Business Administration

Studying Business Administration at USC Marshall has been one of the most defining experiences of my college life. I chose this major because I wanted a strong foundation in economics, strategy, and leadership, and I’ve found that Marshall delivers on that — especially for students willing to take initiative and go beyond the minimum. What I appreciated most was the practical, real-world application of what we learned. Many classes involved case studies, Excel modeling, and presentations that mimicked real consulting or business environments, which made the content feel relevant and high-stakes.

Learning Business is about networking, connecting, and recruiting in my opinion. While theories are needed to establish a foundation, more emphasis should be placed on expanding your social circle than earning a high GPA. Explore career or professional student organizations early as they often offer good opportunities to your interest careers. Business is a broad category, be sure to understand each sub-categories of business (finance, accounting, consulting, BD, BA, etc.) to find your best fit.

I study AI for business at USC (so a bit of a tangent from the traditional business degree). The business classes are all fairly simple as long as you put in effort outside of class hours (ie. you do need to study). The harder workload comes from the more advanced classes such as BUAD313 or BUAD312. However, their counterparts (311 & 310) are much simpler. The engineering classes are a bit more difficult and time-intensive, which may be why I consider the business portion a bit easier. I think it is doable to graduate with high degrees if you are in regular BA.

I really love Marshall, the professors and students are all very ambitious and dedicated. There is a lot of hands-on learning and in-class discussions, so while there are a lot of lectures it is still very interactive. I’ve felt very prepared for the workplace and think that my classes have taught me a lot that I’ve been able to apply to my internships.

As a current student in USC's Business Administration program, I've found the experience at the Marshall School of Business to be incredibly dynamic and rewarding. The program excels in blending rigorous academic theory with practical, real-world application, forcing us to tackle relevant case studies and collaborative projects from day one. What truly sets it apart, however, is the unparalleled power of the Trojan network; the access to internships, guest lecturers from top industries, and a genuinely supportive alumni base is tangible and invaluable. The curriculum is flexible enough to explore diverse interests, from finance to marketing analytics, all while being surrounded by ambitious, bright peers and supportive faculty, which collectively creates an environment that truly prepares you for a successful career.

Coming from a chemistry background in my freshman year, I pair my analytical thinking with my interpersonal “soft skills” at my current business administration major. I think the thing about Business is not particularly the courses taken, but instead the networking and connections built. It is also a career that focuses specially on career development. For me, being at the Marshall School of Business provided me with tons of resources, including Trojan Talks (investment bank info sessions), free Wall Street Prep accounts, and many more. Overall a great experience so far and definitely looking forward to what comes next.

probably the most important thing in this career path is to find the right internships and mentors to guide you along the way to help you gain real world experience as quickly as possible

Coursework of Business administration is easier than I thought. But for this major, the extracurricular activities are more important. You need to be proactive to participate in info sessions and networking events.

Math-realted courses (Econ, Accounting, Finance) are pretty test heavy and will take a long time to study.

Pretty easy classes, industry connections more important, focus on networking and applying to the practical environments rather than studying concepts

Not very math intensive, highest math requirement being calculus. Math is in the form of business related concept questions

Prepare you well for workforce, but a lot of classes are not very useful, such as organizational behavior and communication.

In Iovine and young we cover different topics that help build startups. I feel like this is the best major for pursuing entrepreneurship.

Love the business major very interactive good network of people love the ELC super hands on work get some great skills

Highly career-oriented major. Networking & Recruiting outside the classroom is more useful than contents taught in class.