The graduate certificate may be completed in conjunction with coursework required for the program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student's primary degree program is determined by the student's home department. Current USC MBA students may apply all 15 units of the graduate certificate program to their MBA degree.
While we recommend you apply to the certificate in conjunction with registration for the first class which will apply to the certificate, note that we can apply prior coursework completed in your primary graduate degree retroactively toward the certificate as long as your primary degree has not posted.
If your primary degree at USC is awarded prior to completion of the certificate, it’s no longer possible to overlap units and you will be required to complete 15 unique units for the certificate.
Note: conferral of the certificate and documentation on the transcript requires that the individual formally apply to the program and be admitted.