Business Administration Major

Internal Transfer Application Requirements

Thinking about transferring into Marshall?

At USC Marshall, Business Administration majors develop a thorough knowledge of business fundamentals, including: business economics, business statistics, accounting, organizational behavior, finance, marketing, business communication, and business strategy.  In addition to business core courses, students are required to gain a deeper understanding in one or more aspects of business in which they have an interest.


APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following courses must be completed or in-progress when applying to the Business Administration major:

  • WRIT 130 or WRIT 140 or WRIT 150
  • MATH 118* or higher
  • ECON 351x**

* MATH 118 is a prerequisite for ECON 351x.
** ECON 351x must be taken in residence at USC.

Students who wish to be considered for admission to the Accounting major must complete BUAD 285ab or BUAD 286ab or BUAD 280 and BUAD 281 (or BUAD 305, if eligible) with a grade of "B" or better, in addition to completing the above required courses.

Students who wish to pursue one of Marshall's undergraduate emphases must first apply through the internal transfer admissions process to be admitted to the Business Administration major. Following admission to Marshall, each emphasis has its own requirements that can be found by navigating to the corresponding emphasis from the main page

Admission decisions are based primarily on students’ academic performance at USC with special attention given to the required coursework listed above. In order to be competitive, students are advised to complete 16 units of academically rigorous, letter-graded coursework in each term of enrollment. A cumulative USC GPA of 3.5 or above and grade of B+ or better in ECON 351 is recommended to apply.

In the past several admissions cycles, the average overall GPA for admitted students has been over a 3.7. Approximately 90% of admitted students have earned a B+ or better in the required courses for admission; the majority of successful applicants earn an A- or better in ECON 351.

Pass/No Pass Update:

We recommend students take all courses for a letter grade. During the Spring 2020 through Spring 2022 terms, the University allowed students to take any course P/NP (subject to the restrictions at https://we-are.usc.edu/faqs/students-faqs/) and doing so does not impact a student's eligibility to apply for internal transfer. 

We always take context into consideration when reviewing applications, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges will be considered as we evaluate your academic record. We encourage students to utilize the application essays to report and explain any necessary information about the impacts of COVID-19 or other challenges on your course plan or grades.

APPLICATION TIME LIMITS: 

In order to make satisfactory degree progress and to finish your degree in a timely manner, we strongly recommend students apply for internal transfer admission to the Marshall School of Business prior to reaching 64 total units (not including coursework-in-progress, or AP, IB, or A-level units).

Effective Spring 2021, students may apply no more than twice for internal transfer admission to the Marshall School of Business.


MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about the application process, please watch the internal transfer admissions presentation below.

If you have further questions after viewing the presentation and wish to connect with an advisor, we will offer drop-in advising via Zoom on Mondays through Thursdays from 3pm-4pm (PST). We will not have drop-in advising during holidays, spring break, summer break, and winter break. The Zoom link is available here.  

Please note: drop-in advising is intended for students who have already watched the recorded information session. Once you have joined the drop-in advising session, please wait to be "admitted" to the room by the session's host.


APPLICATION FOR INTERNAL TRANSFER ADMISSION

The application for the spring 2023 cycle is now available and is due on April 28, 2023 at 11:59pm: APPLY NOW! Please note that applications will not be reviewed until all grades for spring 2023 are reflected on student records. We recommend utilizing the optional essay options. 

Admission decisions for the spring 2023 cycle will be sent to students' USC email accounts by the end of week 3 of the fall 2023 semester. Any questions concerning internal transfer admission decisions can be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs within ten business days of the notification date. Admission decisions are final; appeals may be considered only in the case of a documented grading error in required or related course work.

 


PRE-ADMISSION COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS -
What to register for in the following semester when you're awaiting your decision

SEMESTER ONE SEMESTER TWO SEMESTER YOU ARE AWAITING ADMISSION DECISION
  • MATH 118/125 (required course for admission)
  • WRIT 130/150 (required course for admission) OR GESM
    • For transfer students, WRIT 150/GESM may be replaced with courses from your current or alternate major.
  • GE
  • GE or Current/Alternate Major
  • ECON 351 (required course for admission)
  • GESM OR WRIT 130/150 (required course for admission)
    • For transfer students, WRIT 150/GESM may be replaced with courses from your current or alternate major.
  • GE
  • GE or Current/Alternate Major
  • GE
  • GE or Alternate/Current Major
  • Alternate/Current Major
  • ECON 352*, BUAD 280*, or BUAD 310* or Alternate/Current Major or other University requirement

If you are submitting an application this semester, you may register for a maximum of one of the above listed Marshall courses (ECON 352, BUAD 280 or BUAD 310) for the following semester. The remaining courses on your schedule should include a variety of current or alternate major courses and University requirements. Please consult with your current and/or alternate major advisor for course recommendations.

If you are offered admission to Marshall, you will be assigned an academic advisor who can assist you should any changes be necessary to your schedule in order to stay on track with the Marshall major. 


CONTACT US

The Marshall Office of Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs is available to assist prospective internal transfer students with their questions concerning the program requirements and the application process.