Graduate & Professional Degrees

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Understanding taxation is critical to every business decision and many personal decisions as well. Whether you are preparing for a career as a tax professional in public accounting, industry, government or the investment arena or are starting your own business, tax planning must be done. Because of the complexity of the tax law and its pervasive influence, people facing tax decisions routinely call on tax professionals for advice in planning and structuring their affairs in order to comply with the law and to ensure economic good sense.

The practice of tax is becoming increasingly analytic and data driven. The environment demands great thinking about business, financial and taxation issues. It includes sophisticated IT systems and demands leading edge processes to understand and interact with those systems.

The Master of Business Taxation with an emphasis in data and analytics (MBT) delivers a firm foundation in taxation with a focus on data and analytics and the enabling of IT capabilities. This program provides a rigorous approach and will require students to develop strong analytical skills while focusing on such areas as tax research, corporate taxation, accounting methods, and multijurisdictional taxation. Tax instruction is further enhanced by incorporating data analysis into the tax curriculum with the goal of providing students with an understanding of how to capture data, analyze it, draw conclusions and present those conclusions to disparate audiences.

Admission requirements can be reviewed by visiting https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/accounting-masters/master-of-business-taxation.

Application

The MBT is open to individuals who have earned the equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited program. An undergraduate degree in accounting or business is not necessary, nor is work experience a requirement. The program enrolls students in the summer or fall based on their academic background. For application information visit https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/accounting-masters/master-of-business-taxation.

Program Requirements

The Master of Business Taxation (MBT) degree requires 45 units, including fundamentals, core requirements and electives. A student with an undergraduate degree in accounting or the equivalent may be able to waive 15 units for a total degree requirement of 30 units.

The Leventhal School of Accounting Master’s Program Office evaluates the academic background of each admitted student to determine the courses required to complete the program.   

Students admitted for summer term start with ACCT 525x Intensive Accounting Principles and Practices — an eight-week course for students who have not completed undergraduate degrees or other extensive course work in accounting. This course must be completed successfully prior to beginning the core in the fall.

Students admitted for fall term holding a bachelor’s degree in Accounting are waived from the 15-unit ACCT 525x course, reducing the number of units required to earn the degree to 30.

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The Master of Business Taxation for Working Professionals (MBT.WP) program is designed for students who wish to remain fully employed while pursuing their graduate studies. The program is very flexible, allowing students to complete classes either on ground at the University Park Campus or online. Entering students must have a minimum of one year of experience in tax.

The Master of Business Taxation (MBT.WP) program offers students: 1) technical and conceptual knowledge; 2) professional development; 3) applied data analysis; 4) research/life-long learning; 5) ethics and professional standards; and 6) globalization and diversity. For more details, see the program website at marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/accounting-masters/master-of-business-taxation-for-working-professionals.

Application

An undergraduate accounting or business major is not necessary though one year of work experience in tax is required. The program enrolls students in the summer or fall. For application information visit marshall.usc.edu/programs/graduate-programs/accounting-masters/master-of-business-taxation-for-working-professionals.

Program Requirements

The program requires completion of 30 units. Degree requirements consist of five core courses and 15 elective units. 

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The Business Taxation Graduate Certificate is designed for students who wish to remain fully employed while pursuing their graduate studies online. 

The program offers students 1) technical and conceptual knowledge, 2) professional development, 3) research and lifelong learning, 4) ethical and professional standards, and 5) globalization and diversity. For details on these student learning outcomes, see the program website at marshall.usc.edu/mbt/academics.

The Certificate can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Application

An undergraduate accounting or business major is not necessary though one year of work experience in tax is required. The program enrolls students in the summer or fall. For application information visit marshall.usc.edu/mbtwp/admissions.

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The PhD program in Cancer Biology and Genomics (CBG) focuses on training investigators in strategies to understand the mechanisms of cancer development and progression which includes cell biological and genomic approaches. The ultimate objective is to translate basic findings into diagnostics, treatments and ultimate cures. The program applies a multidisciplinary approach toward these goals, with the full realization that cancers in different organs represent different diseases. However all cancers relate to uncontrolled cell proliferation with many cancers having a strong genetic predisposition. Consequently, major features of this program include the breadth of medically related interests and training and faculty characterized by wide and varied skills in many cancer-related research areas. To facilitate the application of multidisciplinary approaches to make cancer a disease of the past, close and regular contact between participating faculty of different disciplines and students is a major theme of this PhD program.

Cancer Biology and Genomics students are required to take CBG 580 and CBG 504 and must complete a total of 4 units from the following: INTD 549, INTD 685, MPTX 500, PM 512, PM 517a, PM 517b, PM 533*, PM 534*, PM 570*, PM 579, PM 599, TRGN 510, TRGN 514, TRGN 515 or other courses approved by the academic adviser. Starting from the second year and onwards, students must enroll in CBG 574 and CBG 580 during the fall and spring semesters until they graduate. In addition, students are required to complete at least 4 units of CBG 794a Doctoral Dissertation, CBG 794b Doctoral Dissertation.

PhD students must supplement course work by registering for CBG 790 Research during the fall, spring, and summer semesters as needed to complete the minimum 60 units required for the PhD program.

As part of the requirements for the PhD degree in Cancer Biology and Genomics, students must adhere to the unit/course requirements, guidance committee and dissertation committee guidelines and must complete the qualifying examination, annual research appraisal, and dissertation and oral defense as outlined in the sections following the descriptions of the PhD programs.

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USC Gould School of Law offers a two-year Master of Laws (LLM) program designed to introduce students to core doctrines of American law. During the first year, students explore the fundamental principles underlying the U.S. legal system by completing the Certificate in U.S. Legal Studies, and  any required American Language Institute (ALI) courses to improve their English fluency. During the second year, students enroll in courses to complete the Master of Laws (LLM) degree. Students must earn a GPA of 2.6 or higher in all LAW courses to earn the certificate and enroll in an LLM degree.

To qualify for admission to USC Gould School of Law’s Two-Year Extended LLM, students must have earned their first law degree (LLB or the equivalent) outside of the United States. However, students may be considered for admission if they provide evidence of recent legal work experience and hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in another field. For more information, please visit the USC Gould School of Law Website.

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The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering is awarded in strict conformity with the general requirements of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and requires 28 units. Minimum registration in CHE 501, CHE 530, CHE 538, CHE 542 is required. 

For Admission Requirements, refer to USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in chemical engineering is awarded in conformity with the general requirements of the Graduate School. See general requirements for graduate degrees.

Satisfactory completion of at least 60 units of approved graduate level course work beyond the baccalaureate, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 is required of all PhD students in engineering. The 60 units minimum include research courses (590, 690, 790) and 4 units of 794a and 794b Doctoral Dissertation. PhD students must also complete the core requirement for their major as listed below. The core courses make a part of the 60 units requirement. The number of units taken at USC can be reduced by transferring graduate credits from another institution. Transfer/Waiver units are subject to approval by the Degree Progress Department (for course work taken at institutions in the United States) or by International Admission (for course work taken at institutions outside the United States), by the faculty adviser, and by each degree’s respective department directors. Faculty advisers may also request students to take additional courses outside of the core requirements including specific elective courses.

Departmental Policies and Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for the PhD described in this catalogue, candidates in chemical engineering are required to demonstrate proficiency in the following fields: thermodynamics, transport and chemical engineering kinetics. In addition, students must register in the department seminar course CHE 550 each semester for four semesters or until they pass their qualifying exam, whichever is earlier. 

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Course Requirements

Completion (with no course grade lower than B-) of 24 units of courses selected from chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering, with an overall grade point average not lower than B. These courses must be selected with the advisement and approval of first, the research adviser, and then the thesis chair. All other requirements and procedures are the same as for the PhD in Chemistry.

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Qualifying Exam Committee

The qualifying exam committee is composed of the research adviser, three other members of the Chemistry Department, and one member from outside the Chemistry Department. The committee is appointed prior to the screening procedure.

Course Requirements

The student must pass a series of graduate courses totaling at least 24 units. The qualifying exam committee may require more than 24 units of graduate course work. Sixty units of registration, including CHEM 790 and CHEM 794a CHEM 794b CHEM 794c CHEM 794d CHEM 794z, are required for the PhD Registration for CHEM 790 and CHEM 794a CHEM 794b CHEM 794c CHEM 794d CHEM 794z should be done with the approval of the staff graduate adviser.

Screening Procedure

The screening requirements designated by the department for continuation in the doctoral program are: an overall grade point average of B or better in at least 24 units by the end of the fourth semester of course work with no grade lower than B-; and a successful research seminar presented by the student to the qualifying exam committee. Only students who have passed the screening requirements are allowed to take the qualifying examination.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination requires the presentation of two original research proposals, or one original research proposal and one critical review of a scientific article, and oral defense of all of these. The qualifying examination is administered by the qualifying exam committee, which should not be chaired by the research adviser.

Dissertation

An acceptable dissertation based on completion of an original research project is required. The candidate must defend an approved penultimate draft of the dissertation in an advertised oral thesis defense lecture, which is open to the scientific community. The dissertation committee consists of three members of the qualifying exam committee including the research adviser and the outside member.

Foreign Language Requirement

The department has no foreign language requirement.

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The graduate certificate in Child and Family Well-Being is intended to guide specialized integrated practice with children and families. Course work applied to this certificate incorporates specialized practice with young children, adolescents, and policy practice regarding children, and issues regarding child protection. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to add a selective course that will enhance their practice with children and families such as substance use, domestic violence, and transition-age youth.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers university certificates that provide students advanced practice or research training through a social change and intercultural competence lens that emphasizes community advocacy. Certificates are designed to complement and deepen training provided through our degree programs by focusing on experiential application of concepts in relation to particular client populations, settings, and systems. Each certificate consists of at least 12 units, which may in part be satisfied by courses completed for a degree program. Certificates are also available to graduate students from other disciplines and to employed professionals.

The graduate certificate in Child and Family Well-Being requires a minimum of 12 units.