How To Apply – EAAS MA Program

$90 – Can be waived for USC employees, USC students/alumni, McNair Scholars, Pickering Fellows, and those with financial hardship. Please see more information on the USC Office of Graduate Admission FAQ.

All applications must include copies of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, including study abroad and language programs hosted at a college or university, after high school graduation.

For admissions purposes*, applicants may upload copies of these transcripts directly into the online application. Please follow the instructions on the USC Graduate Admissions website. Note: USC requires a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale in which A=4.0).

*If admitted, transcripts to verify degree completion must be sent to USC directly from the institution.

**USC is aware that some countries are experiencing extreme circumstances caused by armed conflict, social unrest or natural disasters. As a result, some prospective applicants from these countries may experience difficulties or delays in providing required documents such as transcripts or test scores, or with paying the application fee. If you anticipate such difficulties, please contact your intended department to discuss your options. We are here to help.

Please provide a personal statement about your interest in East Asian Studies. This is typically two-three pages in length, double-spaced, explaining why you are interested in obtaining an advanced degree in an interdisciplinary program, why you are interested in the East Asian Studies Center, and how it relates to your personal objectives and past experience. Add any other pertinent information concerning your qualifications.

Please submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation. Your letters should come from those who can best address your ability to successfully undertake graduate-level work. These may include professional or academic references. The online application allows you to e-mail your recommenders and request that they send their recommendations through e-mail or mail them as hard copies. If you receive hard copies of your recommendations, you may scan and upload them to your online application in the “Supporting Documents” section or send them to the USC Graduate Admissions address below.

If your recommenders are unable to upload their letters into the application system themselves (preferred method), we also accept submissions through Interfolio.

Please see the instructions for Interfolio below.

1. Log in to your Interfolio account and retrieve the Interfolio-generated email address.
2. Put this email address in place of your evaluator’s email address on our application.
3. Interfolio will receive the request and go in to upload the document.

See more detailed instructions on this process here.

Please provide a writing sample written in English.

• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores taken within two years of application submission date – Minimums for consideration: TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) or IELTS score of 7.Send your official TOEFL scores using the ETS institution code for USC: 4852. Send your official IELTS scores by choosing USC from the list of available institutions.
• Please visit Admission Requirements by Country on the USC Office of Graduate Admission website to verify whether your home country or country of study exempts you from the English test requirement.
• The Office of Graduate Admission has updated their Financial Documentation webpage to include clearer guidelines to better support international applicants with concerns about program costs, acceptable financial documentation, and how to correctly submit these documents.

Mail Documents To:

University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission
3601 South Flower Street
Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

Please do not mail any official test scores or other application documents to the East Asian Studies Center. Follow the instructions on the USC Graduate Admissions website and send all documents to their office and upload supplemental documents through the online application.