Applying
to the Rossier School
If the USC Rossier School of Education Ed.D. Program feels like a good choice for you, we welcome your application for admission. The Ed.D. Program is highly selective; thus, applicants demonstrating leadership potential typically rise to the top of our candidate pool in the admissions process. We want students whose academic background, work experience, leadership abilities, and communication skills meet the demands of the program and show promise of a successful career in educational leadership.
While there are no minimum or cut-off scores, it is safe for you to benchmark your application by those who've successfully gained admission to the Ed.D. Program in the past.
- Click here to see
a profile of a previous year’s incoming class
- Click here to see a list of recent thematic dissertation titles written by Ed.D. students
For additional information on or about the program, please contact:
Office of Recruiting and Admissions
USC Rossier School of Education
Tel: (213) 740-0224
email: soeinfo@usc.edu
Application Process
Applying to the USC Rossier School of Education is a three-part process.
In order to apply for graduate study at the Rossier School of Education, prospective students must apply via an online application system, located at http://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/apply/. The online application system allows applicants to complete the application in sections. It is imperative that applicants save each section before proceeding to the next one. Before submission, applicants should print a full copy of the online application for their records.
In the online application, you will come to a section called Supporting Documents. In the Supporting Documents section, DO NOT submit a general Statement of Purpose. Instead, find the Supplemental Forms section on the cardinal-colored information bar on the left side of the page and click on the Education link. This will bring you to the Supplemental Application for the Rossier School of Education. Scroll down the Supplemental Application page to access the section marked Supplemental Questions and Essays for Ed.D. Applicants.
As part of the online application, applicants must also provide the following information for the Rossier School of Education:
- Applicants must complete the appropriate questions in the Supplemental Application section in the online application system.
- Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage applicants to have their recommenders submit their recommendation letters online. To do so, in the online application system, enter all required contact information for each recommender and then select “yes” when asked if recommenders will be providing a letter of recommendation online. The recommender will then receive an email and password from online application system so that they can complete the recommendation form. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their recommenders upload a letter of recommendation to the online system in addition to completing the standard form.
- Optional - Prospective students can apply for RSOE Merit Scholarships by completing the scholarship questions in the supplemental application section.
If you have any questions regarding the online application process, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadm@usc.edu, or the RSOE Office of Recruiting and Admissions at (213) 740-0224 or soeinfo@usc.edu.
After completing the online graduate application, applicants must send certain materials directly to USC:
- All program applicants must submit sealed official academic transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended.
- All program applicants, with the exception of TEFL applicants, must submit the official GRE score report from Educational Testing Service. More information about the GRE test can be found online at www.ets.org.
- Depending on specific program requirements, applicants may also be required to submit an official CBEST score report and/or TOEFL score report. Be sure to review the program-specific guidelines from Part One to ensure that all required materials are submitted.
Send to:
USC Office of Admission
Graduate
University Park Campus
Los Angeles , CA 90089-0915
Depending upon the particular program of study, the following materials may be required and should be sent directly to the Office of Recruiting and Admissions:
- Photocopy of GRE score report (include program name at the top of the sheet)
- Photocopy of TOEFL score report if you are an international applicant (include program name at the top of the sheet)
Please refer to the program-specific guidelines from Part One to ensure that all required materials are submitted.
Send to:
Office of Recruiting and Admissions
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
3470 Trousdale Parkway, WPH 800
Los Angeles, CA 90089-4038
Our Selection Criteria
The Ed.D. Admissions Committee takes a holistic look and carefully reads each application in its entirety, and relies on a wide range of indicators to determine your fit and aptitude for success in the program.
- Click here to see our admission criteria
Information for International Applicants
If you're an international applicant, we highly recommend that you apply by our priority deadline to ensure that an admissions decision is made in time for you to apply for an international student visa, which is required for study in the U.S. Allow at least two weeks for airmail to reach us. General questions about visas, academic documentation, or legal issues related to studying in the U.S. should be directed to the Office of International Services at (213) 740-2666.
If you're an international applicant and your native language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and receive a score of 600 or higher on the paper-based test (or 250 or higher on the computer-based TOEFL) to demonstrate proficiency in English and your ability to handle the demands of the Ed.D. Program. We require the TOEFL, even if you earned your bachelor's and master's degrees in the United States. The test is administered monthly in the United States and abroad. For information and a TOEFL registration packet, please contact:
TOEFL Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA
Telephone: (609) 771-7100
Web: www.toefl.org
E-mail: toefl@ets.org
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) website
