants are highly encouraged to use their personal email addresses, rather than university or temporary accounts that may become inaccessible over time. 

 

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2. Submit your supplemental application items.

In addition to submitting your application, you will be required to submit the following supplemental items through the application portal: 

  • Two required essays as outlined in the online application 

  • An up-to-date professional résumé 

  • Three letters of recommendation (at minimum, one letter must be written by a professional contact) 

Letters of recommendation are used to gauge the applicant’s professional achievements and managerial potential. Each letter should provide specific observations and examples of the student’s leadership, teamwork, analytical skills and personal qualities.

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3. Submit an unofficial and official transcript.

Submitting your transcripts is a two-step process: 

  1. Scanned copies of your official transcripts (Registrar-issued and printed on university letterhead) are required to be submitted with your online application. While these uploaded copies are technically unofficial, they will allow the Admissions Committee to render a preliminary admissions decision on your application. Printouts from online student portals are not acceptable. 

  1. After your application has been processed and you have received your 10 digit USC ID number, submit official copies of transcripts from all colleges, universities and other post-secondary institutions you have previously attended.  

It is recommended that all official transcripts are sent electronically. Official transcripts will only be considered valid if they are received from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.   

Instruct the vendor and/or institution to email your transcript to etrans@usc.edu. Do not send any other materials or correspondence to this email address. Electronic transcripts emailed to any other address will not be downloaded, resulting in a delay of your file review and an extra expense to you as the transcript will need to be re-sent. 

If your institution does not provide an official e-transcript, they must mail your transcript to the university via regular mail or courier services (such as DHL or FedEx) at the following address: 

Sending via regular mail: 

University of Southern California 
USC Office of Graduate Admission 
3601 South Flower Street, Room 112 
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915 

Sending via courier services: 

University of Southern California 
USC Office of Graduate Admission and Financial Aid 
3601 South Flower Street, Tyler 112 
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915 
Phone: (213) 740-1111

USC alumni or current students: While USC degree holders must upload a copy of their official transcript into the online application, they do not need to submit official USC transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admission.  Please be sure to note your USC enrollment in the “Academic Background” section of your application so that we may match your application to the academic records on file. 
International students: If located outside the United States, we accept electronic transcripts only from India sent via TrueCopy Credentials. We do not accept electronic transcripts from any other overseas institutions or vendors. 

 

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4. Submit your official GMAT or GRE score report (optional for Spring 2022).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are not required to submit a GMAT, GRE or EA score as a condition of admission for Spring 2022. The Marshall School of Business is committed to protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, especially as many testing centers have been closed.

Taking the online alternative to the GMAT exam, the GRE General Test at Home, or the online alternative of the Executive Assessment (for applicants with 10 or more years of professional work experience) is highly encouraged. 

Use the following codes during test registration to send your scores directly to USC: 

  • GMAT: 389-9C-23 

  • GRE: 4852 

Scores are valid for five years. Students must take an exam prior to submitting their application. Uploading unofficial copies of your test scores with your application in addition to sending official scores to USC is highly recommended.  

International applicants only: If applicable, official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are required. Review the USC’s Graduate English Proficiency Policy to determine if this requirement applies to you. 

 

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5. Submit the $155 application fee.

Submit the application fee through your account on the online application portal.

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6. Attend your admissions interview.

Interviews are conducted by invitation only at the discretion of the Admissions Committee and will be conducted via video web conference. Applicants selected for an interview will be notified by email. 

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State Authorization Disclaimer: USC Marshall is currently not accepting applications to the Online MBA program from Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland and Wisconsin.

 

 

Connect With USC Marshall School of Business:

Email: onlinemba@marshall.usc.edu
Phone:(213) 821-6800

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Recognized and Acclaimed

The Online MBA holds a top-5 ranking from U.S. News & World Report, earned a Top-3 ranking from Poets & Quants for best online MBA program and reached top-5 in both the World University Rankings of global online MBA programs from QS and the list of Top Online MBA programs from The Princeton Review. The program's curriculum designers have been honored by the Online Learning Consortium and its video content has earned two Telly Awards. USC Marshall is accredited by AACSB, a longstanding quality benchmark for business schools.

US News Poets & Quants
The Princeton Review AACSB