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Department of Public Policy and Management

We teach students how to change the world.

Be it working with an international aid organization, a major corporation, a local municipality or a state legislature, our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and critical-thinking skills to become leaders and collaborators in any social-impact organization.

Our students study with faculty who are leading experts in their field and who conduct innovative research that shapes the fields of governance, policy, leadership and public and nonprofit management. Their expertise includes economics, political science, sociology, public policy and administration – all woven together to provide the multifaceted education that is critical for navigating today’s complex careers.

Our programs are not limited to the classroom. Our curriculum includes real-world connections: our department works closely with local, state, national and international professionals in myriad fields and across the public, business and nonprofit sectors.

Our alumni are a testament to the power of the degrees we confer. They serve as city managers, legislative analysts, elected representatives, foundation executives, international development consultants, and at organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank. They tackle complex problems as diverse as homelessness, homeland security, climate change, structural racism and more.

Join us as we prepare our students to become the next generation of change agents.

Department Chair

Shui Yan Tang headshot

Shui Yan Tang

Professor,
Frances R. and John J. Duggan Professor in Public Administration
Chair, Department of Public Policy and Management

Academic Programs

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Bachelor of Science in Public Policy

The USC Price School’s Bachelor of Science in Public Policy offers an education combining rigorous academic coursework in economics, political science, quantitative methods, and leadership with the practical experience needed to effectively engage communities and address solutions to large-scale local, regional, national, and international problems.

Capitol building

Master of Public Policy

The USC Price Master of Public Policy program offers a comprehensive degree that integrates public policy leadership, analysis, evaluation, and management. Through coursework, interaction with faculty, and practical experience, the Price MPP equips students with in-depth knowledge of the policy issues they care about most and the skills to be impactful agents of change.

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Master of Science in Public Policy Data Science

Informatics and big data are increasingly essential to policy development throughout the public and private sectors. Knowledge of both can lead to ever-expanding career opportunities. Bolster your decision-making role in government agencies and the corporate realm with the USC Price School of Public Policy and USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Master of Science in Public Policy Data Science.

International Flags

Master of International Public Policy and Management (IPPAM)

The International Public Policy and Management Program (IPPAM) offers a Master of International Public Policy and Management (MIPM) degree designed for international students and U.S. students working in international settings. 

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Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program offers a professional education designed to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of a career in public management or in related public and private firms. 

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Master of Public Administration Online

The Price School Master of Public Administration develops collaborative and innovative leaders to manage complex organizations and serve the public good, at home and abroad.

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Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

The USC Price School’s Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management (MNLM) degree provides the critical skills and training necessary to lead complex nonprofit organizations. Students work closely with leading nonprofit executives, augmenting the classroom curriculum with real-world field work. 

Department Faculty

NamePositionExpertise
Grace BahngGrace BahngProfessor (Teaching)
Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Policy analysis, experiential learning, community development, international development, data visualization
Christine Beckman headshotChristine M. BeckmanProfessor
Price Family Chair in Social Innovation
Director, Price Center for Social Innovation
Social innovation and inequality, organizational learning and interorganizational networks, entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship, technology and work, organizational control
Professor Antonio BentoAntonio M. BentoProfessor of Public Policy and EconomicsEnvironmental and energy economics, urban economics, public economics, transportation policy, climate policy, environmental regulation
Tara BlancTara BlancAssociate Professor (Teaching)Civic engagement, leadership, public service ethics, political behavior
Wändi Bruine de BruinWändi Bruine de BruinProvost Professor of Public Policy, Psychology, and Behavioral Science
Director, USC Behavioral Science and Well Being Policy Initiative
Hear my name
  • Psychology of risk perception and communication
  • Health behavior and patient decision making
  • Public perceptions of climate change and sustainability
  • Economic expectations and financial decision making
  • Behavior change interventions
  • Social science of science communication
  • Age differences in decision making and well-being
Nic Duquette headshotNicolas DuquetteAssociate ProfessorNonprofit economics, public finance, economic history
Nicole E. EsparzaAssociate ProfessorNonprofit organizations, networks, philanthropy, and urban inequality
James FerrisJames M. FerrisProfessor
Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
Emery Evans Olson Chair in Non-Profit Entrepreneurship and Public Policy
Director, Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy
Philanthropy, nonprofit economics, public finance, public policy, institutional analysis
Elizabeth GraddyProfessor
Jeffrey J. Miller Chair in Government, Business, and the Economy
Institutional economics, governance, nonprofit organizations,industry structure
Alexandra Graddy-ReedAssociate ProfessorPublic economics, philanthropy and nonprofits, social innovation, science and innovation policy, research and development
Howard Greenwald headshotHoward GreenwaldProfessorHealth service delivery, organizational behavior, survey design
Christian Grose headshotChristian GroseProfessor of Political Science and International Relations and Public Policy
Academic Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy
American government, political institutions; political representation; the politics of the policy-making process; electoral behavior and campaigns; race, ethnicity, and politics; political and electoral reforms; field and survey experimental techniques to study the behavior of legislators, candidates, and other political elites.
Jeff Jenkins headshotJeffery A. JenkinsProvost Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and Law
Maria B. Crutcher Professor of Citizenship and Democratic Values; Director, PIPE Collaborative
American political institutions and development, Congress, political parties, lawmaking, separation-of-powers, political economy
Rym KakiRym KakiAssociate Professor (Teaching)
Program Director, Master of Public Administration
Program Director, International Public Policy and Management Program
Public and non-profit organizations management, public policy analysis, urban poverty policy, social entrepreneurship, institutional design, program evaluation and social impact assessment
Dora VertentenDora Kingsley VertentenProfessor (Teaching)
Coordinator, Master of Public Administration – Online
Public policy, intergovernmental management, non-profit management, strategic planning, social media and information technologies useful in collaborative and participatory democracy
William LeachWilliam LeachProfessor (Teaching)Collaborative governance, planning, social policy, environmental policy, health policy, marine aquaculture
Danyao Li headshotDanyao LiAssistant ProfessorPublic Management; Representation and Diversity; Bureaucratic Decision Making; Social Equity and Justice; Law Enforcement
Julie MarshJulie MarshProfessor of Education Policy and Public PolicyK-12 Education Policy and Governance, Accountability, Teacher Incentive Programs, Data-Driven Reforms, School District Reform, School Choice, Equity-Oriented Reforms, Literacy Coaching
Pamela McCann headshotPamela McCannAssociate ProfessorAmerican political institutions, bureaucratic delegation, intergovernmental politics, legislative behavior, public policy, and policy diffusion
T J McCarthyT.J. McCarthyAssociate Professor (Teaching)Labor economics, health economics, economics of education, public economics, program evaluation
Juliet Ann Musso headshotJuliet Ann MussoAssociate Professor
Vice Dean for Graduate Programs
State and local governance; federalism, urban political economy, fiscal policy, community governance, government performance.
Deborah J. NatoliDeborah J. NatoliProfessor (Teaching)Adult development and learning, leadership, human behavior and organizations, depth psychology and psychoanalysis
Mark PhillipsMark PhillipsAssociate Professor (Teaching)
Program Director, Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Policy Data Science
Public finance, tax compliance, policy salience, applied microeconomics
Kelly Rawlings headshotKelly RawlingsAssociate Professor (Teaching)Civic engagement and public participation, organizational behavior, nonprofit leadership and management, transformational leadership and change
Bill Resh headshotWilliam G. ReshAssociate Professor
C.C. Crawford Professor in Management and Performance
Public Management, US presidency and executive politics, policy implementation, organization theory, personnel policy, organizational behavior
Peter Robertson headshot 2019Peter J. RobertsonAssociate ProfessorOrganizational theory and behavior, organizational change, ecological governance, collaborative organizing, interorganizational networks
Mindy RomeroMindy RomeroAssistant Professor (Research)Political sociology, voting rights and electoral participation, latino political behavior, collective political behavior, youth civic engagement, identity and political movements, social stratification, new technologies and civic engagement
Adam RoseAdam RoseProfessor (Research)Energy and environmental economics, public policy, natural hazards and terrorism, regional science, applied general equilibrium modeling
Erroll SouthersErroll G. SouthersProfessor of the Practice in National and Homeland Security
Associate Senior Vice President, Safety and Risk Assurance
Counterterrorism, homegrown violent extremism, school violence prevention
Roberto SuroProfessorImmigration, Hispanic immigration, immigration policy
Lois M. Takahashi headshotLois M. TakahashiProfessor (Teaching)
Houston I. Flournoy Professor of State Government
Coordinator, Master of Public Administration – Sacramento
Public and social service delivery to vulnerable populations in the U.S. and in Southeast/South Asian cities
Shui Yan Tang headshotShui Yan TangProfessor
Frances R. and John J. Duggan Professor in Public Administration
Chair, Department of Public Policy and Management
Institutional Analysis and Design; Collaborative Governance; Local and Community-based Governance; Common-Pool Resource Governance; Environmental Politics and Policy; Microfinance
Professor Michael ThomMichael ThomAssociate Professor (Teaching)
Director, DPPD Program
Taxation; public finance; regulatory policy; public policy analysis; political philosophy
Detlof von WinterfeldtProfessor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Policy, Planning, and Development
J.A. Tiberti Chair in Ethics and Decision Making; Executive Director, USC Center for Sustainability Solutions
Decision analysis, risk analysis, environmental policy, behavioral decision research, homeland security
Frank Zerunyan headshotFrank V. ZerunyanProfessor of the Practice of Governance
Director, Executive Education Programs; Director, ROTC Programs
Local Governments, Administrative Law, Public Private Partnerships, Leadership, Negotiation, and Executive Education