University of Southern California Admission

Eligibility & Documents Required for Admission

USC has country-specific criteria for graduate students and for Indian students the eligibility requirements are:

• 4-year Bachelor's degree OR Master's degree (for 3-year Bachelor's degree holders) from a University Grants Commission-accredited institution (UGC)
• Official semester-by-semester mark sheets (recommended) /consolidated mark sheets from all post-secondary institutions attended (s)
• English language proficiency test results: USC graduate applicants are asked to demonstrate their English skills as part of the admission process.

Proficiency in the English Language Requirements

IMPORTANT: USC does not have a minimum score requirement for admission. The results shown below are only used to assess whether or not an admitted student will be required to take the International Student English (ISE) Examination upon arriving at USC.

Only the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) test is accepted at USC. With the following scores, admitted students are free from taking the ISE Exam:

• PhD 100 or above, and Master's 90 or higher, with a minimum of 20 points in each section. 
• Only the Academic scores are accepted by USC. With the following scores, admitted students are free from taking the ISE Exam:
• PhD 7 or higher, and Master's 6.5 or higher, with a 6 or higher in each band.
• PTE (Pearson Test of English) Only PTE Academic results are accepted at USC. With the following scores, admitted students are free from taking the ISE Exam:
• PhD 68 or higher, and Master's 61 or higher, with each band having a score of 53 or higher. 

Sending official scores to USC: In order for scores to be considered official, they must be received electronically from the testing agency. Scores that have been photocopied or copied on paper are not acceptable.
Only scores earned within two years of your projected first term at USC are deemed legitimate. (For example, if applying for the fall semester, no earlier than August 1 two years prior.)

Admission Dates & Process

Master's Application Deadlines

Process:

• Review Program and Application Requirements- The application deadlines vary for each program, so apply accordingly.
• To Review Country-Specific Requirements for English- Language Proficiency and Documents
• Complete Online Application- USC no longer accepts paper applications. One can apply to up to three programs in a term.
• Pay your Application Fees
• Provide Program Materials- In addition to transcripts and test scores, most USC graduate programs require supplemental materials like recommendations, press releases of purpose, creative portfolios, writing samples, etc. They can be submitted via the online application or Slideroom. After you submit your online application, you will get your 10-digit USC ID via email within two to three business days. Please keep this ID on file and confirm that it is included in all of your communications with USC. You must also include it in any documents you send to the university. It's crucial to note that your 10-digit USC ID is not the same as the USC CAS ID you'll get once you've started your application. The university does not issue that ID, which is only needed for technical support during the appliance procedure. 
• Submit your Official Transcripts
• Submit Official Test Scores of the English Language
• Submit Your Official Test Scores: GRE or GMAT scores are preferred by most USC graduate courses.
• Submit Your Financial Document(s) and Passport Copies (not U.S. citizens or permanent residents)
• Track your Application Status
• View your Decision 

Frequently Asked Questions