USC School of Policy, Planning and Development

The USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development (SPPD) educates and trains leaders who create multidisciplinary approaches to the challenging and complex issues of governing, managing and building contemporary urban communities. The school encourages innovation, experimentation and collaboration, while fostering a multidisciplinary and problem-solving ethic.

At the master's degree level, the school's programs in Public Policy, Public Administration, Planning, Real Estate Development and Health Administration combine theory and practice, focusing broadly on the issues, constituencies, institutions and physical structures that constitute the public realm. The doctoral programs enable a select group of students to work closely with faculty on vital areas of scholarly inquiry.

Most of the school's research is conducted through its prominent centers and institutes, including the Institute for Civic Enterprise; the Center for Health Financing, Policy and Management; and the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute——the nation's premier Latino think tank. Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region are utilized as a living laboratory in which the lessons of the classroom can be put into practice. Click here for links to all 10 SPPD research centers.

The School's online Master of Public Administration degree program is scheduled to be launched this fall. Please check the SPPD website or USCNow for more information.

Graduate degree programs

Dual degrees offered jointly by SPPD and other USC schools and departments