South Carolina Moore

Columbia, SC · Public · Full-time: One-Year MBA and 22-month International MBA

Program tuition: $29,520 (program total, One-Year MBA, nonresident (2024-25 rate))

Deadlines

Round 1 (Priority): Oct. 15, 2026
Round II: Dec. 1, 2026
Round III: Jan. 15, 2027
Round IV: March 1, 2027
Rolling:

Essays

Essay option 1 (answer one of two): a candid self-description

Please provide a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), explain the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses. Give examples of these along with the main factors which have influenced your personal development and decision making.

Essay option 2 (answer one of two): looking back from graduation

Imagine yourself at graduation. Describe how you spent your time as a USC MBA student, and how that experience helped to prepare you for the post-MBA world.

Statement of purpose (500 words)

The application also asks for a Statement of Purpose (maximum of 500 words) that should outline your career objectives and why you want to earn the MBA degree.

Additional information essay (optional)

You may also add a personal essay (Additional Information Essay section) should you want to share additional information for the admission committee to review.

Editor's notes

Decide which program you're applying to before you write anything. The One-Year MBA and the 22-month International MBA share an application but not a price: $29,520 versus $60,384 for nonresidents, and only the IMBA offers full-tuition fellowships. Your statement of purpose should make the case for the one you pick.
Apply by Oct. 15 if you need money. The FAQ says applicants who meet the Priority and Round I deadlines get the best consideration for admission and scholarships, and even a $750 award drops a nonresident to the in-state program fee.
Budget two years of experience into your timeline. The school says the most competitive applicants have two or more years of full-time work by the July start, and the FAQ says prior work shapes both class discussion and placement. If you're short, say in the statement what you'll have done by then.