Master of Public Administration Online (MPA-OL)

The current tuition rate is $2,467 per unit. Students should expect a moderate increase in tuition each academic year.

Credits Required: 40 (41 for pre-service)
Estimated Total Tuition: $98,680 ($101,147 for pre-service)
New student fee: $55
Student programming: $20 for online students
Norman H. Topping Student Aid Fund fee: $11
Mandatory Fees: $250 MPA Lab Fee*
*This is a one-time charge for first year MPA students split upon enrollment in each residency.

At USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, we are dedicated to increasing access to a high-quality public administration education. We offer several scholarships that are awarded to applicants who demonstrate the potential to become leaders in local government and public policy, based on academic merit and professional experience.

• The Dean’s Merit Scholarship, is a partial tuition-only scholarship based on a holistic evaluation of candidates’ academic achievements, research interests, impact in their field, and alignment with the Price School’s mission. The scholarship is open to all prospective MPA online applicants who apply to admission and respond to the Dean’s Merit question by the Dean’s Merit deadline for fall, spring, or summer terms. The scholarship renews until degree completion as long as the student maintains at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and maintains satisfactory academic progress.

Scholarship Criteria: Academic merit How To Apply: Submit a 300-word essay directly through the online application that answers the following questions:

• Why are you considering completing your graduate studies at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy?
• Which USC Price faculty are you interested in working with, and why?
• What do you consider USC Price’s most unique features to be?

• Professional Scholarships is intended to financially assist incoming MPA online students who have made contributions to our professional communities within the public, private, or nonprofit fields. Students with several years’ work experience, as well as those early in their careers whose contributions may have been through volunteer work, are encouraged to apply to admission and respond to the Professional Scholarship question by the Professional Scholarships deadline for fall, spring, or summer terms. Selection will be based on students’ professional contributions to our field and their plans to build on those experiences after they graduate. Awards will be disbursed evenly among students’ program duration. Scholarship recipients must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Scholarship Criteria: Professional experience How to Apply: Submit a 200-word essay directly through the online application that explains:

• • Your previous experience related to city/county management, local government or public policy
  • Your potential for a successful career in those fields
  • How receiving this professional scholarship will assist you in achieving your career goals
• Military Service Members. There are a number of dedicated resources and scholarships available for military applicants and students. Please review the Student Support page for more information.
• Agency Affiliations awards require the applicant to complete the Dean’s Merit Scholarship application within the admission application portal. Applicants must indicate their affiliation to one of the following organizations by checking the corresponding box in the application: City Hall Fellow, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Coro Alumni, Coro Fellow, Korean Government, Public Policy and International Affairs Program, Peace Corps, or Teach for America.

Funding Your Education

U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (e.g., permanent resident, refugee, asylee) can be eligible to apply for federal student aid. Additionally, some employers may offer tuition benefits, including tuition reimbursement and low-cost loans. The University of Southern California Financial Aid Office (FAO) will provide you with the details of applying for financial aid, understanding your financial aid award and properly securing your loans. Visit the FAO website for detailed information regarding dates and deadlines and to find downloadable forms that are needed to process the financial aid application.

• Types of Financial Aid
• Federal loans
• Private loans
• Eligibility requirements for financial aid
• Applying for financial aid

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Graduates working in the public service field may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. To qualify, you must have made 120 qualifying loan payments while employed by a qualifying employer. There is no income requirement for the PSLF program. For more information regarding financial aid at USC, visit https://financialaid.usc.edu/.

City Year AmeriCorps Scholarships

USC Price is a proud partner with City Year. Any City Year member, staff, or alumnus admitted to the MPA Online program will receive a $5,000 per year scholarship, renewable up to a total of $10,000, as well as an application fee waiver. Learn more about the City Year program.

Funding Your Education

Application fee waivers are available for the Master of Public Administration program online. To receive a fee waiver, applicants must schedule a meeting with Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions, Robert Acosta, or with Program Administrator, Cyndee McDougal, or attend an information session. Due to processing times, you must meet one of these requirements at least one week before the final deadline for the term you are applying.

Cyndee McDougal and Cole Yamada, program administrators, provide academic and administrative policy counseling. The Office of Academic Programs is the administrative hub for the master’s programs at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and is primarily concerned with student progress, university compliance, and other matters.

Still thinking about applying? Cohort Coaches can answer any questions you might have about becoming an MPA online Trojan. Speak with an alum who has been through the program.

Once you enroll, our program pairs you with a Cohort Coach, a program alumnus who will act as your personal “go-to person” throughout your program. In many cases, our Coaches also act as a front-line professional mentor. Your Cohort Coach is an excellent resource for professional development as well as any questions, issues, or concerns you may have regarding your educational journey. The coach works alongside students in the first Residency as a type of TA, providing valuable tips on time management, communicating within the program, and communicating about the program as you work to organize your life for academic success. Following the first semester, your coach will host monthly meetings for your cohort to check in, ask questions, and learn more about certificates and career opportunities. Cohort coaches have assisted with job interview preparation, salary negotiations for new jobs, and dozens of introductions to the Trojan Family and our network of professional job leads. Alumni of the MPA online program frequently seek out new graduates to help grow their organizations, so staying in touch with the network, coaches, and their contacts is beneficial.

Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is the unit at USC responsible for ensuring equal access for students with disabilities in compliance with state and federal law. OSAS serves undergraduate, graduate and professional students; on-ground and on-line students; and students in all credit-granting courses and programs of study.

The USC Price MPA online program welcomes active duty, military dependents and veterans. Among our alumni (and faculty) are both active duty and veterans of military service. Many of the skills you developed in military training—navigating uncertainty, strategic leadership, effective decision-making, and more—are extremely valuable in the public administration field. Whether you are continuing to serve or transitioning out of the military, building on your experience with an advanced degree can be a path to becoming more versatile as a higher-ranking officer or to adapting your skill set to a civilian job. An MPA online degree from the Price school will rigorously prepare you for a career working in city/county management, emergency services, criminal justice, nonprofit management, shaping public policy, leading in the private sector, and more.

There are a number of dedicated resources available for military applicants and students. Active-duty military and veterans can request an application fee waiver from the graduate school and the USC Veterans Certification Office can assist with using your military tuition benefits. The USC Price School is also proud to partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide Yellow Ribbon benefits up to $5,000 for each award to qualified students. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work with a dedicated USC student success advisor who will support you throughout your time in the program, to assist you with scheduling courses, accessing funding, planning for deployment, and more. And you’ll connect to a worldwide network of Trojan alumni who have also served.