Admission
Admission to ASTE graduate degrees (M.S., Engineer and Ph.D.) is based
on the totality of the applicant's record, which includes grade
point average (GPA), the results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE),
and two letters of recommendation.
An applicant to the Ph.D. program
must, in addition, secure the agreement of a faculty member to serve
as the research advisor. Typically this requires the tentative choice
of a topic for the Ph.D. research.
Deadlines for graduate admission:
- Fall semester:
- For financial aid: December 15
- For admission to the Ph.D. program: December 15
- For admission to the M.S. and Engineer programs: January 15
- Spring semester: October 1 (all graduate programs)
- Summer semester: February 1 (all graduate programs)
Graduate applications should be submitted online at
http://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/apply
. Along with the application, the following items must be submitted:
- Official transcript(s) of all college and university courses taken;
- Results of the GRE test;
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test results
(international students only);
- Two letters of recommendation.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to the M.S. ASTE program.
The Astronautical Engineering Department requires the general GRE. The GRE must have been taken within
five years of the application date.
TOEFL (international students only):
All international students whose native language is not English must
demonstrate English proficiency by submitting their TOEFL score.
(Note that TOEFL test scores are valid for two years.)
International students are required to take the
International Student Exam
(ISE) upon admission and prior to registration. The results of the ISE
determine whether or not a student must enroll in English language
courses at the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC.
However, a student is considered to be proficient and is
excused from taking the ISE if one of the following is true:
- A score of at least 100 on the TOEFL iBT, with at least
20 in each section, is achieved.
- The student holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally
accredited university located in the United States or in another
country in which English is both the language of instruction and the
only official language of the country. The entire program must be
completed in the qualifying country. (Please note: a graduate degree
from a U.S. college or university does not exempt students from
taking the ISE exam.)
- The student's native language is English. This applies to
native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) where English is
both the only official language of the country and the language of
instruction.
Recommendation Letters:
Please provide two professional letters of reference (former instructors, supervisors, professional
colleagues, advisors, etc.) to be filed through the on-line application process.
Mailing addresses, if needed:
Office of Graduate Admission
University of Southern California
3601 South Flower Street, Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915
Department of Astronautical Engineering
ASTE Graduate Program
854B Downey Way
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1192
Please note that verification and processing of materials by the
Office of Graduate Admission may take four to six weeks.
Transfer to Astronautics Program and other Questions:
Please contact the Astronautics Student Services Advisor, Ms. Norma Perry (RRB-223; tel. 213-821-4234;
norduna@usc.edu)
