Requirements

A bachelor's degree equivalent to a 4-year U.S. undergraduate degree from an accredited institution (regardless of field or major) is required prior to enrolling in the graduate programs. Applicants are not required to have earned their baccalaureate degree when applying, but must earn their degree prior to enrolling in the program.

Courses listed below for each start term MUST be completed or in progress at the time of application.

FALL APPLICANTS:  Applicants who have or will have an undergraduate degree in accounting.

Courses listed above for Summer Applicants in addition to the following:

• Micro or Macro Economics
• Statistics
• Corporate Finance
• Intermediate Accounting I
• Intermediate Accounting II
• Cost or Managerial Accounting
• U.S. Federal or Corporate Taxation
• Auditing/Assurance
• Advanced Accounting

Pre-requisite courses must be completed at an accredited university for a letter grade.

Transcript submission is a two-step process:

• You must upload scanned copies of official transcripts to the online application. While these transcripts are technically unofficial, they will allow the Admissions Office to process your application and make a preliminary admissions decision. Please note that these must be official transcripts printed on university letterhead. Print-outs from online student portals are not acceptable.

• After you submit your application and receive your 10 digit USC ID number, you must also mail in official transcripts from all colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions you have previously attended. We recommend that you fill out the “College/University Transcript Cover Page”and send it to the registrar’s office of each post-secondary institution you have attended. Although it is not mandatory, including it along with your USC ID number will help us match your transcripts to your file as quickly as possible.

E-transcripts: USC now accepts official electronic transcripts, provided they meet the following guidelines:

• The transcript originates from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.
• The school is located in the United States.
• 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.

Please instruct the vendor to email the transcript to etrans@usc.edu. Do not send any other materials or correspondence to this email address yourself. Electronic transcripts e-mailed to any other address will not be downloaded, resulting in a delay of your file review and an extra expense to you because the transcript will need to be re-sent.

USC alumni or current students: USC degree holders do not need to submit USC transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admission. Please be sure to include your USC enrollment in the “Academic Background” section so that we may match your application to the academic records already on file.

Mailing Instructions

Unless you are directed otherwise by your intended graduate department, official academic records from all post-secondary schools you have attended should be sent to the addresses provided below. If sending your transcripts via regular mail, please use the following address:

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

If sending your transcripts via courier service, such as DHL or FedEx, please use the following address:

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

Confidentiality and Document Submission Policy

Transcripts and all other materials submitted for admission consideration become the property of USC. The university does not return or duplicate materials for any reason whatsoever. The information and materials in your submitted application are made available only to the central Office of Admission and the admission committee of the academic department or professional school to which you have applied.

GMAT or GRE Scores

Applicants to the full-time MAcc, MAcc D+A, MBT and MBT D+A programs must submit one of these exams. See exception below. Test scores are valid for 5 years from the test date; scores more than 5 years old are not accepted. If a GMAT/GRE is taken multiple times we will consider your highest score for admission purposes. While the GMAT is the preferred test, we will accept the GRE in its place.

GMAT Exception:  Applicants who hold or will hold a Bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above are not required to submit a GMAT score. No waiver is necessary. An applicant meeting this requirement will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process if no GMAT is submitted. Due to COVID-19, if you are having difficulties scheduling an exam, please reach out to us at macc.mbt@marshall.usc.edu.

TOEFL or IELTS

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for most international applicants. For details, please review the “International Applicants” tab. In order to qualify for the 2022 Summer Intensive Program, the exam must be taken on or after June 1, 2020. The score is valid for 2 years.

Submitting Official Test Scores:

Applicants must submit official test scores using the following institution codes:

• GMAT:
  MAcc program code: 389-XR-28
  MBT program code: 389-XR-07
• GRE: 4852
• TOEFL: 4852
• IELTS: Choose “University of Southern California, Graduate Programs.” Do not enter the name and contact information of your specific intended graduate department. USC will only accept electronic IELTS scores. Paper scores are not considered official.

NOTE: You can submit your application without an official GMAT/GRE score but we will not grant an interview until your scores are received. If you take the GMAT/GRE and send your scores after submitting your application, please notify our office at macc.mbt@marshall.usc.edu so we will know to review the new scores.

Resume

Applicants must upload an updated business resume using the Sample Resume. It should include educational, professional and any volunteer information. Professional information should consist of employment history starting with the most recent experience. The resume should not be more than one page in length.

Personal Statement, Optional Essay and Scholarship Question

Personal Statement: Applicants will be asked to choose one of three prompts and answer in no more than 2 double-spaced pages.

• Of all of your accomplishments (academic, athletic, volunteer, family, etc.), what are you most proud of and why?

• Explain how the impact of an event or activity has changed your life or way of thinking.

• Describe yourself outside your academic or professional accomplishments.  What characteristics do you think are your strengths and weaknesses and how have they shaped you into the person you are today?

Optional Essay: Provide any additional information that is not included elsewhere in your application that you feel is important for the Admissions Office to know.

Scholarship: If interested in the opportunity to receive a Leventhal Scholarship, you are asked to answer scholarship questions within the application.

Spring Internship Offer Letter

Upload a copy of your Offer Letter for your Spring Internship in the Documents quadrant of the Application.  Spring Offer Letters should be on company letterhead and specify the precise dates of the internship (early January through mid/late April) and the city in which you will be interning.  

Video

Applicants will need to create a short introduction video, no more than 1-2 minutes in length. The video should include applicant name, hometown, name of your university, major and an interesting fact about themselves.