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Thank you for your interest in the Marshall Ph.D. Program!
The application for Fall 2009 is now available.
Please CLICK HERE to begin.
Priority deadline: December 1, 2008
Application deadline: December 15, 2008
Recruitment Events
| Date | Time | City | Venue | Event | Additional Information |
| Thursday, September 11, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Friday, September 19, 2008 | 6:00-10:00 PM | Kansas City, MO | Marriott Country Club Plaza Hotel | McNair Conference | More information |
| Thursday, September 25, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Thursday, October 2, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Thursday, October 16, 2008 | 5:30-7:30 PM | Washington, DC | UC Berkeley – Washington, DC Center | Doctorate in Business Recruiting Forum | Register |
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Friday, November 7, 2008 | 12:30-3:30 PM | Princeton, NJ | Princeton University, Dillon Gym | Princeton Graduate School Fair | More information |
| Saturday, November 8, 2008 | TBA | Berkeley, CA | UC Berkeley | California Forum for Diversity | More information |
| Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | TBA | Chicago, IL | TBA | Doctorate in Business Recruiting Forum | More information |
| Thursday, November 13, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Thursday, November 20, 2008 | 8:30 AM | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | USC Graduate School Preview Day | Register |
| Thursday, November 20 – Friday, November 21 | TBA | Chicago, IL | Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel, Chicago, IL | PhD Project | More information |
How to Apply for Admission
Submit an on-line application to the Ph.D. program through the Marshall School of Business Admissions web site. The link to the application system will be posted on this page when the application is ready.
Once you access the online application system, use the "Apply Now" box at the top of the page. International applicants are advised to see the instructions for International Students published in the USC Graduate Admissions Application Booklet.
Make sure to upload into the "Essays and Documents" section of your application your responses to the essay questions identified in the Ph.D. Program section under the "Downloadable Forms" link.
Application Deadlines
Only complete applications will be submitted to the committee for review. Applicants are encouraged to sign up early for the GMAT/GRE/TOEFL and arrange for the timely submission of transcripts and letters of recommendation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required documents are received by the Ph.D. Office before or by the deadline. Materials that are either postmarked on or received after December 15th will be considered late; there is no guarantee that they will be reviewed.
Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Priority will be given to completed applications submitted by December 1st. All other applications will only be reviewed after the on time submissions. Late applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.
Applications will be reviewed in the following order:
1. Complete applications received by December 1st2. Complete applications received by December 15th
3. Complete applications received late, after December 15th
Admissions Criteria
The Ph.D. program in business administration welcomes applications from students with high intellectual aptitude who plan careers in academic research and teaching. We encourage students with strong backgrounds in mathematics, economics, psychology, sociology, computer science, engineering or sciences to apply for admission. A Master's degree (including an MBA) is not a requirement for entry into the Ph.D. program; students may enter with only a bachelor's degree. Official transcripts are required to verify any degrees and prior coursework.
The selection criteria include the rigor of the undergraduate curriculum, academic performance, scores on the GRE or GMAT, and the quality of the applicant's statement of purpose and personal references. One year of college calculus or its equivalent is preferred for admission; matrix algebra, introductory mathematical statistics, and intermediate economic theory are very desirable.
A completed application includes the following:
- Online Application: The online application will be available on this website on September 15, 2008. Please see How to Apply for more information.
- Three Letters of Recommendation: Applicants should secure at least three letters of recommendation. The Ph.D. committee prefers that all recommendations be written by academics familiar with the applicant's scholastic and research capabilities. It is particularly valuable to have letters of recommendation from faculty members with whom the student has worked in a research capacity. An applicant who has been away from an academic environment for a long period of time may substitute references from non-academics. Please use the online recommendation system within the online application to submit your recommendations. Online submittal ensures our admissions committee will have access to your documents much faster than with traditional mail.
- Unofficial Transcripts: Applicants must submit unofficial (student) copies of their transcripts via our online application upload system. You will be notified later in the application process if official copies are required for verification of your transcript.
- GRE or GMAT: Admission to the Ph.D. program requires valid GMAT or GRE scores. GMAT and GRE test scores are valid for five years. In addition to requesting official scores sent to USC from the testing agencies, please be prepared to upload a copy of your scores to our online system. Though we do not have minumum score requirements, competitive candidates typically have GMAT scores well above 650 or GRE verbal and quantitative scores above the 80th percentile in each section. Please remember that the GMAT and GRE testing services discard records of test scores that are invalid (more than five years old). Your scores must be valid at the time you submit your completed application.
- TOEFL (if international): The Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students to one day teach and publish in English. Hence, it is critical that our students can read, write, and speak English fluently. A strong TOEFL score is an excellent indicator of English fluency, so all international students who did NOT earn an undergraduate degree in a primarily English-speaking country must submit a valid TOEFL score. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the intended date of enrollment. In addition to requesting official scores sent to USC from the testing agencies, please be prepared to upload a copy of your scores to our online system. Scores of 650 paper-based, 280 computer-based, or 100 internet-based are considered to be competitive, though we do not have a minumum score requirement.
- Application Fee: $85
Please note that your materials should be submitted electronically whenever possible. In the event that you must submit a hard copy of part of your application, please mail it directly to our office. Please do not submit multiple copies or versions of your materials as it will only delay the processing of your application.
Our address is:
The Ph.D. Program Office
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California
3660 Trousdale Parkway, ACC 214
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0442
After Applying
Once you submit an application to the Marshall Ph.D. Program, you can log back into the online system to check the status of your application and materials. Due to the large volume of applications we receive each year, it may take a few weeks for us to fully process any received documents. Please be patient and continue to check the online system for updates to your file.
Campus Interviews
After reviewing the applications, the departments may contact the top-ranked candidates for interviews. In cases where in-person interviews cannot be arranged, telephone interviews will be substituted. While we do not require in-person interviews, we encourage applicants to visit the campus when possible.
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