Marshall PDP FAQs

The Progressive Degree Program (PDP) enables superior USC undergraduate students to accelerate the completion of a USC master’s degree. Pursuing a progressive degree can deepen your education and further prepare you for future career opportunities in as little as one additional year.

In most cases, it will add an additional year to a student’s course plan. Most students complete their undergraduate and PDP program within 5 years. The number of APs, IBs, and transfer coursework may contribute towards an earlier completion date.

Students can learn more regarding Progressive Degree Programs by reviewing the PDP website.  On the website, students will be able to learn about eligibility and see a list of eligible Progressive Degree Programs. Applicants should apply to no more than one PDP at a time

You may apply in your junior or senior year but no later than the semester prior to beginning graduate course work. You may apply only once you have completed at least 64 total units of undergraduate course work, excluding AP, IB, or transfer units earned prior to graduation from high school. You must also have at least a 3.0 cumulative USC GPA at the time of application (transfer GPA is not considered for PDP applications). Please refer to the PDP website to learn more about the application deadlines.

Please note all Marshall PDPs have a supplemental application in addition to the general PDP application; therefore, it's important for students to connect with the specific master's program to learn more regarding the application process.  Applicants should apply to no more than one PDP at a time.

Students are expected to thoroughly review the PDP website to learn about eligibility and the application process before reaching out to an advisor. Once students are eligible to apply for a PDP (Junior or Senior standing), they can reach out to their advisors.  Students are also expected to reach out to the master's program for additional information.

On the general progressive degree program website, you can find a list of PDPs along with an email contact to inquire for more information.

Students can reach out to their assigned advisors for an updated undergraduate course plan, which will only display remaining undergraduate requirements. For graduate requirements, Marshall master programs expect students to review the specific master's program's course plans, which can be found on the general PDP website, to help students complete the PDP application course plan. Students are encouraged to connect with the master's program or with the Progressive Degree Program Coordinator, Stephanie German (pdp@marshall.usc.edu) for questions related to graduate course planning or assistance with the application.

For Marshall PDPs, applications do not require signatures until after the student has been admitted/recommended into the program. Students can contact their undergraduate advisor to request support with facilitating the undergraduate signatures. 

Yes, but it depends on how many MUDE units you still have left to satisfy. Once you have been accepted to the PDP program, please connect with the master's program to see whether you are eligible to have graduate electives count towards MUDE. If so, you will work with the master's program advisor and the undergraduate advisor to update your course plan. Please note, we ask students to send their UG advisors an editable form of a completed course plan application.

If eligible to have some graduate courses count towards MUDE, these courses must be:

• graduate electives part of master curriculum (No core graduate courses can count)
• in ACCT, BAEP, BUCO, DSO, FBE, MKT or MOR
• if pursuing an emphasis, the course must be within the same department as  emphasis
• if pursuing Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance (ACFN), students can use FBE 500 level coursework to satisfy the 4 units of FBE upper division
• the first eligible graduate electives taken will be counted toward MUDE

No. A course will count for undergraduate OR graduate degree credit, not both. Units for a PDP cannot “overlap” or apply to both degrees.

If a student is approved to apply graduate courses toward MUDE, the units earned for the graduate courses will only count toward the undergraduate unit totals. The unit requirement for the master’s program will be reduced to account for the graduate units being applied to MUDE. Also, the grades received for graduate courses applied toward MUDE will only be calculated into the undergraduate GPA.

There is a page on the USC Financial Aid website with detailed information about how a PDP affects class level and financial aid. In addition to reviewing this page, we strongly encourage students to connect with Financial Aid to learn more about how a PDP will affect their unique financial aid eligibility.