USC Marshall School of Business
The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business is situated in the southeastern corner of USC’s University Park campus in Los Angeles, California. In addition to its full-time MBA program, the school offers a part-time MBA program, an online MBA program and Executive MBA options. Hallmarks of the full-time program include its early start and small class size. Also notable is the program’s international experiential learning requirement, called PRIME, through which students visit companies and speak with executives abroad.
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FAQ
What is the tuition for Marshall’s MBA program?
The tuition for Marshall’s MBA program is $79,893 per year. The total cost of the Marshall MBA program is $122,922 for the first year and $106,769 for the second year; this includes budgeted living expenses.
How hard is it to get into Marshall’s MBA program?
The acceptance rate for Marshall is 22.9%. It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 722.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to Marshall’s MBA program?
The average GMAT score for the incoming class at Marshall is 722.
Does the Marshall MBA program accept the GRE?
Yes. The Marshall MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.
What is the average GRE score for admission to Marshall’s MBA program?
The average Verbal GRE score at Marshall is 160. The average Quant GRE score at Marshall is 163.
What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to Marshall’s MBA program?
Marshall does not state a minimum requirement for years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 5.5 years of experience.
What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to Marshall’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a Marshall student?)
The average number of years of work experience among students in Marshall's MBA program is 5.5. The average age of a Marshall MBA student is 29.
What is the average starting salary for graduates of the Marshall MBA program?
The average starting salary for Marshall MBA graduates is $150,081. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.
How long is Marshall’s full-time MBA program?
Marshall offers a traditional 2 year MBA program.
What are the application deadlines for Marshall's MBA program?
The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 1, 2024. The Round 2 application deadline is January 10, 2025. The Round 3 deadline is April 15, 2025.
What percent of Marshall MBA students are women?
The percentage of the class at Marshall that are women is 35%.
What type of interview does Marshall use for MBA admissions?
Marshall offers interviews by invitation. The interviews are resume-based. This means the interviewer has not had access to the application materials.
Admissions
The Class Profile
The 199 students who matriculated in the Class of 2025 had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and an average GMAT score of 722. Twenty percent of the Marshall MBA class identify as U.S. underrepresented students of color. Women make up 35% of the class and 41% are international.
Thirty-two percent of the Marshall Class of 2025 had studied business/commerce during their undergraduate years. Sixteen percent had studied engineering/computer science and 13% had studied economics. Fourteen percent had majored in the sciences and 10% studied social sciences. Another seven percent had studied the humanities. Students averaged 5.5 years of work experience before matriculation and their average age landed at 29.
Application Procedures
Marshall’s full-time MBA program offers three rounds of application submission deadlines, which typically occur in October, January, and April. To apply, prospective students must submit an online application form, official academic transcripts from any undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, two required essays and a résumé. The school also requires applicants to submit official GMAT or GRE score reports (waivers available), and, if applicable, a TOEFL or IELTS score report. Interviews are required for admission and are offered by invitation only. USC Marshall does not have an application fee and discourages applicants from submitting recommendations.
Application Checklist
- Data Form
- Résumé
- Academic Transcripts
- GMAT/GRE and TOEFL/IELTS Academic Scores
- Essays
Essay Topic Analysis
USC / Marshall Q&A's
USC / Marshall LiveWire and DecisionWire
Academics
Faculty
Throughout its seven academic units, Marshall employs over 230 full-time faculty members; in 2021, they announced plans to employ over 250 full-time faculty by 2025. In addition to teaching classes, these scholars and practitioners also help staff the school’s eight centers and institutes, which range in focus from global supply chain research to entrepreneurial studies. The school also runs initiatives in Digital Competition and Digital Assets.
Curriculum
Marshall’s professors draw upon a variety of teaching methods. The school notes that professors use case discussions, student presentations and team projects more frequently than lecture-based learning. To help students get to know each other better, Marshall divides its incoming class into three “cores” that take all of their required courses together. Each core is further broken down into teams of five to six students that complete group projects together; students are assigned to different teams in the fall and spring semesters.
Over the course of five terms in the first academic year, Marshall MBAs complete the core requirements, which include such business topics as microeconomics, data science, leadership and more. In Term 4, student teams consult with a Los Angeles-based company to develop solutions for real-life business problems. Year one also includes the Global Context of Business course followed by the PRIME overseas experience. During the 10-day PRIME trip, students visit domestic and multinational companies and governmental institutions, and complete business projects that evaluate the cultural, financial, political and other constraints and opportunities of the given country. The first year can include up to 7.5 elective credits.
The second year of the MBA program is comprised entirely of elective courses and students should have 30 elective credits left after completing 7.5 in their first year. Each year, students can choose from a menu of nearly 100 elective offerings. They may also design their own cross-functional, individualized program of study or develop an independent study project to earn credits. Second-year students may also cross-register for courses at other USC schools and departments, applying up to nine credit units of non-Marshall courses towards their MBA degree. As of Spring 2020, Marshall’s entire full-time MBA Program is STEM certified.
Other MBA Degree Options
Along with its full-time MBA program, Marshall offers a three-year, part-time MBA for fully employed professionals and managers at its main campus in Los Angeles. The school also has a two-year Executive MBA program, a one-year Accelerated MBA for mid-career professionals, as well as a flexible, 21-month Online MBA.
Degree Offerings at Marshall
Full-time MBA Program
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/mba-programs/full-time-mba
Part-Time MBA Program
MBA Program for Professionals and Managers
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/mba-programs/part-time-mba
Online MBA Program
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/mba-programs/online-mba
Executive MBA Programs
Executive MBA
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/mba-programs/executive-mba
1 Year International MBA (IBEAR)
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/mba-programs/international-mba
Campus Life
Clubs, Conferences & Competitions
Students at Marshall have many opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities. The full-time MBA program has over 40 student-run organizations that cover community, career, diversity, social and athletic interests. One of the most popular student clubs is Challenge for Charity, through which Marshall students compete against teams from other West Coast MBA programs in athletic, volunteer, social and fundraising events to benefit groups like Special Olympics, Junior Achievement and Heal the Bay. Meanwhile, on the more professional side, USC Marshall Graduate Women in Business helps develop the careers of women MBA students by organizing events, such as lunches with executives, company presentations and panels on women leaders in business.
Further supplementing students’ extracurricular options, Marshall’s research centers and student organizations host conferences and competitions throughout the year. For instance, the USC Marshall Business of Entertainment Association hosts annual case competitions as well as a symposium on the evolution of the entertainment business. Meanwhile, the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies organizes the New Venture Seed Competition, through which teams of student, faculty, and staff entrepreneurs from Marshall and other USC graduate schools compete for cash prizes of up to $150,000 in seed funding.
Campus Space
The Marshall School of Business is located in the University of Southern California’s University Park campus close to downtown Los Angeles. Marshall’s graduate programs are housed in Popovich Hall, which, in addition to academic facilities, boasts a café and a courtyard that serve as common meeting places for members of the Marshall community. Students and faculty can also take advantage of the nearby Crocker Business Library for their research needs.
MBA students can find housing on campus in both apartments and residence halls. However, a fair number of Marshall students choose to live off-campus in nearby Los Angeles neighborhoods.
MBA Careers
Career Services
Marshall’s MBA Career Services provides year-round career development programming to help students secure summer internships and post-MBA jobs in their desired fields. Offerings include interview preparation, job search engines and help with résumé updating, among others. In addition, students have a wide variety of opportunities to meet with potential employers through on-campus information sessions and receptions. MBA Career Services also organizes several hiring events throughout the year, as well as site visits.
Career Statistics
Twenty-eight percent of the Class of 2023 went into consulting careers after graduating from Marshall. Technology was the second most popular industry, claiming 24% of graduates. Financial services followed at 17%, and 10% percent of the class went into the entertainment and interactive gaming industry. Healthcare attracted 6% of the Class of 2023. Meanwhile, the top three most chosen functions were marketing/sales, consulting, and finance, which drew 34%, 30% and 20% of 2023 graduates, respectively. The average base salary among all graduates was $150,081.
As often occurs among business school graduates, a large proportion of the Class of 2023, 81%, found post-MBA employment in the region where Marshall is located: the Western U.S. The Northeastern U.S. drew 8% of graduates, and 2% chose jobs internationally. The remaining portion of the class spread throughout the Southwestern, Midwestern, and Southern regions of the U.S.
Financing
Tuition for the first year at Marshall is $79,893 in 2024-2025 with an additional $6,836 in fees. However, the school estimates that considering other living expenses such as housing and textbooks, students will spend approximately $122,922 in this time. The second-year cost amounts to $106,769, based on 2024-2025 tuition. To help students finance their education, Marshall offers several merit-based fellowships ranging from partial to full tuition for domestic and international applicants. Second-year students who do not receive a fellowship when admitted to the program are eligible for Dean’s Scholarships, which are awarded based on accomplishments during the first year of the MBA program. Students may also finance their education through federal and private loans.
Cost of Attendance (First Year, 2024-2025)
Tuition $79,893
USC Central Services and Health Fees: $1,636
MBA Program Fees: $1,350
PRIME Fee: $3,850
Books/Supplies: $2,376
Total Living Expenses: $29,140
Student Health Insurance: $3,040
Loan fees: $1,637 (Domestic Students Only)
Total $122,922
Recent News
Contact
Mailing Address:
USC Marshall MBA Admissions
Popovich Hall, Suite 308
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2633
Phone: 213-740-7846
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.marshall.usc.edu
X (Twitter): @USCMarshall