Graduate Students
Admission to Graduate and Professional Course Work
Each summer the university offers a range of courses for regular credit in USC’s various graduate programs. Enrollment in the summer session does not in itself constitute admission to USC. Students who wish to be admitted and register in the fall semester must submit a formal application to the Office of Graduate and International Admission. Please note that the following graduate programs have separate admissions offices: Gould School of Law, Keck School of Medicine, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and the Marshall School of Business (MBA programs only).
Graduate and Professional Completion Course Work
Thesis 594
A master’s candidate who is writing a thesis and has completed all course work for the degree is to be registered in Thesis 594 each fall and spring semester, for a minimum of two semesters (594a and 594b). After 594a and 594b, a student must register and pay for 2 units of 594z each fall and spring semester until the student completes and defends the thesis, makes any committee-required revisions and submits all graduation forms and the thesis to the university. Detailed information and a list of required graduation forms is available on the Graduate School Website.
Students who have registered in 594a and 594b, submitted their completed and signed graduation forms to the university, and, once cleared by the thesis coordinator, uploaded their manuscript by the Add/Drop date of the fall or spring semester will not be required to register in 594 in that term. No more than 4 units of credit in 594 may be received or applied toward the degree regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to register. For programs subject to the policies of the Graduate School, students may not register for more than 2 units of 594 in a given semester.
Grades recorded for 594 will remain as “IP” (In Progress) until the degree is conferred. Credit will be applied toward 594a and 594b registrations when the degree has been cleared by the Degree Progress Department.
Students should consult the appropriate school or departmental section of the USC Catalogue for specific thesis registration requirements. Please refer to the Graduate School section of the USC Catalogue for further information.
Dissertation 794
Doctoral students who have been admitted to candidacy (i.e., after passing the qualifying examination), and are completing a dissertation, are to be registered in Dissertation 794 each fall and spring semester, for a minimum of two semesters (794a and 794b). After 794a and 794b, a student must register and pay for 2 units of 794 (794c, 794d, 794z) until the student completes and defends the dissertation, makes any committee-required revisions and submits all graduation forms and the dissertation to the university. Detailed information and a list of required graduation forms is available on the Graduate School Website.
Students who have registered in 794a and 794b, submitted their completed and signed graduation forms to the university, and, once cleared by the thesis coordinator, uploaded their manuscript by the Add/Drop date of the fall or spring semester will not be required to register in 794 in that term. Students may not register for more than 2 units of 794 in a given semester. Students may not register in 794 prior to being admitted to candidacy; such registrations are invalid. No more than 8 units of credit in 794 may be received regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to register. After registration in 794a, 794b, 794c and 794d, students must register and pay for 2 units of 794z although the registration carries zero units of credit.
Grades recorded for 794 will remain as “IP” (In Progress) until the degree is conferred. Credit will be applied toward 794abcd registrations when the degree has been cleared by the Degree Progress Department.
Please refer to the Graduate School section of the USC Catalogue for further information.
GRSC 800 Series
The GRSC 800 series is a mandatory non-credit registration for graduate students who have completed all course work and who are not otherwise registered while taking the master’s comprehensive or the doctoral qualifying examination. Fees are equivalent to 1 unit of tuition. All registrations are subject to verification of the completion of the following prerequisites for each course.
Students may enroll in three semesters of GRSC 800 before approval from the university is required.
GRSC 800 Studies for the Qualifying Examination: Refer to the Graduate School section of the USC Catalogue for further information on eligibility to take the qualifying examination.
GRSC 810 Studies for the Master’s Examination: completion of all course work for the master’s degree as verified on the Credit Summary. The Credit Summary is issued by the Degree Progress Department after the student has filed the proper forms with the appropriate school.