Online Graduate Business Degree Available at USC
The University of Southern California appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Doctorate in Leadership Online Programs.
The University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, one of the top business schools in the country, offers an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree that is designed to help students succeed in today’s digitally driven business world. The program blends the school’s expertise in educating future business leaders with its experience teaching students in an online learning environment.
The online MBA program infuses skills in emerging topics such as remote team management, virtual communications, and analytics with a foundation of core disciplines. The goal of the program is to ensure that graduates are well-prepared to face many challenges as leaders in the evolving global marketplace while cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. The USC Marshall School of Business is also committed to providing high-quality education to its students, so it intentionally keeps its cohort size small. The program utilizes many of the same full-time faculty as the highly ranked on-campus MBA program, bringing to the classroom a wealth of experience in a number of industries.
The coursework provides students with the camaraderie and rigor they would expect of a top-ranked MBA program, pairing a comprehensive curriculum with powerful virtual tools. Every course is specifically designed top-to-bottom for an online format. Each class uses real-world, contemporary scenarios to help students develop the skills and knowledge that today’s employers expect of executive-level leaders, including effective remote and virtual collaboration, efficient communication, and decision-making through metrics.
Students begin the online MBA program with a one-week residential intensive during which faculty and students come together face-to-face and complete the program’s first course: The Role of the Manager. The remainder of the MBA program is completed fully online with synchronous, live classes conducted via webcam as well as asynchronous coursework that includes videos, case studies, group assignments, and interactive scenarios.
After students complete the three-credit Role of the Manager course, they may continue with the other required courses. They must take a 10-unit course that studies the fundamentals of business, a 9.5-unit course on how to manage outside the firm, an 8-unit course on how to manage inside the form, an 8-unit course on opportunity recognition and development, a 9.5-unit course on business environment and leadership, and two 1.5-unit electives for a total of 51 units. Students typically take one course per semester, and they can earn the online MBA degree in as few as five semesters.
Ultimately, the online MBA program teaches students to become forward-thinking leaders in the diverse field of business who can analyze a situation from various perspectives in order to create and implement practical, effective solutions. Through weekly, live class sessions conducted via webcam, engaging video content produced at the in-house studio at USC Marshall, and a one-week on-campus residency, students complete a flexible, integrated program and become prepared for successful business leadership.
About the University of Southern California
Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California (SC or USC) is a private research university located in Los Angeles, California and the oldest of its kind in the state. Many of the country’s business professionals and leaders graduated from USC, and its Los Angeles-based main campus has strived to establish relationships with various cultural and research institutions throughout the Pacific Rim and Asia. USC offers four-year undergraduate programs as well as graduate and professional programs in a number of fields of study, including engineering, business, social work, law, and medicine. Notable alumni include the founders of major corporations and organizations such as Qualcomm, Lucasfilm, Tinder, Myspace, Intuit, and Riot Games. As of 2017, USC has reportedly produced the fourth largest number of billionaire alumni out of all undergraduate universities and colleges worldwide.
University of Southern California Accreditation Details
The University of Southern California has earned accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since March 6, 1949. WASC is one of six regional accrediting agencies in the country that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. WASC accreditation allows USC to apply for federal aid for its students and indicates that USC meets the highest standards of institutional capacity, academic quality, and educational effectiveness. In addition, the Marshall School of Business at USC offers an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program that is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a recognition earned by fewer than five percent of all business schools in the U.S.
University of Southern California Application Requirements
Students who wish to earn an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Southern California must hold a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and have at least two years of work experience. Online MBA candidates must submit a completed graduate application, official and unofficial transcripts, and an official GRE or GMAT score report, which is valid for five years from the date of the exam. Other required application materials include a current professional resume, an essay, a $155 application fee, and three letters of recommendation, one of which is written by a professional contact. Final candidates may also be required to participate in an interview via video web conference.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students pursuing the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Southern California will pay a total tuition cost of $99,437 for their degree. This does not include a $5,500 program fee, $7,192 for two years of student health insurance, approximately $1,000 for textbooks, and travel to the USC campus in Los Angeles for the residential intensive week. Students who are admitted into the program will also need to pay a $2,500 commitment deposit to secure their place, although this fee will be applied to the students’ tuition expenses.
As soon as students submit their application for admission, they are encouraged to apply for financial aid. To begin the process, students must submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), submit financial aid supplements, and provide any additional information requested by the Financial Aid Office. Possible forms of student aid that may be available include payment plans, employer reimbursement, and a limited number of scholarships. In addition, the University of Southern California is a Forte Foundation Business School Sponsor and thus considers female students for the Forte Fellow Program after they are accepted into the online MBA program.