Public Policy Advocacy Certificate

Multi-disciplinary studies of the communication processes that shape public policy.

The Public Policy Advocacy Certificate is offered jointly by the Price School of Public Policy and the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The certificate provides students with knowledge of the increasingly important role played by information flows in politics and governance. Students will assess the structure of campaigns designed to influence public opinion, the messaging strategies utilized by political players and civic society organizations and new scholarship on the pathways of persuasion in the digital age.

The certificate is especially appropriate for students who intend to pursue work with elected officials, think tanks, foundations, community-based organizations, consulting firms and corporate offices that aim to shape public policy through advocacy.

The Public Policy Advocacy Certificate consists of 15-16 units of graduate course work, including the completion of two required courses — one in the Price School and one in the Annenberg School — and two electives from a menu of approved Price and Annenberg courses.

Required Courses

PPD 693 Communicating Public Policy (4 units)
PR 501    Advocacy Communications (4 units)

Elective Courses

Pick two from the following:

Annenberg School:
CMGT 508 Communicating Strategy and Change (4 units)
CMGT 581 Media in Social Services: Design and Evaluation of Campaigns (4 units)
COMM 561 Leading and Communicating Change in Global Organizations (4 units)
PR 536 Digital, Social and Mass Media Public Relations Strategies (3 units)
PR 568 Crisis Management in Strategic Public Relations (3 units)

Price School:
PPD 554 Foundations of Policy Analysis (4 units)
PPD 616 Participatory Methods in Planning and Policy (4 units)
PPD 657 Political Leadership in Public Organizations (4 units)
PPDE 647 Civic Engagement in Governance (4 units)

Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Applicants for the Public Policy Advocacy Certificate must be currently enrolled in a graduate program at USC and in good standing, with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Students may apply for the certificate  at USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

For curriculum details or information on how to enroll, please contact Mike Ploszek, Director of Graduate Academic Advisement & Advisement Services at [email protected].