Graduate & Professional Degrees

The Master of Science in Project Management program is designed to prepare professionals to advance their careers in the field of project management (PM). This program emphasizes the strategic role that project management plays in the performance of global organizations, providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to be effective leaders.

In addition to core PM principles, students explore the full spectrum of project management concepts and methodologies, including portfolio and program management, technical project delivery, Agile and change management. Students will learn about business relationship elements, including effective communication, negotiation, organizational culture and conflict resolution. Essential management processes such as performance, quality, risk, cost and budget are also examined and applied to real-world projects. The program encourages immediate application of key concepts learned to address workplace challenges and opportunities.

The department does not admit students whose objective is this master’s degree. However, if a student accepted in the doctoral program does not have a master’s degree, the department strongly recommends completion of the requirements for the MS in Psychology in the course of work toward the PhD degree. This involves 24 graduate units of psychology course work and a thesis.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of 24 graduate units at USC is required for the doctoral degree.

Course Requirements

Each student must take at least 36 substantive units in psychology at USC during the first three years. Students must complete one statistics and/or research methods course as well as a set of core courses that cover topics in brain and cognitive sciences and clinical, developmental and social areas, the specifics of which are provided in the department's handbook for graduate students. Additional course requirements vary according to specialty area.

Research Requirement

During the first and second year, students work on either a master's thesis or a research report of comparable scope and quality. A research project done at USC is required of all students (by the conclusion of the summer following the student's second year), regardless of prior graduate work.

Screening Procedure

The student's ability to master graduate-level course material is first evaluated after completion of no more than 24 units, and not later than the third semester of graduate work at USC. The final screening procedure is the successful completion of a second-year project requirement. This evaluation is based on the student's performance in courses taken and on an evaluation of the student's research competence as reflected in the second year research project. The project is evaluated by a committee of three faculty, including the student's primary adviser.

Additionally, students are evaluated each year based on adviser input, course work and research progress.

Qualifying Exam Committee

In preparation for the qualifying examination, each student assembles a five-person qualifying exam committee to direct the student's program of studies and evaluate research competence. The committee continues to serve until after the qualifying examination has been passed, the dissertation topic approved, and the student admitted to candidacy for the PhD. At that time the student assembles a dissertation committee of four or more members (usually consisting of members of the qualifying exam committee, one of whom must be a faculty member from outside the department), who advise on and evaluate the dissertation.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination evaluates the student's ability to conduct independent scholarship and research. The student is evaluated based on oral and written presentation of two elements: a written review paper or written exam and the dissertation proposal. The qualifying examination is planned, administered and evaluated by the student's qualifying exam committee. It should be taken no later than during the fifth semester.

Doctoral Dissertation

A student is expected to engage in research activity throughout his or her graduate career, leading up to and culminating in the PhD dissertation. The dissertation is based on an original investigation, usually involving empirical data.

Defense of the Dissertation

The student's doctoral dissertation is defended at either a defense oral, based on an approved preliminary copy of the dissertation, or a final oral, based on the final version of the dissertation.

Advisement

Each student has a major adviser who is usually in the specialty area. The qualifying exam committee should be formed at least one semester before the student takes the qualifying examination. Advisement concerning graduate school requirements may also be sought from the staff graduate adviser and the faculty member serving as director of graduate studies.

Internship Requirement

Students in the clinical science PhD program need a minimum of three full-time in-residence academic years of graduate study plus one full year of internship at a facility approved by the clinical faculty.

Admission

The Master of Public Administration programs are under the jurisdiction of the Price School of Public Policy. All admissions decisions are made by the school, following guidelines set by the university. See the Admission section of this catalogue.

All questions about the programs and all materials required for admission should be submitted to: MPA Programs, Admissions Office, RGL 111, University Park, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626.

Admission to each of these programs is determined by the faculty and admissions committees connected with those areas. Application packages should be sent directly to the program office.

Applications

The admission decision is made using criteria which include verification that the applicant has completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, has maintained a B average in undergraduate course work and has earned an acceptable score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Other elements of the applicant's educational and experiential background are also evaluated. International students whose native language is not English must also submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score.

Each candidate should submit the following to the school: (1) official transcripts of all previous college and university work, showing an awarded degree where appropriate; (2) copies of GRE or GMAT scores; (3) an essay answering questions on the admission questionnaire provided by the school; (4) an up-to-date resume which includes academic and professional accomplishments; (5) three or more letters of evaluation from previous instructors and from professional associates who can attest to the applicant's potential; (6) completed USC Graduate Admission Application, along with the nonrefundable processing fee; and (7) completed Price School of Public Policy Supplemental Graduate Application.

International applicants may be asked to supply additional information. See the Graduate Admission section of this catalogue.

Deadlines

Applications for admission are evaluated monthly. Those students who are also applying for financial aid, or who must meet other deadlines for admission, should submit application materials early enough to allow the admissions decision to be made in advance of those other deadlines.

The admissions process generally takes about four to six weeks after all necessary materials have been submitted.

Pre-Service/In-Service Designation

Most MPA students are classified as pre-service or in-service students at the time of admission. Pre-service students are those who enter the program with less than two years of professional work experience. In addition to course work, pre-service students complete an internship. Students pursuing a dual degree program are not classified as pre-service or in-service. Appeals for reclassification of this designation must be submitted during the first semester of enrollment.

International Students

Students applying for graduate programs should send applications and appropriate documents to the MPA Programs Admissions Office, which processes all such applications.

Admission

A student is accepted for admission only for the semester indicated on the letter of admission. If the student desires to enter at another time, or if the student cannot arrive on campus in time for the semester in which he or she was admitted, the student must contact the MPA Programs Admissions Office in writing. That office will contact the Office of International Admissions.

Students who do not enroll for the semester indicated on the letter of admission cannot be guaranteed admission to a later session. They will need to work with the MPA Programs Admissions Office to determine procedures to follow.

Registration Requirements

International students on student visas must be registered as full-time students as arranged by the Office of International Services. Doctoral students must carry a load of at least 6 units to be considered full-time students. A full-time graduate load is eight units. Such students are not eligible to be considered students without formal registration and may be in violation of immigration laws when not properly registered.

International students who have questions about registration requirements should contact the Office of Recruitment and Student Affairs.

Admission Status

MPA applicants may be permitted to take courses before the admission process is completed or they may be admitted before certain conditions have been met; each student must, however, attain regular status (standing) admission to the school prior to or upon completion of 8 graduate units.

Limited Status Students (Preadmission)

Students taking courses who have not been admitted to the school are designated limited status students. These students may be taking courses to meet prerequisites; they may be waiting for part of their application package materials to arrive; or they may be investigating whether an MPA is the best choice for them.

To be considered for limited status enrollment, interested students need to complete the Price School of Public Policy Limited Student Application for Enrollment form and submit official or unofficial copies of their transcripts from their bachelor's degree granting institution. Students with a 3.0 grade point average (A = 4.0) may enroll in up to 12 units of graduate courses in the Price School of Public Policy.

Price School of Public Policy Limited Student Application for Enrollment forms may be obtained from the Admissions Office, Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, RGL 111, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626; (213) 740-6842. Limited students may only enroll during the in-person registration period (the week before classes begin).

Limited status students may apply only 12 units of appropriate graduate work toward the MPA after admission. Units beyond these first 12 must be petitioned for through the school. Students on limited status are encouraged to complete the application and admission processes before completing those first 12 units.

PhD Candidates

PhD students who pass the qualifying examinations and complete the MPA course requirements or their equivalent during their course work at USC may, with the recommendation of the coordinator of the MPA program, apply for and receive the MPA degree.

The Master of Public Diplomacy is designed for students who already have a substantial undergraduate background in social sciences or relevant professional experience in subjects such as communications, film and media studies, journalism, political science, public relations and international relations. Students in the program may decide to emphasize public diplomacy training most appropriate for a career in public service, the corporate world or in a nongovernmental organization (NGO) working in the ever-expanding global civil society. USC is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA).

For admission requirements, refer to the Admission Requirements section in the School of Communication.

Requirements for the completion of this degree program are 32 units, including the required substantive paper or alternative project.

All master's degree candidates in the USC Annenberg School of Communication are required to complete the Managing Complexity in Diverse Organizations (MCDO) program during their enrollment at USC. MCDO is a non-credit, professional skills-building curriculum designed to prepare students to create, sustain and thrive within increasingly complex global work environments. The program is offered online by USC Annenberg every fall, spring and summer term. USC Annenberg faculty developed this immersive, eight-week, active learning program to equip learners with the skills to collaborate with, manage and lead across teams with diverse perspectives and expertise, while supporting resilient, high-performance professional environments. Learn more about MCDO on our website.

The course requirements are as follows:

This program is designed for students who already have at least five years of experience working in public diplomacy (engaged in international advocacy, international publicity/public relations, international broadcasting, cultural and/or exchange work or other work which the admissions committee deems to fall within their definition of public diplomacy). The program is taught over a single calendar year beginning with a summer course introducing the advanced study of public diplomacy and ending in the middle of the following summer with the submission of a piece of research work. USC is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA).

For admission requirements, refer to the Admission Requirements section in the School of Communication.

Requirements for the completion of this degree program are 24 units, including a substantive paper or alternative project.

All master's degree candidates in the USC Annenberg School of Communication are required to complete the Managing Complexity in Diverse Organizations (MCDO) program during their enrollment at USC. MCDO is a non-credit, professional skills-building curriculum designed to prepare students to create, sustain and thrive within increasingly complex global work environments. The program is offered online by USC Annenberg every fall, spring and summer term. USC Annenberg faculty developed this immersive, eight-week, active learning program to equip learners with the skills to collaborate with, manage and lead across teams with diverse perspectives and expertise, while supporting resilient, high-performance professional environments. Learn more about MCDO on our website.

The course requirements are as follows:

Complex social and economic climates - at the national, state, and local level - make sound public financial management essential to the fiscal sustainability and growth of communities everywhere. This graduate certificate program provides students with the skills to analyze financial information, assess public sector finance systems, prepare and manage budgets, and ensure the financial accountability of public organizations.

Units required: 13.5-16.

The MS in Public Health Data Science degree program consists of 32 units from courses in Biostatistics, Population and Public Health, and Computing that will prepare students for a career in data science focused on public health data and applications. Students will learn the foundations of Data Science; how to wrangle, scrape, create and manage large health-related datasets; summarize, visualize, and interpret data; apply statistical methods to draw conclusions from the data; use machine learning to reveal features of large, complex health-related datasets; learn the statistical theory behind common data science methods; and effectively communicate results and findings to a broad audience. This program is designed to be a terminal degree, but for students interested in pursuing further education, it can be used to lay the foundation for a PhD in Biostatistics, Statistics, Data Science, or Computer Science.

The department encourages applicants with undergraduate degrees in mathematics, statistics or biostatistics, computer science, or other related fields. Applicants must have knowledge of intermediary statistics and familiarity with at least one programming language. Preparation in differential and integral calculus and linear algebra is preferred.

Admissions requirements can be found on the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences webpage: https://pphs.usc.edu/admissions/admission-requirements-master-of-science-in-public-health-data-science/.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree provides professional training in the field of public health, which is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The MPH program addresses public health foundational knowledge and builds student competencies in public health practice (e.g., healthy lifestyle promotion; disease and injury prevention; and detection, prevention, and responses to infectious diseases, domestically and globally).

The MPH program is offered in a traditional (on-campus) and online format. The MPH degree requires a minimum of 42 semester units of required and elective graduate courses. 

Students fulfill core required courses, including four foundational courses, a practical experience (practicum)* and a capstone course**. In addition, on-campus students select from one of five concentrations: Biostatistics/Epidemiology, Community Health Promotion, Global Health, Health Services and Policy, and Generalist.

For complete Admission Requirements, refer to the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. 

* The practicum, an applied practice experience (internship) in federal, state, and/or local public health agencies/organizations, including community-based organizations, health care organizations, and research settings, is a required component of the MPH degree. The practicum provides the opportunity for students to apply their public health competencies and prepare for work in governmental and non-governmental organizations in public health and health-related fields.

** Students enroll in the capstone course during their last semester prior to graduation. Through a paper-writing assignment, the course allows students to integrate their course work and practical experiences in public health.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree provides professional training in the field of public health, which is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The MPH program addresses public health foundational knowledge and builds student competencies in public health practice (e.g., healthy lifestyle promotion; disease and injury prevention; and detection, prevention, and responses to infectious diseases, domestically and globally).

The MPH program is offered in a traditional (on-campus) and online format. The MPH degree requires a minimum of 42 semester units of required and elective graduate courses. 

Students fulfill core required courses, including five foundational courses, a practical experience (practicum)* and a capstone course**. In addition, online MPH students select from one of six concentrations: Biostatistics/Epidemiology, Community Health Promotion, GeoHealth, Global Health, Health Services and Policy, and Generalist.

For complete admission requirements, refer to the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences.  

* The practicum, an applied practice experience (internship) in federal, state, and/or local public health agencies/organizations, including community-based organizations, health care organizations, and research settings, is a required component of the MPH degree. The practicum provides the opportunity for students to apply their public health competencies and prepare for work in governmental and non-governmental organizations in public health and health-related fields.

** Students enroll in the capstone course during their last semester prior to graduation. Through a paper writing assignment, the course allows students to integrate their course work and practical experiences in public health.