Graduate & Professional Degrees

Allen Hancock Foundation Building B55
(213) 740-5910
FAX: (213) 740-9687
Email: spatialsciences@dornsife.usc.edu

Director: John P. Wilson, PhD 

Course Requirements

Each student must take at least 44 substantive units in preventive medicine (health), sociology (population) and the spatial sciences (place) at USC during the first three years. Students must complete two laboratory rotations (4 units total) as well as a set of core courses that cover topics in biostatistics, demography, epidemiology and spatial sciences, the specifics of which are provided in the Spatial Sciences Institute's handbook for graduate students. Additional course requirements vary according to specialty area and/or dissertation topic.

Research Requirement

During the first and second year, students work on either a refereed journal article, book chapter 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 first- and second-year research projects. The projects are 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.

Guidance Committee

In preparation for the qualifying examination, each student assembles a five-person guidance committee to direct the student's program of studies and evaluate research competence. The committee must include at least one member from the lists of eligible faculty in Demography, Preventive Medicine and Spatial Sciences listed in the each of the contributing fields specified in the Spatial Sciences Institute's handbook for graduate students. 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 guidance committee, one of whom must be a faculty member from outside the three contributing departments), 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 guidance committee. It should be taken no later than during the sixth 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 guidance 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 Spatial Sciences staff student adviser and the faculty member serving as director of graduate studies.

Residency Requirement

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

The Master of Education, Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs provides current and prospective professionals working in various capacities within two-year, four-year and professional postsecondary institutions with the theoretical foundation and practical applications to excel in a variety of higher education administrative and students services positions (academic advising and support services). Students will have an opportunity to develop an area of proficiency such as student affairs or athletic administration. A minimum of 30 units of graduate-level course work is required.

The graduate certificate in preclinical drug development provides advanced foundational training in preclinical aspects of drug development, translational research and regulatory control. Students must complete at least 12 units of course work including at least three courses in preclinical design and development (typically, RSCI 530 Translational Medicine: An Overview; RSCI 531 Industrial Approaches to Drug Discovery; RSCI 532 Early Stage Drug Development) and one course in a related aspect of research design, regulation or ethics, subject to the approval of the program director. The program will include course work delivered in nontraditional formats such as intensive weekend  sessions and will use distance capabilities, Webcast lectures and study materials. Courses can be taken on site, by distance or as a blended combination. Students should confirm their specific course work plan in consultation with graduate advisers before beginning the program. Students who have baccalaureate degrees from accredited colleges or universities must submit an application for graduate study through the regulatory science program of the School of Pharmacy. GRE scores are not required for admission to the certificate program. Students are expected to enroll each semester until the program is completed.

The online Certificate in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity provides an interdisciplinary perspective for law students who wish to develop skills that will enable them to understand and integrate relevant laws, policies and best practices that shape privacy law and cybersecurity. The certificate explores the legal framework concerning information privacy in the United States and provides an overview of common legal issues and emerging law in the areas of privacy and cybersecurity. Knowledge of privacy laws and awareness of cybersecurity issues provide students with the opportunity to mitigate risk and to deal with threats in the workplace.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the online Certificate in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity must have earned an undergraduate degree (which can be in any field) from either inside or outside the United States. Applicants’ degrees must have been earned at degree-granting institutions that are recognized by USC. They will have excellent undergraduate grades and credentials, and a strong desire to specialize their graduate studies in privacy law and cybersecurity. While USC Gould does not have a minimum GPA requirement, successful applicants to our online Certificate in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity will generally have earned at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. In order to apply for the online Certificate in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity, students must submit the online application form, transcripts from all institutions attended, a current resume and personal statement detailing their desire to pursue the degree. International applicants must submit official and valid TOEFL/IELTS scores and must have demonstrated their proficiency in English as part of the application process.

The Master of Laws in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity degree provides an interdisciplinary perspective for law students who wish to develop skills that will enable them to understand and integrate relevant laws, policies and best practices that shape privacy law and cybersecurity. The degree explores the legal framework concerning information privacy in the United States and provides an overview of common legal issues and emerging law in the areas of privacy and cybersecurity. Knowledge of privacy laws and awareness of cybersecurity issues provide students with the opportunity to mitigate risk and to deal with threats in the workplace.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the LLM in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity must have earned a first degree in law (LLB, JD, LLM or equivalent) from either inside or outside the United States. Applicants' degrees must have been earned at degree-granting institutions that are recognized by USC. They will have excellent undergraduate grades and credentials, and a strong desire to specialize their graduate studies in privacy law and cybersecurity. While USC Gould does not have a minimum GPA requirement, successful applicants to our LLM in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity degree will generally have earned at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. In order to apply for the LLM in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity, students must submit the online application form, transcripts from all institutions attended, a current resume and personal statement detailing their desire to pursue the degree. International applicants must submit official and valid TOEFL/IELTS scores and must have demonstrated their proficiency in English as part of the application process.

The Peter Stark Producing Program is a two-year (four semester) full-time graduate program.

Approximately 24 Peter Stark Program students are enrolled each fall (there are no spring admissions). The curriculum places equal emphasis on the creative and the managerial, to enhance and develop artistic skills and judgment while providing a sound background in business essentials. Each course is continually updated to ensure that the Stark program remains responsive to the needs of our students and the ever-changing film, television and new media landscape, and prepare students for careers as creative decision-makers in those fields.

A minimum of 44 units of 500-level courses is required for the Peter Stark Producing Program leading to the MFA degree. There are no electives; all Stark students take the same classes at the same time in a mandated sequence. In CMPP 541a and CMPP 541b, first-year students get hands-on filmmaking experience, working on collaborative projects in different roles. Projects are shot and edited digitally. Equipment is provided by the school.

The thesis completion requirement is a detailed plan for a film, documentary, television or webseries project comprising a developed script and notes for improvement, a schedule, budget assumptions and a marketing/distribution plan.

Industry experience is an essential component of the Peter Stark Program academic experience; it enhances both their course work and thesis research project. To facilitate as much industry experience as possible, the program endeavors to leave two free days in the students' first year course schedule, and holds all second-year classes in the evening. The Peter Stark Program requires 2,800 hours of entertainment industry internships or work experience over the two-year program, including in the summer semester between the first and second year. Students look for internships, per their own interests. In addition, though the Stark Program cannot guarantee it can procure internships, it does ongoing semester-by-semester internship advocacy for the students at many companies including studios, networks, production companies and agencies. The Stark Program grants exceptions to the internship/work experience requirement on a case-by-case basis for other equivalent forms of industry experience that may better fit a student's individual career goals – producing projects for film, television or new media, writing or developing screenplays – as long as the student completes at least one internship. At all times, students must attend all classes and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Inquiries regarding the program should be addressed to: The Peter Stark Program, USC School of Cinematic Arts, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211. Call (213) 740-3304 or email pstark@cinema.usc.edu.

The Master of Science in product development engineering (MS PDE) is an interdisciplinary graduate degree program at USC jointly offered by the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Daniel J. Epstein Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) departments. The Daniel J. Epstein Industrial and Systems department manages this joint degree program. It focuses on the global and innovative features of new product development with Management and Technology specializations to match students' academic backgrounds and career interests. Both full-time and part-time students can enter this program in either the fall or spring semesters and choose on-campus or online (Distance Education Network, DEN) study options.  

Admission

The program has the following admission requirements:

• A bachelor's degree in an area of engineering or science;
• An undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above; 

The MS PDE program requires a minimum of 28 units to complete. Although it is mainly a course work-based program, students can choose to complete the program with or without a thesis requirement. For this thesis option, at least 12 units, not including 4-unit thesis, must be at the 500 level or higher from the ISE and AME departments. For the non-thesis option, 16 units must be at the 500 level or higher from the AME and ISE departments, and/or closely related units (per the program director approval). As well, students can choose to take up to 8 units of directed research (e.g., AME 590 or ISE 590). Students must maintain a minimal cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all USC course work to receive the degree.

The program's prerequisite is a minimum of one 400-level course in either engineering design or engineering economy. Admitted students who do not meet this prerequisite will be assigned appropriate USC course(s) to complete the deficiencies. Deficiency courses, if taken at the 400 level, may be counted toward 28 units as general electives with adviser approval.

Depending on the academic background and career interests of students, the program offers two areas of specialization: namely product development management and product development technology. The management specialization offers more ISE courses to prepare students as future product development managers whereas the technology specialization includes more AME courses to prepare students as future product development engineers. Students entering this degree program must declare their choice of an area of specialization and follow the requirements of the chosen specialization to graduate. Switching between the two specializations is possible upon the approval of the program director.

The Graduate Certificate in Product Management supports USC graduate students in expanding their knowledge of Product Management through skills, theory and practice.

The certificate is interdisciplinary, drawing on and integrating courses from various departments within the Marshall School of Business and the Viterbi School of Engineering.

The required courses help students gain a deeper understanding of Product Management and provide essential live project experience that is key to finding employment in the field.

Electives are designed to cover three key areas essential for success in the field of Product Management:  Leadership/Stakeholder Management, Advanced Product Sense/ Product Discovery, and Functions skills including Data Analytics, Coding, and UX Design. 

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the standard Marshall graduate admission requirements. A few years of work experience is preferred, but not required.

Application Procedure

Prospective applicants may apply for admission to the program in the fall, spring, or summer.

For information regarding how to apply, visit students.marshall.usc.edu/graduate-certificate-admissions-usc-students.

Degree Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Product Management requires 12 units that include required course work and electives. The program may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.

This degree can be completed through an on-campus program or through a hybrid online/on-campus program. The curriculum comprises six semesters plus two summer sessions for on-campus students and three summer sessions for hybrid students, resulting in completion of the required 115 units. Clinical experience (clerkship) is part of the curriculum during all three years. The Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy awards the DPT to enrolled students who have satisfactorily completed the three-year curriculum. For successful completion, students must pass all course work with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, meet all professional standards and pass all clinical clerkships.

Admission Requirements (Entry-Level)

Applicants are required to complete the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university prior to matriculation. Prerequisite course work must include: a minimum of four semesters/six quarters of course work in the mammalian biological sciences (and must include one course in human anatomy with laboratory and one course in human physiology with laboratory), two semesters/three quarters of chemistry course work with laboratory (which may include general chemistry, organic chemistry or biochemistry), two semesters/three quarters of physics course work with laboratory, a minimum of two courses in psychology (which may include general psychology or abnormal psychology), and one college-level statistics course (generally from the biology, mathematics and psychology departments). A minimum of 150 hours of clinical experience in a variety of physical therapy settings is required. This can be in a volunteer or paid capacity. Applicants should be computer literate.

Students from foreign countries must have completed one year of study in the United States prior to application. Credits from foreign institutions must be approved by the USC Office of Graduate Admission.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

The GRE is required of all applicants. In general, minimum scores of 150 are required on each of the general test measures of verbal and quantitative ability.

Applications

Applications for the on-campus program are submitted through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) Website, and must be completed by December 1 of each year for the class beginning the following fall. Hybrid program applications will be available through our technology partner's Online Application and Recommendation System (OARS). For the initial hybrid class, entering in June 2018, applications will be completed by April 17. Only one class is admitted each year for each program.

The Admissions Committee reviews all information submitted. Applicants may request a personal interview. It is highly recommended that all applicants make an appointment to visit the division's office located on the Health Sciences Campus and talk with students and members of the faculty.

Notice of Acceptance

Notice of acceptance in the on-campus program will be sent to successful candidates no earlier than December of the year prior to the August program start date (with the exception of Early Decision applicants who are typically informed of a decision by late September) and continually thereafter until the class is filled. In no case will an acceptance be offered earlier than one year before anticipated enrollment. Applicants to the hybrid program will be reviewed on a rolling basis with notices of acceptance sent to successful candidates continually until the class is filled.

Candidates in the on-campus program should reply to an offer of acceptance within three weeks enclosing a $1,000 deposit (nonrefundable), which is credited to tuition at the time of registration. Candidates in the hybrid program should submit their initial $1,000 deposit within 10 days of an offer of acceptance. A second nonrefundable $500 deposit is required by mid-May of the program start year (also to be applied in its entirety as a tuition credit). A letter of withdrawal is required if applicants wish to relinquish their place in the class; release is granted automatically upon receipt of the letter.

Degree Requirements (Entry-Level)

The DPT is awarded to enrolled students who have satisfactorily completed the three-year curriculum of 115 credits (depending on electives chosen). The minimum number of credits required for graduation is 115. The minimum GPA required for graduation is 2.75. Clinical experience (clerkship) is part of the curriculum during all three years.

The Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy uses a system of student evaluation and grading that is designed to encourage self-reliance, to stimulate the student's independent quest for knowledge and to promote excellence in clinical and academic achievement.

Faculty of the program are responsible for establishing evaluation criteria appropriate to the objectives of each course and for specifying the manner in which evaluative information is to be gathered. For clinical evaluation, descriptive comments based on the student's performance are submitted by faculty and clinical instructors to the student's permanent file.

The online certificate in Project Management in Global Health and Development provides training in key aspects of management for global health and development professionals. It is aimed at professionals in or seeking management positions in health or international development, including within the private non-profit and public sectors. Participants are introduced to key concepts and skills in management from the project to the program to the organizational level. Courses are taken online through both the Keck School of Medicine (8 units) and Bovard College (4 units) for a total of 12 units. The program can be completed in as few as three semesters or over the course of three years.

Applicants for the certificate must make a formal application for admission to the certificate program and provide transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended (if applicable), a resume and a statement of purpose. The GRE is not required. 

This certificate program can serve as a possible “stepping stone” toward the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program. Up to 12 units may be applied toward both the certificate and the core or electives in the MPH. Note that students must apply and be admitted to the MPH program and must earn a grade of “B” or better in a course to be eligible to transfer that course toward the degree program. Completion of the certificate does not automatically guarantee admission to the MPH program.

The certificate in Project Management in Global Health and Development is also open to students who are currently enrolled in another graduate program at USC and are in good standing with a 3.0 GPA. These students only need to submit the appropriate paperwork, which may be obtained from the student services adviser, and pay associated tuition costs for adding the certificate program