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Graduate Certificate Admissions - USC Students

Admissions information and FAQs

Certificate Eligibility

Only students currently enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral degree at USC are considered ‘current USC students’ and may apply for a Graduate Certificate at USC Marshall School of Business.

Current USC students may apply to a Certificate program if: 1) they have a 3.0 graduate GPA at USC, and 2) they have completed or enrolled in an eligible Certificate course.

Application

Applications for the Graduate Certificate programs can be submitted via the form below.

The application will take about 5 minutes to complete. We recommend that you complete the application on your computer in one sitting. Once submitted, you may not edit your application. If you have any questions about this application or your application status, please email gradcert@marshall.usc.edu.

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Students who submit their application to a Graduate Certificate should expect to receive a decision within one week of submission.

If you have question or would like to know the status of your application, please email gradcert@marshall.usc.edu. Please include your name, USC ID number, and certificates you are interested in pursuing.

Dates and Deadlines

Applications must be received before Final Examinations of the semester in which the student will complete the certificate and/or combined master’s degree.

Students are considered for admission once they have enrolled in or completed at least one qualifying course listed in the “Required and Elective Courses” dropdown of their desired Graduate Certificate program. If you’ve already completed units toward the certificate program as part of your graduate degree, you may apply to the Certificate program. Be sure to carefully read “Combining your current USC program with the graduate certificate” if you are nearing graduation from your primary USC degree.

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Combining Your Current USC Program with the Graduate Certificate

The graduate certificate may be completed in conjunction with coursework required for the program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student's primary degree program is determined by the student's home department. Current USC MBA students may apply all units of their graduate certificate program to their MBA degree.

While we recommend you apply to the certificate in conjunction with registration for classes which will apply to the certificate, note that we can apply prior coursework completed in your primary graduate degree retroactively toward the certificate if your primary degree has not yet been awarded.

If your primary degree at USC is awarded prior to completion of the certificate, it’s no longer possible to overlap units and you will be required to complete 12-15 unique units for the certificate.

Note: conferral of the certificate and documentation on the transcript requires that the individual formally apply to the program and be admitted.

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Prerequisite Coursework
ProgramPrerequisite Coursework
Business Analytics

GSBA 516, GSBA 506A/b, GSBA 545, GSBA 524 or equivalent graduate level statistics course.

If you have not taken a prior 500-level statistics course, you must begin the certificate program with GSBA 516 during the Fall semester.

Marketing

GSBA 509, GSBA 509a, GSBA 528, or equivalent graduate level marketing course.

If you have not taken a prior 500-level marketing course, you must begin the certificate program with GSBA 528 during Fall semester.

Financial Analysis and ValuationNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Strategy and Management ConsultingNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Sustainability and BusinessNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Optimization and Supply Chain ManagementNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Technology CommercializationNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Product ManagementNo Prerequisite Requirement.
Risk ManagementNo Prerequisite Requirement.
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Coursework by Certificate Program

Below is the catalogue for each certificate program. Please click on your desired certificate program to see the courses required to earn your certificate.

Business Analytics
*Some DSO-599 courses can be applied towards this certificate. Please inquire with the Certificates Office to learn more.
**ISE-500 can be applied towards the GSBA statistics requirement.

Financial Analysis and Valuation

Marketing

Optimization and Supply Chain Management

Product Management 
*Some Viterbi ISE courses may satisfy the MKT-530 requirement. Please inquire with the Certificates Office to learn more.

Risk Management

Strategy and Management Consulting

Sustainability and Business

Technology Commercialization

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FAQs

Do I have to be a current USC student to apply for admission to this program?

Yes, only current USC students may apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate program. ‘Current USC students’ are defined as currently enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral degree at USC.

Students are also not required to complete their certificate program if they decide they no longer wish to pursue it.

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Are there restrictions to how many students get admitted to a Certificate program?

No, all students who meet the criteria will be admitted. There are no restrictions on how many students are admitted to a Certificate program.

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Am I guaranteed enrollment in the coursework required for the certificate?

While most students gain enrollment in required coursework for certificates, it’s important to note that the Graduate Certificate Program Office is unable to reserve seats or grant priority enrollment to students. Occasionally it will happen that students must abandon the certificate if they are unsuccessful gaining enrollment in required coursework. Marshall classes are not reserved for the Graduate Certificate programs. Students with a primary degree program that is located in a non-Marshall discipline may only enroll in open classes.

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Career Development and Placement Services

Marshall Career Services does not offer support based on admission to a graduate certificate. Students whose primary graduate program is in Marshall receive career support in line with their primary degree.

Students whose primary degree is from outside Marshall may receive career related services from the USC CAREER CENTER.

Certificate students are encouraged to join Marshall graduate student clubs in their field of interest.

*** Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Risk Management can access career development and placement services through the USC Peter Arkley Institute for Risk Management, which will host recruiting/networking events and a mentorship program. ***

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