Progressive Degrees

For a select number of students in the PPD major, USC offers the opportunity to complete a graduate master’s degree while finishing their undergraduate degree. In five years, they emerge with both degrees, ready to excel in the professional workplace.

In USC Price, we currently offer progressive degrees with the:

• Master of Health Administration
• Master of Urban Planning
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Public Policy

You will need to meet the following requirements to earn both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA at time of application

• Submit an application when you have completed between 64 and 96 total units of undergraduate course work, (excluding AP, IB, or transfer units earned prior to graduation from high school).

• Complete and submit Application for Admission to a Progressive Master’s Program, including:
  • Application form
  • STARS report
  • Two letters of recommendation from USC faculty
  • Admission statement

• Obtain approval signatures for the application and proposed course plan from:
  • Undergraduate program department chair
  • Undergraduate program dean
  • Master’s program department chair
  • Master’s program dean

• Complete all degree requirements for both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree with a minimum two-thirds of the units required for the master’s degree at or above the 500 level

• Complete and submit Application for Admission to a Progressive Master’s Program, including:
  • Application form
  • STARS report
  • Two letters of recommendation from USC faculty
  • Admission statement

Students can visit the USC Price Program Office in RGL 102 for application materials and questions or contact the following program administrators:

Master of Health Administration
Jennifer Kim, Program Administrator
(213) 821-0837
Email: [email protected]

* All completed MHA progressive applications must be submitted by paper to Jennifer Kim, in RGL 102. Electronic copies of the application, including letters of recommendation, will not be accepted.

Master of Planning
Jennifer Hong, Program Administrator
[email protected]
(213) 740-6539

Master of Public Policy
Suzanne Alexander, Program Administrator
[email protected]
(213) 740-1532

* All completed progressive application materials should be submitted in one PDF to Suzanne Alexander at [email protected]. Letters of recommendation should be emailed directly to [email protected] and do not need to be written on the form in the application packet.

Master of Public Administration
Karla Barajas, Advisor for students with last name (A-M)
(213) 740-0529 
Email: [email protected]

Lucia Saavedra, Advisor for students with last name (N-Z)
(213) 740-0423
Email: [email protected]

Application Deadlines

* PLEASE NOTE: There is no admittance for summer.