Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

POIR does not offer a terminal Master’s degree. The program is structured in such a way that only admitted Ph.D. students in our program are allowed to complete the M.A. degree upon recommendation of the POIR faculty.

Yes. While uploading copies of your official transcripts to the CAS Portal allows us to proceed with evaluating your application, if offered admission, matriculation will be conditional upon receiving official transcripts directly from the institution.

If you upload unofficial transcripts to the CAS Portal, your application will be considered incomplete and we cannot admit you to the POIR Program until your official transcripts are received by the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please make transcript requests to institutions with sufficient time for them to arrive before the application deadline.

Video: How to enter your academic record

The admissions committee evaluates each dossier in a holistic manner, which means the GRE may or may not be a factor in their decision relative to other elements of the application (writing sample, letters of recommendation, and previous coursework). For instance, it could help demonstrate your quantitative skills if your transcripts or research do not show a solid background in this area. Since many programs no longer use the GRE in admissions, the committee will not assume a negative reason if it is not submitted.

If you decide to submit a GRE score, make sure to schedule your exam on or before November 15, 2024 to ensure your scores arrive by the application deadline.

Please email poir@usc.edu to request permission for your scores to arrive after the deadline. You must still submit your online application by the December 1, 2024 deadline. For full consideration, your scores should arrive no later than December 15, 2024.

If you took the GRE within five years of the expected matriculation at USC, then we will accept older scores sent directly from ETS. For the 2025 admissions cycle, you may submit scores no older than August 2020.

We only require three letters of recommendation, but applicants may submit up to five letters. We prefer that letters be written by faculty who have supervised academic work, especially research projects, papers, etc. However, if necessary, we will consider professional references. All letters should be submitted electronically via your online application.

The POIR program requires all graduate students to have a 3.0 (4.0 scale) or better for admission. If you are unsure if your cumulative undergraduate and/or graduate coursework meets this threshold, we encourage you to still submit your application for consideration.

Our admissions committee conducts a holistic review of your application, meaning they will consider all aspects of your application when making their decisions. While GPA and test scores are components that are heavily weighted in the admission process, we encourage you to do your best and still submit an application if you wish to be admitted.

You should enter the GPA as it appears on your official transcripts, whether it is a ten-point scale or a percentage. USC’s Graduate Admissions office will recalculate your GPA when they evaluate your transcripts.

Video: How to add your GPA

If your university uses qualitative grading and does not use a percentage or numeric scale to calculate GPA, you may use the “I don’t have a GPA to add” option when entering your Academic History.

https://gradadm.usc.edu/tools-resources/how-to-videos/

The research statement serves as a unique platform to state who you are as a would-be scholar, what five years of USC doctoral education would do for you as a researcher, what research agenda you would pursue, what fields and subject matter interests you and motivates you to embark on this five-year journey, what preparation you’ve received in the past and how you will leverage the skills during your tenure with us. You can also view it as an opening statement and a closing argument – you are making your case to the admissions committee the qualities, attributes and distinctions that make you a strong candidate for the program. In laying out your research interests and agenda, you are also establishing your compatibility with the faculty and their own research program. Please be sure to identify at least 2-3 faculty members you are interested in working with.

The statement of purpose should be a concise and cogent document, preferably two pages in length, single or double spaced.

While recommended, a Master’s degree is NOT required for admission to the Ph.D. program if you have a 4-year baccalaureate degree.

Applicants with a 3-year baccalaureate degree from India*, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa must have a Master’s degree for admission to USC. International students are encouraged to check their country requirements for admission to USC before applying.
 
*Updated 9/2024: Applicants who received a 3-year baccalaureate from an Indian institution that has obtained an A grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) are not required to have an MA degree for admission

The POIR program allows you to transfer up to 24 units from outside graduate coursework as approved by our Program Director, the faculty field coordinators, and by USC’s Degree Progress and Admissions Office. Only graduate level courses that were taken while pursuing a graduate degree and completed with a grade of B or better will be considered for transfer credit. Upon admission and enrollment in POIR, students can petition to count previous coursework towards their degree. Each course will then be examined by the respective field coordinator(s). When transferring courses from international institutions, all prior degrees that were not verified during the admission process, must be verified via IERF before any courses can be transferred.

Our program fully funds students’ tuition and provides a monthly stipend that offsets important costs of living. You may include the following statement in place of a bank document: “The Ph.D. program to which I am applying, housed in the USC Dornsife College, provides a comprehensive 5-year funding package that covers tuition and stipend each year.”

Yes. If you have been awarded any type of external funding prior to the date you submit your application for admission, please be sure to upload a copy of your award letter(s) to your online application under “other” documents. If you receive notification of an external funding award after you submit your application, you can email copies of the documents to Danielle De Rosa Ballard at dderosa@usc.edu. Be sure to include your application or USC ID in your email. Please only include these documents if the external award will be used while in the POIR program. External awards used for prior or current degree programs should be listed on your CV/Resume.

You can visit the USC Office of Graduate Admissions for statistics on each program. POIR typically offers admission to 10-15% of applicants.

All students admitted to the POIR Ph.D. program receive five full years of funding, which includes a stipend, tuition remission, and medical & dental coverage. The stipend for A.Y. 2024-2025 is $40,000.

Since each student’s financial situation is unique, we encourage you to visit the USC Financial Aid Office website to understand the cost of attendance and find additional resources to cover expenses.