Admitted Ph.D. Students: Next Steps

 
If you have been selected for the POIR program, you will receive a letter from the USC Graduate School with an offer of admission. You will also receive a letter from POIR with a funding offer.
 
To accept the admission offer, you must log into yoUSC to certify your intent to enroll.
 
To accept the funding offer, you must click on the link included in the letter.
 
The deadline to accept your admission and funding offers is April 15.
 

 
After certifying your intent to enroll, you will receive an email about 1-2 business days later prompting you to activate your USC NetID. This will give you access to campus services, including your email account, myUSC portal, and the housing applicant portal.
 
To activate your USC NetID, go here: www.usc.edu/firstlogin
 

 
If you plan to live on campus, submit your application for graduate housing to USC Housing as soon as possible.
 
For 2024-2025, the priority deadline for applications is April 18.
 
Visit our Student Resources page to find additional options for housing and campus services.
 

 
Visit the I-20 processing website for information on how to apply for an I-20. Once you have received your I-20, you may apply for an F-1 visa.
 
The Office of Graduate Admission recommends that you begin this process at least 7 weeks before your intended arrival in Los Angeles. Please check with the POIR Program Advisor for deadlines on new and transfer I-20 applications.
 
Once you arrive in Los Angeles, you will need to complete your Immigration Status Verification (ISV) through the Office of International Services (OIS). You will be unable to register for courses until this is completed.
 

 
In July, the USC Office of Orientation Programs will reach out to you about the Graduate Orientation for fall admits. This will be held in August before classes begin.
 
The POIR Graduate Program will also hold its own orientation the week before classes begin.
 

 
Once you have activated your USC NetID, you may access myUSC and register for classes.
 
Before registering, you should review the POIR Guidelines to familiarize yourself with program requirements. All first-year students must take POIR 610 and POIR 611. Visit the schedule of classes to see what classes are offered.
 
Once you select the courses you want to take, you must request departmental clearance (D-Clearance) to register.
 
We recommend that international students submit their D-Clearance requests prior to arriving in Los Angeles, so that you may register for classes as soon as the visa verification is complete and OIS removes the registration hold on your account.
 
All students should be enrolled in at least 6 graduate credits (500-level or above) no later than the Friday before classes begin to avoid late fees and interruptions in stipend payments.
 

 
All students at USC are required to have immunizations for measles, mumps, varicella, and meningococcal disease (for those under 21). The COVID vaccine is strongly recommended. International students may also require a tuberculosis test.
 
Students are encouraged to complete all immunizations before they arrive, but if they are unable, they may complete them through USC Student Health. Students may request appointments through the mySHR patient portal.
 
Students must show proof of immunization when they arrive at USC. Failure to provide documentation may result in spring registration holds.
 
Students should also review their student health insurance options and enroll in dental coverage prior to the third week of classes.
 

 
Your USC ID card grants you access to buildings on campus, the ability to check out materials from the libraries, and to pay for meals and other campus services. All students must carry their USC ID on them whenever they are on campus.
 
Students may order their USC ID card for home delivery* or pick it up from Card Services when they arrive on campus.
 
*This service may not be available for international students.
 

 
If the Office of Graduate Admission sent you a communication requesting verification of a degree or official transcripts for institutions you previously attended, you must complete this before the end of the first semester at USC.