MPP FAQs

While there is no minimum, successful applicants have generally earned an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

For 2021-22, the median GPA was 3.62 and the interquartile range was 3.41 to 3.84.

The typical incoming cohort size ranges from 60-70 students. Please visit USC Price Student Facts to learn more about our student population.

USC’s tuition is based on a per unit rate of $2,354 for students who enroll in 1-14 units each semester for the 2024-2025 academic year. The MPP is a 48 unit program. Cost of attendance varies by semester and depends on the number of units taken and number of semesters enrolled. Detailed information concerning tuition and fees can be found in the USC Schedule of Classes.

94% of students in the program are enrolled on a full-time basis. Many of the MPP courses are scheduled during the day, making it difficult for students to work full-time and complete the program on a part-time basis.

Students take courses at the USC University Park Campus. Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, students are immersed in a dynamic city to study public policy. 

The limit for transferable coursework is 12 units. All transferred coursework must be approved by the Public Policy Department.

Transfer work must have been completed within seven years of admission or readmission to a USC master’s degree program. Students wishing to transfer coursework that is more than seven years old may request to do so, but they will need to demonstrate that the content remains current.

Yes. Non-degree students may enroll in some classes, but there are restrictions. Students may enroll in classes as a “limited status” student with permission from the Public Policy Department. To apply for this designation, the student must complete a limited student status application and provide official or unofficial copies of your transcripts showing a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. The maximum number of units a student may complete under the limited status designation is 12 units. Requirements for limited status can be found here.

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program has two prerequisites:

1. Statistics
All entering students to demonstrate proficiency in relevant statistical methods. The statistics prerequisite can be satisfied in one of two ways: Completion of a college-level statistics course with a grade of “B” or better, taken within three years of matriculation in the MPP program OR completion of PPD 502x-Statistical Foundations for Public Management and Policy with a grade of “B” or better. If relevant statistical coursework was completed more than three years prior, a waiver may be granted based on the level of statistical training completed and the degree to which currency with this material was maintained through subsequent professional use. 

2. MPP Pre-semester Labs
All entering MPP students are required to participate in the two pre-semester MPP Labs, which meet the Thursday-Saturday the week prior to the fall semester as well as the Friday of the first week of the semester.

No thesis is required. MPP students complete a policy analysis Practicum, in which skills and knowledge acquired throughout the program are applied to a real-world policy problem. Students work collaboratively in small teams to conduct policy research and analysis and to develop policy recommendations on behalf of a client.

Once a student begins the MPP program, coursework may not be taken at another university. A student does, however, have the opportunity to take coursework in different schools at the University of Southern California if a request is approved by both the Public Policy Department and the partnering school.

Yes. Graduate students may take relevant graduate-level courses in other schools at USC. Students must receive approval from both the Public Policy Department and the department/school under which the course is listed. Students may complete up to 12 units of electives outside of the Price School. Students are required to obtain approval from the Public Policy Department prior to registering for coursework in another department.

Fall:
December 15 (scholarship deadline)
May 1 (international applicant final deadline)
July 1 (domestic applicant final deadline)

If sending your transcripts via regular mail,
University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission
3601 South Flower Street, Room 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

If sending your transcripts via courier service, such as DHL or FedEx,
University of Southern California
USC Office of Graduate Admission and Financial Aid
3601 South Flower Street, Tyler 112
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

Fee waivers are granted only under certain conditions. Please visit the USC Graduate Admissions page on fee waivers for more information.

If you encounter problems with technical aspects of the application, you can seek help by clicking the tech support button located at the top or bottom of the application.

You may send transcripts through the mail OR through e-transcripts in only one of the following ways:

1. eSCRIP SAFE (Grad)
2. eTranscriptCA (CCC)
3. Texas Server (Grad)
4. University to University

If your prior institution does not provide e-transcripts through one of these methods, you must submit a hard copy.

Letters of recommendation must be completed via the online application, but they may be submitted before a full application is submitted. USC Price WILL NOT accept hard copy letters of recommendation, nor will it accept other supplemental materials through postal mail. Please only mail transcripts to our office.

When evaluating an applicant for admission USC Price is interested in both the academic and professional potential of an applicant. A letter of recommendation from a former professor aids the admission committee in determining the academic potential of a student.

We recommend students submit transcripts from ALL colleges or universities wherein a student took coursework that will be cited on the application or that appears on transcripts from an institution at which they did receive a degree. Study abroad transcripts, however,  do not need to be sent. Please contact the USC Office of Graduate Admission  to learn about the university requirements for transcripts.

Once an application is submitted, our staff works to process materials in a timely fashion. You will be contacted within a few weeks of submission to inform you of any materials that are missing. Once all materials are processed, you will receive an email notification to confirm the status. Please do not contact our office with inquiries until you hear from us first.

For letters of recommendation: The online application system allows applicants to track when letters have been submitted and to send reminders to those who are providing a recommendation.

Yes. USC Price offers scholarship for domestic and international students. Please visit the Financial Aid section of our Web site for more details and an application.

The USC Financial Aid Office also provides financial aid packages to U.S. citizens and eligible non-U.S. citizens for loans and work-study. Additional information is available in the Supplemental Admission and Financial Aid materials.

For applications submitted by the scholarship deadline of Dec. 15, decisions are usually made by the middle of March. For applications submitted after Dec. 15, a decision usually takes four to six weeks once all materials have been received.

No. To protect the privacy of the applicant, we only share information on the status of an application with the applicant.

Price has discontinued the GRE/GMAT requirement for admissions review. Applications will be reviewed holistically.

TOEFL: Sucessful applicants typically earn a total score of 100 on the Internet-based test, with no less than 20 on each of the four test components.

IELTS: Score of 7, with no less than 6.5 on each band score.

TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old from your desired start date. USC Price only accepts the Internet-based version of the exam.

We do not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on a graduate degree from a university in the U.S. or another qualifying country, nor on an undergraduate program taught in English in a non-Anglophone country. We are unable to make any exceptions to this policy.

Official scores must be received directly from the testing service and dated no earlier than 2 years (24 months) prior to the start of your intended first term at USC.

International applicants are exempt from submitting English-proficiency scores under the following circumstances:

You hold a degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) from USC or are currently enrolled in a USC degree program.

You hold a bachelor’s degree completed in its entirety in the United States or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in a qualifying Anglophone country (as defined below). To determine degree equivalency, please refer to our country requirements.The bachelor’s degree should be earned at a regionally accredited university located in the United States, or at an officially recognized university in another country where English is both the language of instruction and the only officially recognized language of the country. The entire program needs to have been completed in the qualifying country. Dual-degree holders who completed just part of their degree in the U.S. or other qualifying country, and students who have transferred credits from a non-Anglophone country, do not qualify for this waiver.

You have completed a master’s or doctoral degree from a country in which English is both the language of instruction and the only official language. The degree needs to have already been completed at the time you submit your USC application. Applicants who have not yet completed a qualifying master’s or doctoral program at the time they apply will still need to submit English-proficiency scores.

Your native language is English. This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec), where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.

All transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas must be written in the original language of instruction. All original-language documents must be accompanied by a separate, word-for-word English translation. Dual-language transcripts are accepted.

The U.S. government requires all international applicants provide proof-of-ability to pay tuition and living expenses for themselves and their dependents (if applicable) before an I-20 or DS-2019 Eligibility Certificate can be issued. A missing financial statement will delay the processing of the I-20 or DS-2019. Students will receive their admissions letter with instructions to submit their documentation through the Trojan International Portal.

The Office of International Services (OIS) at USC offers a wide range of services, including help with official documents, immigration questions, employment, financial aid and practical matters. For questions about your I-20, please refer to the Ask USC page. More information for international student support can be found here.

If you need dependent I-20s for your spouse and/or children, please submit:

Copies of their passports.
A copy of the marriage certificate for your spouse.
A birth certificate for each child.

Please note: Dependent I-20s will be issued no later than 30 days prior to the start of the academic program. Please refer to the Trojan International Checklist for complete instructions.

Yes, while international students are not eligible for need-based loans, they are able to compete for scholarships.

Yes. When applying to a dual degree program, a student is applying to two separate programs which have separate admission committees. Thus, an applicant could gain admission to both programs, one program, or neither program. For a listing of dual degrees with the MPP, please click here.

Applicants only need to pay the application fee for one application. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions posted here.

The MPP program is designed to develop the skills and knowledge required of a professional policy analyst, with core proficiencies drawn primarily from economics, political science, and quantitative analysis. MPPs graduate with a robust analytical toolkit that equips them to be sophisticated decision-makers and problem- solvers, skilled producers and consumers of empirical evidence, and knowledgeable contributors to the policy process. Price MPP graduates are employed in a diverse range of careers across all sectors, as the MPP skill set is valued as highly by employers in the private and nonprofit sectors as it is by public-sector agencies.

MPA programs primarily prepare students for public-sector managerial careers and tend to focus on administrative, organizational, and management issues. Though both degree programs contain some amount of both analytical and managerial training, the MPP focuses on the analytical side and the MPA on the managerial side.

Yes. Graduate students may take relevant graduate-level courses in other departments at USC. Students must receive approval from both the Price School and the department/school under which the course is listed.  In most cases, students may take some of their electives in another graduate program.  Students should seek approval from a degree director prior to taking coursework in another department.

Limited space is available for on-campus graduate housing. Most students choose to live off-campus in the nearby area or in other popular neighborhoods around Los Angeles. It is easier than ever now to get around the city, with a metro rail and metro bus stops directly adjacent to the University Park campus. Information about on campus housing can be found here.

Appointments are encouraged and Price School staff are happy to schedule an admission visit. Prospective students have several options when visiting our program. Choose to visit a class, speak to a current student, and/or speak with an admissions representative – we are committed to answering all of your questions.  Please allow at least one week to accommodate a formal visit request.

To speak with a current student, visit the Student Ambassadors section of our Web site.