How to Apply to Economics at USC: A Major in the Dornsife College Department of Economics That You Declare by Meeting an Advisor After Enrolling, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The Economics major at the University of Southern California (USC) is taught by the Department of Economics in the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. You apply through USC’s single undergraduate application and choose an intended major. The admission pages I read do not publish a separate admission standard for economics. This guide follows USC’s own pages for fall 2027 entry and speaks to U.S. applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants.

1. What the programs are

• Majors in the department (the “Majors and Minors” page): B.A. Economics; B.S. Economics and Data Science; B.S. Economics/Mathematics; B.A. Behavioral Economics and Psychology; B.A. Political Economy; B.A. Social Science with Emphasis in Economics; and two minors, Economics and Behavioral Economics.
• The department’s pages disagree with each other: the undergraduate home page says the department offers “seven majors” but names eight in that sentence (the extra one is Philosophy, Politics & Economics), while the “Majors and Minors” page lists the six above; the FAQ also says seven. Check with the department.
• STEM designation: the department FAQ lists these as STEM-designated for F-1 students seeking the 24-month STEM OPT extension: Economics B.A. (CIP 45.0603), Economics and Data Science B.S. (CIP 45.0603) and Economics/Mathematics B.S. (CIP 27.0305). The pages I read say nothing about the other majors.
• Progressive degree (PDP): the department offers a progressive degree that leads to the M.S. in Applied Economics and Econometrics (MS AEE). The page says MS AEE is STEM-designated and that both economics and non-economics majors can join.
• Honors: the pages I read do not describe a separate honors degree; this is not published in the pages I read, so ask the department. The department page does describe the Easterlin Fellows program, which aims to identify, mentor and train students for research careers in economics.

2. How admission and entry to the major work

• Choosing a major when you apply: the first-year page says that for Early Decision, USC expects to admit applicants to their first-choice major; in rare cases where an applicant is offered a different major, the binding agreement does not apply. Transfer applicants must name a first-choice major and may name a second choice or Undecided/Exploratory.
• Declaring: the department FAQ says students do not need to apply to declare any major the department offers. You meet an economics advisor through AdviseUSC to discuss the requirements, and then declare.
• GPA threshold and seats: the department pages state no GPA threshold or seat cap for entry; the course rules are below (C or better in the core, a 2.0 GPA in upper-division major courses). Rules for moving into economics from another USC major are not published in the pages I read; ask a department advisor.
• Size: the department page says the undergraduate program has over 1,400 students and is still growing.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school math: the “What we look for” page expects a grade of C or better in at least three years of high school mathematics, including Advanced Algebra (Algebra II). Outside mathematics no curriculum is prescribed, but preparation for the intended major gets attention.
• Economics B.A. (the department’s 2024-2025 degree sheet): 46 units. Lower division: ECON 203 Principles of Microeconomics, ECON 205 Principles of Macroeconomics, one of MATH 118 or MATH 125 (MATH 118 requires MATH 108/117; MATH 125 requires MATH 108), and one computer course in ITP or CSCI. Upper-division core: ECON 303 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, ECON 305 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, ECON 317 Introduction to Statistics for Economists and ECON 318 Introduction to Econometrics, each with a C or higher. Electives: two 400-level courses plus two 300/400-level courses (ECON 351/352 do not count). Major courses must be taken for a letter grade, with at least a 2.0 GPA in upper-division major courses.
• Economics and Data Science B.S. (degree sheet, 60 units): ECON 203, 205, 303, 305, 317, 318 and ECON 460 Economic Applications of Machine Learning (fall only); MATH 125, 126, 225; CSCI 102 and 103; ITP 115 or 116; DSCI 250 (fall only) and DSCI 351; plus one of ECON 419, DSCI 352, DSCI 454, MATH 226 or QBIO 401.
• Economics/Mathematics B.S. (degree sheet, 62 units): ECON 203, 205, 303, 305, 318 and two 400-level economics courses; MATH 126, MATH 226, MATH 225 or 245, MATH 307+308 or 407+408, and two 400-level math courses; one of ITP 115/116/165 and ITP 249. The sheet does not list MATH 125 on its own line, but MATH 126 has MATH 125 as a prerequisite, so ask an advisor where your calculus should start.
• Credit: the department FAQ says AP, IB, A-Level and other transfer coursework are accepted for ECON 203/205 (see your Transfer Credit Report). ECON 303, 305 and 318 do not accept transfer or study-abroad credit, without exception; they must be taken at USC. The Marshall School’s ECON 351/352 can substitute for ECON 203/205 but cannot count as upper-division economics electives. Students with programming experience can take the challenge exam for ITP 115.
• Support: math review videos and peer tutoring (fall and spring); every economics student must meet an advisor once a semester (Mandatory Advising).
• These course lists come from the 2024-2025 degree sheets. Check the current plan with the department and the USC Catalogue for fall 2027 entry; the Catalogue is hosted by a third party and I did not open it.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Early Decision (most majors): November 1; binding, with an agreement; admit or defer to Regular Decision by mid-December.
• Early Action: November 1; non-binding and non-restrictive; notified in late January.
• Regular Decision (most majors): January 10; notified by April 1. Performing arts majors have a December 1 deadline. A banner on the page says to apply Early Decision or Early Action by November 1 to be considered for first-year admission to most majors and USC Merit Scholarships; the page does not reconcile this with the January 10 Regular Decision deadline listed beside it, so check with USC whether Regular Decision applicants are considered for Merit Scholarships.
• Materials: Common Application; official transcripts of all high school and college coursework; one recommendation from a school counselor or a teacher; fall grades (mid-year report); application affirmations; and USC short answers. The application fee amount is not published in the pages I read; fee waivers are requested through the Common Application.
• Testing: test-optional. The international page states that first-year applicants for 2027-28 are not required to send SAT or ACT scores. If you send them, USC records the highest section scores across sittings, requires official scores from the testing agency and does not accept self-reported scores. SAT code 4852; ACT code 0470.
• Interviews: the admission office does not hold admission interviews and does not track demonstrated interest.

5. By reader

1. U.S. applicants

• The admission process, courses and testing are the same as above. USC is need-blind for domestic applicants.
• In-state versus out-of-state tuition: the cost page lists one tuition figure and does not split it by residency. The page also notes that California residents should apply for a Cal Grant by March 2, 2027. Whether applicants from California get any admission preference is not published in the pages I read.
• For need-based aid, file the FAFSA and CSS Profile by: Early Decision November 1, 2026; Early Action November 15, 2026; Regular Decision February 3, 2027. The page says first-year students from U.S. families with annual income of $80,000 or less and typical assets can attend tuition free.

2. International applicants

• English: every international applicant whose native language is not English, including those living in the U.S., must submit an approved English exam, and USC grants no waivers or exceptions. Recommended minimums: TOEFL 100 with no section below 20 for exams before January 21, 2026, or 5 with no section below 4 for exams on or after that date; IELTS 7; Cambridge C1 Advanced 185 with 169 on each skill; PTE 68; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 650; ACT English 27. If you cannot sit those exams, the Duolingo English Test with a minimum of 130 is allowed, and you then take USC’s International Student Exam on arrival. Official scores are due within two weeks of the application deadline. The page says admitted students average above 111 on the TOEFL iBT, with 25 or more in each section, and that scores below the minimums are admissible at reduced rates.
• Academic records: official records from all secondary schools and colleges (the equivalent of U.S. grades 9–12), sent by the schools; non-English records in the original language with a certified English translation; external exam results or predictions (for example GCSE/IGCSE, predicted IB or A-levels). Use your passport name. USC does not work with educational agents.
• Proof of funds: USC does not offer need-based aid to international applicants. You submit a Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support with bank-verified proof of funds covering at least the first academic year, dated August 2026 or later, within two weeks of the deadline. Tax documents, mortgages, salary statements, property valuations, life insurance and retirement accounts are not typically accepted.
• Scholarships: international applicants who apply on time are eligible for USC Merit Scholarships. There is no minimum requirement; the process is competitive, no award covers the full cost, and you may not rely on one to show you can pay.

3. Applicants from China

• The “Academic Expectations for International Students” page says successful students enrolled in the Chinese National Curriculum achieve high marks, “primarily 90+ out of 100 and 135+ out of 150”; for students in an international curriculum it refers you to the IB or A-Level expectations. The page does not use the word “gaokao”. Whether gaokao results are used as supporting material and how to submit school-exam records is not published in the pages I read; use the page’s International Qualifications tool or ask the admission office.
• The English-exam section states that USC does not accept TOEFL ITP Plus for China.
• Transcripts go in the original language with a certified English translation, submitted by the school through the Common Application.

6. Costs and scholarships

• The 2026-27 estimate for a full-time undergraduate (12–18 units): tuition $75,384; fees $1,952; on campus housing $13,510, food $8,442, books $670, transportation $1,188, personal $2,016, for a total of $103,162; off campus $102,792; living with parents or relatives $94,630. Add a $450 new-student fee for the first semester. This is the 2026-27 table; check the figures for 2027 entry.
• No separate college surcharge for economics is listed in the pages I read.
• The page says nearly two-thirds of undergraduates receive some form of aid, and 18% of the fall 2024 first-year class received a USC Merit Scholarship.

7. Internships and research

• The department says qualified undergraduates can take supervised individual research courses and may be hired as research assistants; the Los Angeles Behavioral Economics Laboratory (LABEL) offers research assistantships in experimental economics and neuroeconomics.
• The department partners with Bloomberg to give students and faculty access to terminals and data, and it lists the Easterlin Fellows program, three student organizations and a tutoring center.
• Internship arrangements and graduate-outcome data are not published in the pages I read.

8. Transfer

• Deadline: for fall 2027, February 15, 2027 for all majors except certain performing arts programs (the page notes extensions are considered case by case); notification in late May, or a request for spring grades followed by a decision by mid-July. Financial aid priority date: March 2, 2027. USC accepts both sophomore and junior transfers.
• Profile: successful applicants present at least one year of rigorous full-time coursework by the end of spring with strong grades, typically 14–16 units a term, make satisfactory progress on General Education, and finish the lower-division courses required or recommended for the intended major (the page points to “Additional Coursework by Major”, which I did not read; check what economics needs).
• Math: a C or better in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II in high school, or Intermediate Algebra in college. California community college students should complete the equivalent of Writing 130.
• Units: no minimum number of transfer units, but if you will have fewer than 30 transferable semester units by the end of spring, the decision rests largely on your high school record and/or SAT or ACT scores (optional).
• Materials: Common Application; final high school transcript; official transcripts from every college attended; your latest fall grades; letters of recommendation only if the department asks; international transfer applicants need TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, PTE or a qualifying SAT/ACT score from the past two years.
• Into economics: name economics as your first-choice major. ECON 303, 305 and 318 must be taken at USC, so transferred courses do not replace them (see above).

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common Application with economics as first-choice major; ED/EA November 1 or RD January 10; tests optional
• One recommendation (counselor or teacher); three years of high school math including Algebra II
• If you need aid, FAFSA and CSS Profile by the dates above; California residents also apply for a Cal Grant
• After enrolling, meet an economics advisor to declare; take ECON 203, 205 and calculus, then 303, 305, 317, 318 (C or better)

International applicants (including China):

• Common Application; English exam at the minimums above, no waivers; transcripts with certified translation; proof of funds within two weeks of the deadline
• No need-based aid; Merit Scholarships are possible
• China: Chinese National Curriculum expectations are above; gaokao requirements are not published, so ask the admission office
• Only the Economics B.A., Economics and Data Science B.S. and Economics/Mathematics B.S. appear on the department’s STEM list

Transfer applicants:

• February 15, 2027 for most majors; at least one year of full-time college work; name economics as first choice
• ECON 303, 305 and 318 must be taken at USC; check “Additional Coursework by Major” for lower-division courses

Sources: University of Southern California, First-year applicants; International students; Transfer students; What we look for; Academic expectations for international students; Cost and financial aid; Economics: undergraduate education; Economics: majors and minors; Economics: FAQ; Economics B.A. degree sheet (PDF); Economics and Data Science B.S. degree sheet (PDF); Economics/Mathematics B.S. degree sheet (PDF). Most admission deadlines on the pages carry no year (the aid and transfer dates print 2026 and 2027). The degree-sheet PDFs are marked as updated in September–October 2024 for 2024-2025. Check USC for the latest details and confirm the entry year (fall 2027).