Admission

Admission Requirements for ASTE Graduate Degrees

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 three 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)

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)
• Three letters of recommendation

All official transcripts should be mailed to the Office of Graduate Admission (the address is given to the right).

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 the TOEFL test must be taken within two years of the application date.)

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 three professional letters of reference (former instructors, supervisors, professional colleagues, advisors, etc.) to be filed through the on-line application process.