For degrees from domestic institutions

Students must submit official transcripts to the Registrar’s office. There are 2 options for submission.

• Mail a paper copy of the official transcript to the following address:

USC Degree Verification
C/O The Degree Progress Department
University of Southern California
University Park Campus
700 Childs Way, John Hubbard Hall 106
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0912

• Electronic transcripts sent through email attachments from issuing institutions may be received by USC if sent to etrans@usc.edu. 

See the website for more instructions

For degrees from international institutions

Students will need to obtain a “Certification of Studies for USC” from the International Education Research Foundation (IERF).* This service is not offered on campus. You will need to send IERF your original documents for inspection, but in most (though not all) cases, your prior institution will  not need to send IERF independent verification. When your verification is complete, IERF will mail your documents back to you. 

See the website for more instructions

Deadline for all degree verifications is by the end of the your first semester.

ISE and ITA Exam: The International Student English (ISE) Exam and International Teaching Assistant (ITA) Exam are free placement exams given to assess the English proficiency of international students at USC.

To find out if you are required to take the exams, check your letter of admission or I-20. Registrations are open now! After you sign up, you will receive more detailed instructions regarding taking the exams online. Students are either released from any ALI requirement (ALI 01 hold) or receive an ALI placement based on the exam results.

Please click the links for ISE and ITA exam registration and instructions. You may also contact askali@usc.edu for your questions.

STU50 hold restricts registration and USCard application for graduate students. To remove the hold, complete Immigration Status Verification(ISV) with OIS upon arrival in the U.S.

ISV is a procedure that verifies a student’s immigration status to ensure the student is eligible to start an academic program at USC for the upcoming academic semester.