Transcript Requirements

Applicants to USC graduate programs must submit official transcripts from all colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions they have previously attended.

To ensure that your transcripts are properly submitted and meet our review criteria, please carefully read and follow the guidelines below.

Transcripts and other academic records must be issued directly by the registrar’s office of your previous school(s) and bear the official registrar’s stamp or signature. All other security features must be intact. Unofficial records such as print-outs from student portals are not acceptable for admission review.

If you completed your previous studies outside the United States, check our country-specific requirements to determine if we need original-language copies of your academic records.

In these cases, we need transcripts issued in the original language of instruction, accompanied by a separate, word-for-word, English-language translation of all records.

The translation should be issued either directly from the school itself or by a professional, certified translator. It must contain all information shown on the original-language documents and “mirror” it as precisely as possible. Dual-language transcripts are also acceptable.

USC does not accept credential evaluation reports from outside agencies (e.g., WES, ECE, etc.) for the purposes of admission review. Only academic records issued directly by the school are acceptable.

Transcripts can be submitted by one of the following three options:

1) If you already have official transcripts on hand, you may scan and upload them directly to the “Academic History” section of the online application. Do not upload unofficial print-outs from student portals.

2) Official hard-copy transcripts can be sent via postal mail or courier to USC.

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

Have your transcripts delivered by courier to:
University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission
3601 South Flower Street, Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

3) Official e-transcripts can be transmitted directly to USC by your previous institution(s).

• The transcript must originate from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.
• Please instruct the vendor to email the transcripts to etrans@usc.edu. Do not send any other materials to this email address yourself. E-transcripts sent to any other address will not be downloaded, which will delay the review of your file and require you to pay for a new e-transcript to be sent.

IMPORTANT: If you are submitting transcripts via options 2 or 3, please do not send them until after you have submitted your application online and received your 10-digit USC ID number.

Please note that some USC graduate departments prefer that transcripts be sent directly to them, rather than to the central Graduate Admission processing office. To verify your department’s policy, refer to the website of your intended graduate program. In such cases, you are responsible for confirming receipt by the department.

Current USC students and/or alumni do not need to submit transcripts of their USC coursework. Please be sure to include your USC enrollment in the “Academic Background” section so that we can match your application to the academic records already on file.

Transcripts and all other materials submitted for admission consideration become the property of USC. The university does not return or duplicate materials for any reason whatsoever. The information and materials in your submitted application are made available only to the central Office of Admission and the admission committee of the academic department or professional school to which you have applied.