Marshall School of Business

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business History

University of Southern California, founded in 1880, is a private, coeducational institution. The 150-acre campus is located in an urban area 1.5 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is 31,848.

The Marshall School of Business was founded in 1960 and is located on the main campus, in its own building, Popovich Hall. Courses also are offered at the Orange County campus in Irvine, (MBA, PM), in San Diego (EMBA), and in Shanghai (Global Executive MBA). The basic educational approach is a mix of theory and practice, with the use of cases and heavy emphasis on a hands-on approach and teamwork.

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Academics

Marshall offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA), Master of Accounting (MAcc), Master of Business Taxation (MBT), and Master of Medical Management (MMM) as well as a doctoral program, and joint degrees in law (JD/MBA and JD/MBT), planning (MBA/MPL), real estate development (MBA/MRED), pharmacy (PharmD/MBA), gerontology (MBA/MSG), industrial and systems engineering (MBA/MS), dental surgery (MBA/DDS), East Asian studies (MBA/MA), medicine (MD/MBA), Jewish communal service (MBA/MA), social work (MBA/MSW), and education (MBA/EdD). Other programs include elective work at any of the university’s graduate and professional schools and foreign exchange or joint research with any of 23 partner schools in 21 countries. Domestic and international internship programs are available. The strongest areas of study are accounting, finance, strategy, leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship, international, operations management, and entertainment. The most popular courses are Financial Analysis and Valuation, Corporate Financial Strategy, Marketing and Consumer Research, and Negotiation and Persuasion. Regular programs bring distinguished speakers and visiting professors to campus. Visiting professors teach for 1 semester or 1 year; all academic departments have regular research seminar series with distinguished presenters. The Executive-in-Residence program brings in business leaders to teach over a semester.

Sixty-three total credits are required to complete the MBA, including 30 elective credits. Required courses include:

• Managerial Economics
• Applied Managerial Statistics
• Contemporary Issues in Global Economic Strategy
• Leadership Development: Theory, Practice, and Skills
• Accounting Concepts and Financial Reporting
• Management of Organizations
• Corporate Finance
• Operations Management
• Marketing Management
• Management Accounting
• Contemporary Issues in Competitive Strategy
• Business Practices in the Pacific Rim

Students may eliminate or substitute requirements by examination.

Business students may take relevant nonbusiness courses in other departments. The minimum time permitted to complete the master’s degree program attending full time is 1 year; maximum, 5 years. For students attending part time, the minimum is 3 years; maximum, 5 years.

There are 197 total full-time graduate business faculty, of whom 85% hold a doctorate; there are 11 part-time faculty, of whom 42% hold a doctorate. Faculty salaries are rated well above average for Category I institutions, based on the AAUP rating system. Average number of courses faculty teach is 4; average business class size is 36.

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Unique Programs

Library

The Crocker Business Library and the Leventhall School of Accounting house a collection of more than 100,000 volumes and 780,000 microform items, and subscribes to 1000 periodicals. The business library is particularly strong in marketing, management, finance, accounting, business communications, and international business. Students have access to such databases and networks as ABI/INFORM, Bloomberg, Business & Company Resource Center, Compustat, CRSP, EconLit, Factiva, Hoover’s, and Lexis/Nexis Academic, among others. Other opportunities for research consist of numerous campus libraries.

Computers

Graduate business students need not have their own PCs. The business school has its own computer facilities, consisting of the Keck Management Science Center in the Marshall School of Business, 3 PC labs, and 12 satellite centers. Also available is the university’s Learning Service Center, with Mac and IBM PCs, plus multimedia video disk and CD-ROM. Hundreds of additional PCs are accessible 24 hours a day at university-wide facilities. Network connectivity is provided in classrooms, study rooms, and 1 lecture hall.

Career and Job Placement

In spring 2006, 45 companies recruited on campus. Eighty-five percent were national corporations. Majors most in demand were finance, marketing, consulting, and operations management. Average starting salary of the graduating class was $87,750; range was $27,000 to $300,000. The percentage of graduates finding jobs were:

• national corporations 64%
• regional corporations 28%
• self-employment 8%

Placement services are extensive. Placement services for alumni include an on-line job board, job lead and alumni databases, workshops, and a career library. Placement is available through Keenan MBA Career Resource Center and the university placement office. Eighty-four percent of the most recent graduating class found jobs within three months of receiving their degree.

International Students

International students must take the TOEFL. International students must score 600 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT). They also must submit a translation of their transcripts, proof of health consisting of measles clearance, and proof of adequate funds to cover 1 year of study. There are special fees for mandatory health insurance. Financial aid is available for these students. The application deadline for fall entry is April 1.

Calendar

The school operates on a traditional semester basis. Semesters are 15 weeks long; summer sessions, 11 weeks. Graduate programs are offered during the day and evening and weekends.

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Admissions

A bachelor’s degree is required. A strong mathematics background is required.

The number of applicants for the 2006-2007 class was 1483; 533 were accepted; 218 enrolled. The average GPA was 3.3; average GMAT score was 685. Transfers are not accepted. The school is a member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a group of 12 schools that actively recruits minority applicants.

Students may begin the MBA program in the fall only. To apply, students must submit an application form, a transcript, GMAT scores, a nonrefundable application fee of $150, 2 letters of recommendation, and 3 essays. The application deadline is April 1 for fall entry. Students are notified December, February, March, and May of the admissions decision. Once accepted, students may defer admission for 1 year only, subject to the approval of the director of admissions.

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Financial Aid

About 90% of graduate business school students receive financial aid from scholarships, loans, and graduate assistantships, for a total average of $18,500 annually; maximum $37,000. Stipends and programs are available for minority students through the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Other school-funded scholarships are also available. The FAFSA, the school’s own financial statement, and the previous year’s tax return are required. Check with the school for current application deadlines.

Tuition for all students is $38,245 per year. On-campus room and board costs approximately $14,000; books and supplies, $1500; personal expenses, $2000; and other fees, $1650, for an estimated annual total of $57,395. Graduate student housing is available on campus and in the surrounding community, including beach areas. There is a referral service to help procure off-campus housing.

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Students

Thirty-five percent of the current graduate business school class are enrolled full time; 98% have had an average of 5 years of full-time work experience prior to entering graduate school, a factor preferred by the school. The greatest percentage of students are from California (68%). Thirty percent are women, 38% are minorities, and 14% are foreign nationals. The average age at entrance is 28; ages range from 21 to 62. Two percent enter directly from undergraduate school; 13% already have a graduate degree. Students’ undergraduate majors were as follows: 29%, engineering; 25%, social sciences; 21%, business; and 18%, economics. About 1% of entering students leave by the end of the first year due to academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive their degree. In 2006, 637 graduate business degrees were awarded.