University of Southern California Applying to Graduate Engineering Programs

December 2015

Applying to USC Viterbi

• Eligibility for Admission

• Tuition & Funding

• Application Materials & Deadlines

• Transcripts and GPA

• Test Scores: GRE and TOEFL/IELTS

• Application Tips

Eligibility

• USC Admissions does a comprehensive review of applications

• Everything you submit is reviewed to understand your capability to successfully complete graduate coursework

• Academic performance in your area of study, combined with any other experience that demonstrates your abilities in your chosen field, is taken into consideration

• To be competitive, you should be able to show strong performance in your undergraduate career

• As such, we do not have “minimums” or “cutoffs” with the goal to consider talented applicants of all backgrounds

Eligibility - continued

• Work experience – while related work experience is taken under consideration with all other submitted materials, it does not compensate for any lacks in your academic background (undergraduate coursework, GRE scores)

• Submitted documents can be: abstracts of papers, awards, CV/Resume

• You may apply for up to 3 programs at the Viterbi School for a one-time application fee of $85 – Please see https://gapp.usc.edu/faq/application for more information • PhD Applicants should also submit an application for the Master’s program if

you would like to be considered for both programs

Tuition & Funding

• Tuition costs for two years can be found at this website:https://gapp.usc.edu/graduate-programs/graduate-funding/masters/tuition

• Scholarship Opportunities for MS• Be sure to submit your USC online application for admission and the transcripts by

the December 15 deadline• All other required materials (i.e. GRE scores) must be received by January 15, 2016• Funding consideration will be given to all those who followed these steps by the

appropriate deadlines and who are admitted• Notifications of awards are February - May

• PhD Funding – apply by December 15, 2015• Admission deadline is the same as funding deadline• USC strives to fully fund all admitted PhD students

Application Materials

• Application materials vary by program – be sure to check this website for the documents required: viterbi.usc.edu/gapp

• Letters of Recommendation• MS and PhD: should primarily come from academic sources but 1 professional

source is OK

• Statement of Purpose • For MS: can be utilized to explain any miscellaneous items you’d like the

admissions committee to know about you• For PhD: critical to outline your research interests, the professors you want to

work with, and demonstrate your familiarity with the work being done at USC

Master’s Application

• BS Degree in engineering, math, science

• Online Application

• GRE – less than 5 years old

• Official Transcripts

• TOEFL/IELTS

• Supplemental Materials – SOP, LORs, resume

Fall 2016 Application Deadline: January 15**Fall scholarship deadline – December 15

PhD Application

• BS Degree in engineering, math, science

• Online Application

• GRE – less than 5 years old

• Transcripts

• TOEFL/IELTS

• Letters of Recommendation and SOP

• Demonstrated research ability and experience

Fall 2016 Application Deadline: December 15

Application Deadlines

• Deadline for merit-based scholarship consideration is December 15, 2015• Materials required by this date: USC online application for admission and

transcripts• All other materials are required to be submitted by January 15, 2016 in order to

be considered for admission for Fall 2016

https://gapp.usc.edu/graduate-programs/masters/how-to-apply/deadlines

Transcripts and GPA

• Submit sealed transcripts by December 15 to be considered for funding

• Be sure to allow sufficient time for transit and if possible, use a trackable method of shipping

• If you have an electronic copy you may also submit it to viterbi.documents@usc.edubut you must also submit the sealed official hard copies to USC

Application Tips - GPA

Provide your GPA in the grading/point system that is used by your institution. It’s not necessary to try to convert to 4 point scale if your institution uses a different scale.

Test Scores: GRE and TOEFL• General GRE required for ALL programs

• You can retake GRE exam and USC takes the highest scores in each section• If you retake the exam after the application deadline you should inform the

admissions office. They may be able to hold your application for review until the new GRE scores arrive.

• The average quantitative score of our applicants is 163, verbal 151 (fall 2015)

• When should test scores be submitted? • When you take the exam you should select the institutions to which you want

the scores directly sent• If you already took the exam and didn’t already do so, arrange to have the

scores sent as soon as possible.

TOEFL1) You hold a Bachelor’s degree completed in residency in United States or other Anglophone country.

The Bachelor’s degree should come from a regionally accredited university located in the United States or officially recognized university in another country where English is both the language of instruction and the only officially recognized language of the country. Please note that the entire program must have been completed in the qualifying country.

We do not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on either a graduate degree from a university in the U.S. or other qualifying country or an undergraduate program taught in English in a non-Anglophone country.

2) Your native language is English.

This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.

The criteria listed above are the only means by which international applicants can demonstrate English proficiency. USC does not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on any other consideration (work experience, ESL enrollment, etc.).

https://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/international/englishproficiency.html

Application Tips –Test Scores

Ensure that your official

score reports are sent directly

to USC and that you take the

exams early enough for us to

receive the scores by January 15.

If you do not yet have your scores,

you can leave this section blank on

the USC online application and we

will refer to your official score

reports. Do not let this section

delay your submission of the

application.

Application Tips

• APPLY ON TIME – Submit the online application for admission and you should receive your ten digit USC ID number within the week

• Check our Frequently Asked Questions: many of your questions can be answered https://gapp.usc.edu/how-to-apply/faq

• Include 10-digit USC ID on transcript package and in email communications

• If you have any issues after submitting your application, you may contact viterbi.gradadmission@usc.edu.

Assistant DeanGraduate & Professional Programs

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

viterbi.gradprograms@usc.edu

Camillia Lee