Academic success at USC is strongly dependent upon the ability to communicate in English. Listening, speaking, reading and writing proficiency must be well developed in order to assimilate large amounts of difficult material under limited time conditions with full comprehension. Such proficiency is much greater than that required for ordinary everyday living. Therefore, every effort should be made to acquire English proficiency prior to entering the university. A degree from USC signifies that the holder has achieved the proficiency in English that is required for professional and academic endeavors.

Admitted international students are normally required to take the International Student English Examination (ISE), administered by the USC Testing Bureau at the beginning of the first term of study. The results on the examination determine whether or not students must take special courses in English. However, international students who meet the following conditions will not be required to take the ISE exam:

• Students whose native language is English. This applies to native English speakers from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec).
• Students who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university located in the United States or in another country in which English is both the language of instruction and the only official language of the country.
• Students who have achieved an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 100 or higher with no less than 20 on each individual section of the test.
• Students who have achieved a Paper Based TOEFL score of 600 or higher.

Any student not demonstrating adequate English proficiency will be required to enroll in the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC. ALI provides courses designed to improve an international student's oral and written communication skills in English. The extent to which a student may be required to take courses at the ALI is determined by his or her performance on the International Student English Examination. After taking the ISE exam, some students may have no ALI requirement, and in rare cases others may be required to take up to 14 units of course work in their first year. The majority of students who take the ISE are required to take 6 units of English in their first year.

ALI tuition units are charged at the regular university rate. Entering students who need to take English language classes should be aware that the ALI course requirements may add to the overall length and cost of their degree program. Undergraduates may earn up to 12 units of credit toward their degree for ALI courses numbered 100 and above. Some departmental restrictions may apply. Graduate students will not be able to count ALI course work as credit toward their degree. ALI classes can normally be taken concurrently with a student's other university classes and must be completed at the earliest opportunity.