Rossier School of Education
Graduate Degrees
Admission
Applicants for admission to graduate degree programs must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Admission to graduate programs in the Rossier School of Education is highly selective and competitive. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is usually expected as well as satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test and three letters of recommendation. Specific testing and recommendation requirements vary by program. For specific information on admission and application procedures, contact the Office of Admission and Recruitment, (213) 740-0224.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) or better to stay in good academic standing. Consistent with USC’s overall policies for graduate students, factors other than satisfactory grades may also be taken into consideration in decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a graduate degree program. These factors include satisfactory performance in fieldwork or credentialing requirements, or meeting program-defined professional standards, which are communicated to students at the beginning of the program.
Students who do not earn or maintain a 3.0 (A = 4.0) grade point average in an academic term will be given an academic warning in the following term. Students may also be given an academic warning if they are have not fulfilled non-GPA related requirements, as defined by their degree program. The academic warning provides notification that the student is subject to dismissal. A student who is not in good academic standing is subject to dismissal, and may be dismissed from a program whenever, in the judgment of the associate dean for academic programs and the program director of the program in question, it is unlikely that the student will successfully complete his or her program.
Time Limit for Degree Completion
The time limit for completing a master’s degree is five years. The time limit for completing a doctoral degree is eight years. For students who earned an applicable master’s degree within five years prior to admission to the doctorate, the time limit for completion is six years.
The time limit begins with the first course at USC applied toward a specified degree and ends the semester during which all requirements are met.
A primary consideration of the setting of time limits is the currency of the course work and research with respect to the date the degree is to be conferred. Equally important is the concern that the faculty members serving as advisers or committee members be available to the student for the duration of graduate studies at USC.
Occasionally a student finds it impossible to comply with prescribed time limits for completion of a degree. If a significant delay is likely to occur, the student must make arrangements in advance by petitioning for an extension of time. Such petitions will be considered when there is clear justification based on sound academic or critical personal reasons. An academic department may grant an extension of up to one year at a time for a maximum of two years.