Application Instructions - Master of International Trade Law and Economics
USC Gould School of Law

Eligibility

To qualify for admission to the Master of International Trade Law and Economics, you must have earned your bachelor's degree in any field, within or outside of the United States, by the time you enroll at USC Gould School of Law.

If you are currently earning your degree and will complete it prior to the start of your studies, you may be admitted, but will be required to complete certain continuing registration requirements. You must submit final transcripts showing your degree was awarded before you may begin your studies.

If your degree was issued by an institution located outside the United States, you must have your transcripts authenticated and evaluated by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Note that LSAC authenticates and evaluates transcripts for all students whose degrees were issues by institutions outside of the United States including those with bachelor's degrees outside of law. If you hold a degree from a university within the United States, USC Graduate Admissions requires that it must be a regionally accredited institution.

We do not require work experience or an LSAT or a GRE score to be considered for admission to any of our graduate degrees.

Note: If you are an international student requiring a student visa, please be advised that we are awaiting formal approval from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue I-20s for this program. We expect to be able to issue I-20s for students entering in Spring 2023. Contact mitle@law.usc.edu with any questions about SEVP approval notification.

Application Process

To apply for admission, the following information and documents must be submitted:

1. Online USC Gould or LSAC Application
   

   Note: Once you start your application by clicking above, you may be directed to complete your online application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). If you have earned (or will earn) a degree from outside of the U.S., applicable instructions and links will then be provided within the USC application.

2. Personal Statement
   

   Following the directions in your online application, provide a two or three-page document that includes your personal, academic, and professional background and your reasons for pursuing the Master of International Trade Law and Economics degree. Please include a description of your quantitative education or experience such as coursework or research projects in math or economics.

3. Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)
   

   Following the directions in your online application, provide a record of your employment history and list of any distinctions, publications, and licenses/credentials.

4. Official Transcripts and Degree Verification
   

   You must have earned your bachelor's degree by the time you enroll at USC. Following the directions provided in your online application, submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.

   Domestic Applicants: If all of your degrees are from within the U.S., you must submit official transcripts directly to USC Gould at:

   Master of International Trade Law and Economics
   USC Gould School of Law
   699 Exposition Blvd, Room 105
   Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071

   You also may submit an electronic version by email to mitle@law.usc.edu. Official transcripts must be received directly from the institutions.

   International Applicants: If you hold any degree from outside the U.S, you must submit official transcripts to LSAC for evaluation using its International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES). Credential evaluation takes 2-3 weeks to complete once LSAC has received all of your documents; there may be further delay during LSAC's peak processing periods or if LSAC determines that additional information is required to complete its review. We therefore suggest that you apply as early as possible so that there is no consequential delay in LSAC transmitting its evaluation report to us. Please note that the fee for ITAES is $135 and that LSAC will charge you $30 for sending your Law School Report to USC. You must also subscribe to LSAC's Document Assembly Service (DAS). The fee for DAS is $85 and is effective for a period of five years. Fees charged by LSAC for utilizing its services are payable to LSAC. Please visit LSAC's website for more information about fees charged by LSAC, including its refund policy.

5. English Proficiency
   

   If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must take the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). TOEFL/IELTS waiver requests will only be considered if (1) your native language is English, or (2) you possess an undergraduate degree from an institution in which English is the primary language of instruction.

   • USC Gould does not have a minimum TOEFL or IELTS score; however, we recommend a 90 TOEFL iBT and a 7.0 IELTS or above.
   • Please have your official scores sent to LSAC if you submit your application through LSAC. LSAC's institutional code is 8395.
   • Test scores are valid for two years from the date taken.
   • USC does NOT accept MyBest TOEFL scores of applicants as valid proof of language proficiency. We will consider the single best total TOEFL or IELTS score you submit along with the sub-scores from that test.

   The LSAT or GRE exam is not required for admission. In addition, letters of recommendation are not required.

   The Admissions Committee will not review your application until all transcripts and supporting documents are received. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your documents are submitted by the final application deadline. Be sure to regularly check the email address you have provided on the application in the event that the Admissions Committee requests additional materials or information.

Financial Statement

If you are admitted, you will be required to provide a financial statement that certifies that you have sufficient funds available to meet your living (housing, meals, etc.) and tuition expenses while at USC (unless you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or have been granted political asylum). At that time, you also must submit a copy of the photo page of your passport (and passport copies of any dependent(s) traveling with you).

Application Fee

In celebration of the inaugural year of the Master of International Trade Law and Economics, we will waive our $75 application fee, provided that you submit your application by the final application deadline.

Application Deadlines

For the 2023 calendar year, USC Gould School of Law is offering two starts in spring and fall. Below are the start dates and application deadlines:

Program Start Date	Priority Deadline	Final Application Deadline
Spring 2023: January 9, 2023	September 1, 2022	November 1, 2022
Fall 2023: August 21, 2023	March 1, 2023	June 1, 2023

We highly encourage you to apply by our priority application deadline in order to provide sufficient time to process any required documents, including I-20 documentation for student visas, and to allow you the option to apply for USC campus housing. Students who apply by our priority application deadline will receive priority consideration and will receive a $75 application fee waiver.

If you are planning to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam after our priority application deadline, we highly recommend that you go ahead and submit your application (and any other completed materials) prior to taking the exam and we will accept your test scores after you receive your official results. The Admissions Committee will make a final admissions decision upon receipt of your complete application file.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis only as space is available until our final application deadlines listed above. Our Admissions Committee will provide admissions decisions within 2-3 weeks upon receipt of complete applications.

All applicants will be automatically considered for a scholarship award and do not need to submit any further documents to request an award.

Application Status Check

After you submit your application through LSAC, we will send you a confirmation email that provides you with a username and password for the Application Online Status Check system. Then you may log in and create a new, personalized password and periodically check your application status.

Admission Decisions

Admissions decisions are made upon receipt of complete application files. We encourage you to apply early, as our Admissions Committee expedites admissions decisions within three to four weeks for complete applications received by our priority deadline. You will be notified via email and postal mail. No admissions decisions will be released over the phone. We will contact you if the Admissions Committee feels that a telephone or an in-person interview is necessary.