MNLM FAQs

For 2021-22, the average GPA was 3.31 and the interquartile range for admitted students was between 2.99 – 3.58.

USC’s tuition is based on a per unit rate of $2,354 for students who enroll in 1-14 units each semester for the 2024-2025 academic year. The MNLM is a 40 unit program. The cost of attendance varies by semester and depends upon the number of units taken and number of semesters enrolled. Detailed information concerning tuition and fees can be found in the USC Schedule of Classes.

Students may complete the MNLM program in 1, 2, or 3+ years on a part-time or full-time basis. Learn more at MNLM Course Sequencing.

Please visit USC Price Student Facts to learn more about our student population.

Students take courses at the USC University Park Campus. Most courses are weekly, meeting once a week in the afternoon or evening for a 3.5-hour session over the entire 16-week semester.

Some working professionals find it easier to balance their scholarship with other demands by enrolling in Intensive Courses, where in-class time is concentrated into blocks of full-day instruction, affording students extensive time for independent study. In many cases, this in-person contact is supplemented by online activities outside of course meetings.

On occasion, MNLM students may choose to enroll in online courses.

The limit for transferable coursework is eight units. All transferred coursework must be approved by USC Price.

Transfer work must have been completed within seven years of admission or readmission to a USC master’s degree program. Students wishing to transfer coursework that is more than seven years old may request to do so, but they will need to demonstrate that the content remains current.

Yes. Non-degree students may enroll in some classes, however there are restrictions. Students may enroll in classes as a “limited status” student with permission from the degree program director. To apply for this designation, the student must complete a limited student status application and provide official or unofficial copies of your transcripts showing a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. The maximum number of units a student may complete under the limited status designation is 12 units (the limit for most Price programs is 8 units). Requirements for limited status can be found here.

STATISTICS PREREQUISITE
Students must demonstrate basic competence in a descriptive and inferential statistics course from an accredited institution with a grade of “B” or better within three years of matriculation.

If a course has not been completed within this timeframe or a lesser grade was earned, you may enroll in a non-USC statistics course the summer prior to your USC matriculation and you must complete the course before the first day of the fall semester. Once you begin taking courses at USC, you may not be enrolled in a non-USC statistics course and request it be used to fulfill the statistics prerequisite. Instead, you must enroll in PPD 504 – Essential Statistics for Public Management within the first 12 units.

ACCEPTABLE SUMMER COURSES
• UC or Cal State extension statistics courses
• Community college statistics courses, preferably in the social science or business department (some may require placement exams or waitlist students)
• Online courses are acceptable as long as academic institution is regionally accredited and an official transcript can be sent
• PPD 504 offered during Summer at USC

VERIFICATION AND TRANSCRIPT PROCESS
If you enroll in a non-USC statistics course in the summer prior to your matriculation at USC, you must complete the course before the first day of the fall semester and follow these steps to provide verification of completing the course:

1. Send official transcript to:
USC Price Office of Recruitment and Admissions
c/o Will Coucheron-Aamot
650 Childs Way, RGL 111
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626 (list last 4 digits as this is our mail code)
*This transcript does not get mailed to the Registrar as it is a prerequisite requirement for the MNLM program.*

2. Once official transcript has been received/grade verified, statistics prerequisite requirement and subsequent course prerequisite waivers will be entered into your record.

No thesis is required. MNLM students complete a capstone project, whereby they work collaboratively in small teams as consultants to a local nonprofit and philanthropic organization. Recent projects include: strategic plan development, formal stakeholder analysis for grant making, board & leadership structure reorganization plan, workplace culture and wellness assessment, community needs assessment.

Once a student begins the MNLM program, applicable coursework (such as a statistics course) may not be taken at another university. A student does, however, have the opportunity to take coursework in different schools at the University of Southern California if a request is approved by both the Price School and the partnering school.

• Complete the a USC Graduate Application
• Submit the $90 application fee
• Send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Current resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose of approximately 750-1,500 words addressing the specified questions
• USC Price Scholarship Application Essays (Optional)

Fall:
December 15 (scholarship deadline)
May 1 (international applicant final deadline)
July 1 (domestic applicant final deadline)

The USC Office of Graduate Admissions offers opportunities to receive an application fee waiver. Please look here for qualifiers and how to request an application fee waiver.

If you encounter problems with technical aspects of the application, you can seek help by clicking the tech support button located at the top or bottom of the application. That button should read “contact us”.

E-transcripts: USC now accepts official electronic transcripts, provided they meet the following guidelines:

• The transcript originates from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.

• The school is located in the United States. If located outside the United States, we accept electronic transcripts only from India sent via TrueCopy Credentials. We do not accept electronic transcripts from any other overseas institutions or vendors.

Please instruct the vendor to email the transcript to [email protected] . Do not send any other materials or correspondence to this email address yourself. Electronic transcripts e-mailed to any other address will not be downloaded, resulting in a delay of your file review and an extra expense to you because the transcript will need to be re-sent.

If you transcripts need to be mailed If sending your transcripts via regular mail,
University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission
3601 South Flower Street, Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915
 
If sending your transcripts via courier service, such as DHL or FedEx,
University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission and Financial Aid
3601 South Flower Street, Tyler 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

When evaluating an applicant for admission we are interested in both the academic and professional potential of an applicant. A letter of recommendation from a former professor aids the admission committee in determining the academic potential of a student. Letters of recommendation must be done through the online application, and letters through the online system can be submitted before an application is submitted. USC Price WILL NOT accept hard copy letters of recommendation nor will we accept other supplemental materials through postal mail.

We recommend students submit transcripts from ALL colleges or universities wherein a student took coursework that will be cited on the application or that appears on transcripts from an institution at which they did receive a degree. Study abroad transcripts, however, do not need to be sent. Please contact the USC Office of Graduate Admission  to learn about the university requirements for transcripts.

Our staff works to process the materials in a timely fashion as soon as an application is submitted. You will be contacted within a couple weeks of submission to inform you of any materials that are missing. Once all materials are received, you will get an email notification.

For letters of recommendation, the online application system allows you to track when those letters have been submitted and also allows you to send reminders to your recommenders. Please be aware that supporting documents and scores are not matched to applications until the application is submitted and a 10-digit USC ID number is created.

Yes. USC Price offers scholarship for domestic and international students. Please visit the Financial Aid section of our Web site for more details and an application.

The USC Financial Aid Office also provides financial aid packages to U.S. citizens and eligible non-U.S. citizens for loans and work-study.

For applications submitted by the scholarship deadline of Dec. 15, the committee typically starts releasing decisions in late Feb.

The committee continuously reviews applications and releases decisions from March through our final deadline of July 1st.

No. To protect the privacy of the applicant, we only share information on the status of an application with the applicant.

Price has discontinued the GRE/GMAT requirement for admissions review. Applications will be reviewed holistically.

IMPORTANT: USC does not set minimum scores for admission purposes. The scores listed below are used for placement purposes only to determine if an admitted student will need to take the International Student English (ISE) Examination upon arrival at USC

TOEFL: No lower than a total score of 100 on the Internet-based test, with no less than 20 on each of the four test components.

IELTS: Score of 7, with no less than 6.5 on each band score.

TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old from your intended start date. For example, if you wish to start in fall 2019, scores cannot be older than August 2017. USC Price only accepts the Internet- based version of the exam. USC Price doen’t accept paper-based exam.

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. We are unable to make any exceptions to this policy. Official scores must be received directly from the testing service and date no earlier than 2 years (24 months) prior to the start of your intended first term at USC. USC Graduate Admissions | English Proficiency

All transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas must be written in the original language. All original-language documents must be accompanied by a separate, word-for-word English translation.

The U.S. government requires all international applicants provide proof-of-ability to pay tuition and living expenses for themselves and their dependents (if applicable) before a formal letter of admission and an I-20 or DS-2019 Eligibility Certificate can be issued. A missing financial statement will delay the processing of the I-20 or DS-2019.

The Office of International Services (OIS) at USC offers a wide range of services, including help with official documents, immigration questions, employment, financial aid and practical matters. For questions about your I-20, please refer to the Ask USC page. More information for international student support can be found here.

There are two ways to do this:

1. You may obtain your own I-20, enter the United States, and then apply for your family members’ I-20 forms through the USC Office of International Services (OIS).
2. Alternatively, you may obtain I-20 forms for your family members before you arrive in the United States. You must provide the following information for each of your dependents:
• Last (family), first (given) and middle name, exactly as each name appears on the passport. Please write the last name in all capital letters.
• Date of birth (month/day/year)
• Country of birth
• Country of citizenship
• Relationship to you (husband, wife, son or daughter)

Contact [email protected] for more information.

Yes, while international students are not eligible for need-based loans, they are able to compete for scholarships.

The supportive academic environment at USC Price prepares applicants to become leaders in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Graduates typically compete well in the job market. In addition, the Price School offers many opportunities for students to make invaluable alumni, mentor, and professional contacts through our programs and student services.  Lifelong job resources are available to all Price alumni who graduate from one of our programs.

Yes. Graduate students may take relevant graduate-level courses in other departments at USC. Students must receive approval from both the Price School and the department/school under which the course is listed.  In most cases, students may take some of their electives in another graduate program.  Students should seek approval from a degree director prior to taking coursework in another department.

Limited space is available for on-campus graduate housing. Most students choose to live off-campus in the nearby area or in other popular neighborhoods around Los Angeles. It is easier than ever now to get around the city, with a metro rail and metro bus stops directly adjacent to the University Park campus. Information about on campus housing can be found here.

Appointments are encouraged and Price School staff are happy to schedule an admission visit. Prospective students have several options when visiting our program. Choose to visit a class, speak to a current student, and/or speak with an admissions representative – we are committed to answering all of your questions.  Please allow at least one week to accommodate a formal visit request online.

To speak with a current student, visit the Student Ambassadors section of our Web site.