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Entry to the Ph.D. program is for the fall semester only, and admitted students must be able to arrive on campus by August 1 to participate in a compulsory Mathematics review program (and in the case of international students, an English language program). Applications should be submitted by December 1 of the previous year, though in some cases some documents such as official GRE and TOEFL scores and letters of recommendation can still be accepted after that date. When applying, time is of the essence. All application procedures must be completed well in advance of university deadlines to permit full review by the admission and financial aid committees. For example, all applicants should make every effort to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) — and applicants from non-English speaking countries should also take the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) — no later than October of the preceding year (for example, October 2006 for entry in August 2007). These tests have their own application process; typically, the sign-up deadlines are set at least a month before the test dates, and it may also take up to eight weeks for results to reach USC. It is up to you to find this exact information, as it may differ from country to country. Official transcripts of these scores are required. USC’s deadlines are not flexible, as admission is an official administrative process.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 1  FOR PH.D. ADMISSION.

Materials necessary for admission and financial assistance consideration are:

1. The USC graduate application for admission is available for download at Graduate Admissions, and additional information can be obtained by writing to:
   
   Morgan Ponder
   Department of Economics
   KAP 300
   University of Southern California
   Los Angeles, California 90089-0253
   U.S.A.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and certifications of degrees earned (if not indicated on the transcript). In the case of universities in non-English-speaking countries, you should include a transcript in the original language, as well as a certified translation into English.
3. Scores on the aptitude portion of the GRE.
4. Three letters of recommendation (preferably from professors who have taught you).
5. For non-native English speakers, scores on the TOEFL exam and the TSE. Scores on the TOEFL must exceed 250 on the new version of the exam.

Admission to the graduate program is based on the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate academic records, research records, scores on the GRE, recommendation letters, and the statement of purpose. Please note that GRE scores on the aptitude portion of the test are mandatory for admission and financial aid. Applications to the GRE, Test of Spoken English (TSE), and TOEFL exams are available from:

Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Box 955
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
U.S.A.

Official copies of these test scores are required for admission, but you should send an unofficial photocopy of your scores directly to the Department of Economics as soon as you receive them. Usually ETS sends official transcripts directly to the school of your choice, but you must request them (again, it is up to you to check). If you have access to the Internet, we prefer that you apply online and send your supporting paper documents to Morgan Ponder in the Department of Economics. If you do not have access to the Internet, please send your application and all supporting documents directly to Morgan. This will accelerate the admission decision process. Do not hesitate to contact him at ponder@usc.edu for further information. We look forward to hearing from you.