About SPPD
The mission of the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development (SPPD) is to improve the quality of life for people and their communities, here and abroad.
We achieve this mission through education and research that promote innovative solutions to the most critical issues facing society.
SPPD Degree Programs
SPPD offers five professional master's degree programs, two executive master's degree programs, a special master's program for international executives, two doctoral programs, and an undergraduate degree program.
The five master's level programs – in Public Policy, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Real Estate Development and Health Policy and Management – join theory with practice and emphasize experiential and professional learning. The doctoral programs allow a select group of students to work closely with faculty on important areas of research and scholarly inquiry. Graduate-level students at SPPD have considerable latitude to design their own programs in order to pursue their specialized areas of interest and further their professional development. Undergraduates pursue the Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, Management, and Planning, which builds on a well-rounded liberal arts core with classes and practical training in policy, management, and planning in preparation for either graduate school or the job market. For mid-career professionals, SPPD offers the Executive Master of Health Administration, the Executive Master of Leadership, and the International Public Policy and Management program.
An SPPD Education
In today’s world of dynamic change and globalization, social challenges have become increasingly complex. Solving society’s most pressing issues – including sustainability and the environment, healthcare reform, immigration, infrastructure, urban development, social planning and policy, affordable housing and governance – now requires innovation and collaboration. These issues call for leaders who are able to move beyond their areas of expertise and work across the public, private and nonprofit sectors to find vital solutions.
Through its interdisciplinary approach, SPPD educates students to serve as innovators – and leaders – in their field. The school’s degree programs draw on the expertise of faculty and practicing professionals to create a learning environment whose breadth and depth sets SPPD apart from all schools of its kind. In 2008, SPPD ranked seventh nationwide among "America's Best Graduate Schools" for public affairs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
At SPPD, students receive an enriching education that:
- Combines social sciences, professional expertise, and the resources of a great research university to offer students breadth, depth, and variety as they pursue their interests and design their programs.
- Centers on and values the relationships that develop between students and teachers.
- Offers both academic and relevant real-world experiences, and draws widely on the expertise of networks of engaged councilors, advisors, alumni, and prominent professionals.
- Encourages innovation, entrepreneurship, experimentation, and collaboration.
- Fosters a multidisciplinary and problem-solving ethic.
- Focuses broadly and inclusively on the issues, constituencies, structures, and institutions engaged in public life – in both governance and the built environment.
- Utilizes the City of Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region as a living laboratory in which to learn and put into practice the lessons of the classroom.