As a program that describes itself as both influential and intimate, the USC Marshall School of Business commits to providing its students “a solid foundation for success through rigorous academic study and real-world experience.” It does this through meaningful education that balances theory and practice while keeping abreast of the newest trends and technology.

Like many top-tier business schools, Marshall focuses on giving students the tools to adapt to the ever-changing face of the global marketplace by emphasizing a balance of research and real-world experience. USC prides itself as being the university that sits at the gateway of the Pacific Rim, and Marshall echoes that mission by offering a number of programs in Asia and Latin America. Based in Los Angeles, it’s not surprising that Marshall excels at education relevant to media, entertainment and communication, but it also has strong programs in bio-technology, life sciences and healthcare.

As the Marshall School becomes increasingly competitive in its aim to be regarded as one of the world’s best business schools, it draws increasingly high-powered, driven students. Having said that, the school still leans toward the model of the University as a whole, which embraces a learning environment that is heavily peppered with campus pride and extracurricular involvement. It places an extremely high value on networking; hardly a week goes by that Marshall students aren’t seen on the lawn outside their main building participating in one of many social mixers.