How to Apply to Undergraduate Business at USC Marshall School of Business: Business Administration, Accounting and Other Degrees and the World Bachelor in Business, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of Southern California (USC), undergraduate business is taught by the Marshall School of Business, a four-year, STEM-designated business school. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on USC’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Degrees and how to enter

• Direct first-year admission: students who want the BS in Business Administration or Accounting apply to the Business Administration major as their first choice, and can take business courses from their first semester, mixing business and non-business courses each term.
• BS Business Administration (BUAD): the core covers leadership and organizational behavior, micro and macroeconomics, financial and managerial accounting, corporate finance, marketing, business analytics, data science, operations, communication and strategy, with about 32 free electives. Optional emphases (12–16 units) include Business Analytics, Communication, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Marketing, Leadership and Innovation, Real Estate Finance and Risk Management, plus an International Relations emphasis.
• Other degrees: Accounting (Leventhal School of Accounting), Accounting and Finance (four years, 128 units), AI for Business (with the Viterbi School of Engineering), Business of Cinematic Arts, Business of Innovation, and Real Estate Finance and Development.
• World Bachelor in Business (WBB): students are admitted to and earn degrees from USC Marshall, HKUST and Bocconi University in Milan, choosing one of the three for their fourth year, and pay the tuition of the school where they are in residence. WBB accepts applications only by 1 November (ED or EA) and no longer takes Regular Decision applicants; 1 November is also the deadline for WBB merit consideration.
• Current USC students in other majors can apply for internal admission to Marshall through Marshall’s student affairs office.

2. Application plans and timeline

• Early Decision: due 1 November 2026, decisions on 15 December. Marshall offers binding ED for its business and accounting programs: you may not apply ED elsewhere, and if admitted you must enroll and withdraw other applications.
• Early Action: due 1 November 2026, non-binding, with decisions or deferral in late January.
• Regular Decision: due 10 January 2027, decisions by 1 April.
• Scholarships: for most majors, apply by 1 November (ED or EA) to be considered for USC Merit Scholarships.
• Materials: the Common Application, all high school and college transcripts, one recommendation and fall grades when available; no admission interviews. At least three years of high school math with C or better, including Algebra II.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Chinese national curriculum: USC says admitted students mostly have marks of 90+ out of 100 or 135+ out of 150. USC does not explain how Gaokao results are used.
• International curricula: the full IB Diploma with scores of 5–7 and predicted grades; for A-levels, IGCSE or GCSE results and all predicted A-levels, with competitive applicants predicted at least three B grades.
• Test-optional: the SAT and ACT are optional for 2027-28 entry.
• English (recommended minimums): TOEFL 5 overall and 4 per section on the scale used from 21 January 2026 (100 overall and 20 per section before); IELTS 7; PTE 68; C1 Advanced 185; or SAT Reading and Writing 650 or ACT English 27. There are no waivers for non-native speakers, TOEFL ITP Plus for China is not accepted, and Duolingo (minimum 130) is only for those who cannot take the other tests.
• Financial documents: all international applicants upload proof of funding for at least the first year within two weeks of the deadline.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• USC’s guidance does not list Canada- or BC-specific requirements; use USC’s international credentials tool by country or ask Admission.
• Canadian citizens are international students: non-native English speakers must submit a test, financial documents are required, and need-based aid is not available.

5. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 cost (USD, on campus): tuition 75,384, fees 1,952, housing 13,510, dining 8,442, books 670, transportation 1,188 and personal 2,016, for a total of 103,162. 2027-28 figures are not yet published. WBB students pay HKUST or Bocconi tuition while in residence there.
• No need-based aid for international students.
• Merit scholarships: all international applicants who apply on time are eligible, from a few thousand dollars to full tuition; they are competitive and cannot be used to show ability to pay.

6. Transfer students

• Deadline: business falls under “all other majors”, due 15 February 2027, with decisions or a request for spring grades by late May.
• Marshall transfer eligibility: applicants who want a decision weighted on college work should present at least 30 transferable units, including business prerequisites equivalent to USC’s WRIT 130/140 and MATH 118 or higher. With fewer than 30 units, admission relies mainly on high school records.
• Marshall Pathways Program (MPP): Marshall invites some students who were close to first-year admission to apply as sophomore transfers, with transfer counseling and support. It is by invitation.
• Credit: AP, IB and similar exams count for up to 32 units; at least 64 units must be taken at USC, including upper-division major courses.
• English: non-native speakers must submit a recent English test.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• List Business Administration as your first-choice major; apply ED or EA by 1 November for scholarships or WBB
• TOEFL 5 (4 per section) or 100 on the old scale, or IELTS 7; do not use TOEFL ITP Plus
• Aim for marks of 90+; SAT or ACT optional
• Upload financial documents within two weeks of the deadline

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; non-native speakers must submit English scores, and financial documents are required

Transfer students:

• Apply by 15 February 2027 with 30 transferable units, including writing and a MATH 118 equivalent

Sources: University of Southern California, Marshall undergraduate admissions; Marshall Early Decision; Marshall undergraduate degrees; BS Business Administration; World Bachelor in Business; First-year applicants; International applicants; Academic expectations for international students; Transfer applicants; Scholarships; 2026-27 cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check USC for the latest details.