Graduate Students
Continuing Registration Requirement
Students admitted with continuing registration requirements have not yet met all requirements for admission to full graduate status or have not filed all relevant documents with the Office of Graduate Admission. See the Graduate and Professional Education section of the Catalogue for policies governing enrollment as a student with continuing registration requirements. Full graduate student standing is not granted until all registration requirements have been met within the time limit given.
Test of English as a Foreign Language, Pearson Test of English and International English Language Testing System
Graduate applicants at all levels are expected to demonstrate their English proficiency as part of the application process. International graduate applicants are required to submit scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), PTE (Pearson Test of English) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). There are no minimum TOEFL, PTE or IELTS scores required for admission. However, meeting the standards the university sets for placement will allow admitted international students to be exempt from taking the ISE examination. Please see the Graduate Admission section for more details. Official scores must be received from the testing service, and tests must be taken no earlier than two years (24 months) prior to the start of the student’s first term at USC.
Thesis 594
Master’s candidates who are writing a thesis and have completed all course work for the degree are 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/or defends the thesis, makes any committee-required revisions and submits all graduation forms and the thesis to the university. Guidelines and a list of required graduation forms are 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 Advisor, 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 Advisor, 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.
If the student is admitted to candidacy before the end of the third week of classes, the student should register for Dissertation 794 for the remainder of that semester. If the student is admitted to candidacy after the third week of classes, the student may not register for Dissertation 794 until the following semester.
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 required non-credit registration for graduate students who have completed all course work and are not otherwise registered while taking the master’s comprehensive (GRSC 810) or the doctoral qualifying examination (GRSC 800abz). Fees are equivalent to one unit of tuition. All registrations in the GRSC 800 series are subject to verification of the completion of the following prerequisites for each course.
GRSC 800 Studies for the PhD Qualifying Examination: Refer to the Graduate School section of the USC Catalogue for further information on eligibility to take the qualifying examination.
PhD students may enroll in one semester of GRSC 800a and one semester of GRSC 800b before enrolling in the third and final course: GRSC 800z. Students must obtain D clearance from the Graduate School to enroll in GRSC 800z. The qualifying exam must be completed before the end of the GRSC 800z term. PhD students may not enroll in more than three semesters of GRSC 800.
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.