USC MPA Program : Sol Price School
Why USC?
USC Price is rated second overall among public affairs schools nationwide and ranks fourth for the public management/administration specialty, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Length of program: The MPA program is a two year full-time program and a three year part-time program.
Some of the program’s specific strengths include:
- An analytical and policymaking focus that prepares students to pursue their individual interests and concentrate in one of many specialized fields.
- A full-time faculty of exceptional diversity.
- A 90-year established history of leadership in professional and academic fields.
- Paid internship opportunities.
- Extensive alumni network.
- An advisory board comprising of leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
- MPA Labs and Workshops that develop professional skills and knowledge about a broad range of social issues.
- A facility in Sacramento – the USC State Capital Center – that gives students the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of complex state-local and state-federal relationships
- The option to complete the entire MPA degree or take courses at the USC State Capital Center.
Prerequisites:
The Master of Public Administration program has two prerequisites:
- Statistics
- Undergraduate Social Sciences Courses (12 units)
Fee Details
| Financial Details | Total |
| Tuition | $ 75,720 |
| Mandatory Student Fees | $ 1,643 |
| MPA Lab Fee | $ 300 |
| Total Estimated MPA Tuition and Fees | $ 77,663 |
What does USC look for in prospective MPA Students?
- Demonstrated leadership in academic and community endeavours.
- Strong analytical and writing skills.
- An active curiosity and an open mind.
- Enthusiasm for collaboration.
- Empathy, resilience, and the desire to create positive impact on society.
Admission Requirements
- An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
- Two strong letters of recommendation
- Combined GRE score of approximately 300 (verbal and quant)
a) with 5 years of exemplary full-time professional, managerial service, typically in the public/non-profit sector or related area, and a very good undergraduate GPA, the requirement for the GRE may be waived. Students may request a GRE waiver when the rest of their completed application has been submitted.