APPLICATION DEADLINES

SEMESTER	DEADLINE
Spring 2024	September 15, 2023
Fall 2024	December 15, 2023*
* DEN@Viterbi (Online Delivery) Deadline Extension: An application extension for Fall 2024 is available for online DEN@Viterbi applicants who intend to pursue their entire degree program online and do not require a visa sponsorship. Please email den@viterbi.usc.edu to request an application extension. On-campus students who apply by published deadlines will be considered for scholarships if admitted. Online DEN@Viterbi applicants can view the Master's Scholarships (DEN@Viterbi) page for scholarship opportunities.

Visit our Ready to Apply page for more information.

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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

Applicants are expected to have completed or be in process of completing an undergraduate degree in computer science or its equivalent. For those who do not, they should meet the eligibility criteria on our MSCS Eligibility Criteria page.

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The following materials are required to be included with your online application:

• Transcripts: Upload Electronic Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. A mailed hard copy or official e-transcript is not required for admission to our programs.
  • Submit an electronic copy of official transcripts (.pdf recommended) and other degree related documents through the online graduate application (International applicants, visit USC Graduate Admission’s Country Requirements page for details on required documents)
  • Unofficial transcripts from university student portals are not acceptable
  • If the transcript includes a separate grading scale, make sure it is also uploaded
  • For upload purposes, all transcript related documents for a single school must be submitted as one document
  • If you are admitted, you will be given specific instructions on submitting your hard copy transcripts
• Resume/CV
• Personal Statement: The personal statement should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the Viterbi School of Engineering, your preparation for this field of study, study interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
• GRE: General GRE test scores are not required for 2024
• Letters of Recommendation (Optional): Letters of recommendation should be from faculty or others (supervisors, professional colleagues, etc.) qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study.

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ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

English Language Proficiency: In addition to application requirements above, international students whose first language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. There is no minimum TOEFL or IELTS score required for admission to the Viterbi School. For possible exemption from additional language requirements, you must achieve an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90, with no less than 20 on each section or an IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6 on each band score. Please review USC Graduate Admission – Proficiency in English.

IMPORTANT: USC does not accept Duolingo and TOEFL Essentials test scores.

APPLY NOW - USC GRADUATE APPLICATION

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The following is an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition.

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TUITION

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Academic Year	Per Unit Rate	3-unit Course	4-unit Course
Fall 2023 - Summer 2024*	$2,424	$7,272	$9,696
Fall 2022 - Summer 2023*	$2,309	$6,927	$9,236
* Tuition is the same for on-campus and online students

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MANDATORY STUDENT FEES - 2023/24

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Fee Description	Fee Amount	On-Campus	DEN@Viterbi
Student Health Center Fee	$600/semester
Norman Topping Student Aid Fee	$11/semester
ENGR Student Programming Fee (On-Campus students)	$40/semester
ENGR Student Programming Fee (DEN@Viterbi students)	$20/semester
Exam Proctoring	$40 - $100 per course
Transportation Fee	$93/semester
Health Insurance (U.S.-based health insurance is required, but it does not have to be through USC)	Fall 2023: $948 Spring 2024: $1,765

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ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE - 32 UNIT PROGRAM

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This downloadable Cost of Attendance document breaks down the tuition and fees by semester. Although the actual number of courses taken each semester may vary by student as can the amount of time taken to complete the program, it can be submitted to banks and scholarship institutions.

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PAYMENT

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USC students may pay their tuition and fees online, via wire transfer or using a payment plan. Details can be found on the USC Student Financial Services Payment Options page. You can check your account balance through the On-line Academic Student Information System (OASIS). Log into OASIS through MyUSC.

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USC also provides a Tuition Refund Insurance option that enables students to receive a 100% refund of term tuition and fees if they are are forced to withdraw for medical reasons.

   SHOUBHIK DEBNATH

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I did my undergraduate studies at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Then I worked for Microsoft India for two years. That’s when I realized the need to specialize in a specific domain and wanted to explore the field of data science. So, I decided to earn a Master’s degree and chose USC’s MSCS (Data Science) program.

Tell us about your interests outside the classroom.
Outside the classroom, research was my major interest. I worked in the Human Robotics Interaction Lab during the first year. Then I started working with Prof. Sukhatme to solve robotic path learning problems. I was also involved with the Graduate Mentorship program and guided new graduate students to make sure they have a smooth transition and get comfortable here. I share my experience and knowledge with the new students to help them adjust well at USC.

Tell us about some exciting and unforgettable incidents from your two years at USC?
Well, during the initial phase of my journey at USC, I was focused on pursuing PhD. I was always focused on PhD and never thought about getting a job after completing my masters. But after I did my first internship, I thought of giving the job hunt a shot and interviewed for positions in my field of interest. I had PhD offers from USC and Carnegie Mellon University and job offer from Nvidia and a few other companies. I chose the job offer from Nvidia. Two years back, I was thinking only about PhD and now I am working at Nvidia, the American tech company. I believe that when there is a chance to take a risk, you should go for it.

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   MOUNICA NAIDU MANYAM

Mounica Naidu Manyam, grew up in Bengaluru, and received her bachelor’s in computer science and engineering from the Ramaiah Institute of Technology. She was working for Philips healthcare division in Bengaluru as a Software Engineer when she decided to go to graduate school at Viterbi. She chose Viterbi because it was ranked in the top 20 in machine learning programs. In addition, the university’s location in California, appealed to her as she believed it might provide greater opportunities and more vocational control. It also didn’t hurt that a lot of her friends had studied at USC. Everything just came together.

Having never traveled alone before, Mounica set out with a friend to travel to USC where they both decided to attend school. At first, she was a little scared: it was the first time that Mounica set foot in Los Angeles and her first time in the U.S. She need not have worried; she found people helpful and friendly. About 15 students from her class at her undergraduate university also came to USC. In total, she imagines about 40 students from her school ended up attending USC.

On campus, Mounica studied computer science with a specialization in Data Science. Once she settled in, Mounica spent time going to Santa Monica and exploring downtown LA at night. Being a foodie, she enjoyed the famous taco trucks in L.A.

One of the projects Mounica worked on caught the attention of AI expert Yolanda Gil, who works at the USC Information Science Institute. Professor Gil recruited Mounica for a project analyzing LA’s traffic data. The project took advantage of USC’s other professional schools, the Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism, and Mounica converted vehicle traffic data from around L.A. into a usable format for emerging student journalists to analyze.  In addition, she secured a student job at the school’s Marketing and Communications department where she built out the school’s website.

Her next position this summer will be an internship at Amazon in company’s advertising division in Silicon Valley. She knows that this requires a move to a new place but also knows that she won’t be alone. There are many student interns and alumni from USC who are working for the same company and in the same location.

Alumni Employment

• Activision Blizzard - Jr. Network Programmer CTRP
• Amazon
• Bank Of Changsha Company Limited - Data Analyst
• Bilibili Inc. - Software Development Engineer
• Bytedance - Back-End Engineer
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - AI Software Engineer
• Coinbase - Software Engineer
• DataEdge Consulting, Inc.
• Google
• Huawei - Software Engineer
• iFDC, Inc.
• LG Corporation - AI Software Engineer
• Liftoff Mobile, Inc. - Software Engineer
• Memmo.ai - Software Engineer Intern
• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Data Scientist
• Nod Labs - Machine Learning Systems Engineer
• Oracle Corporation
• PayPal, Inc.
• Qumulo Inc. - Member of Technical Staff
• The MathWorks, Inc. - Engineering Development Group
• University of Southern California
• VMWare

This program is also available online to professional engineers through DEN@Viterbi. Because the DEN@Viterbi program provides a fully equivalent academic experience, the degree a USC engineering student earns is the same whether they are on-campus or online. If you are interested in beginning classes as a DEN@Viterbi student next semester, explore the requirements and steps to enrolling as a Limited Status Student. Learn More About DEN@Viterbi

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Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes

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DEN@VITERBI ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS The following courses and program requirements serve as program planning for DEN@Viterbi students. Course offerings and availability are subject to change. Please consult with advisor if you have any questions.

Required Courses

3 Courses Required - 12 units total.

CSCI 561 | Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (4 units)

CSCI 570 | Analysis of Algorithms (4 units)

CSCI 585 | Database Systems (4 units)

Group Elective Courses

Three courses required from Group Electives - minimum of one course per group - 9-12 units.

Group 1 - Data Systems (Students must take CSCI 572)

CSCI 572 | Information Retrieval and Web Search Engines (4 units)

Group 2 - Data Analysis (Students must take at least one course from this group)

CSCI 567 | Machine Learning (4 units)

CSCI 573 | Probabilistic Reasoning (3 units)

Additional Electives

8-11 units should be selected with the approval of a department advisor.

Any 500 or 600 level course in CSCI (including additional group electives or special topics)

Please complete the following form for more information.