USC State Capital Center Opportunities for MPA Students
USC began offering the Master of Public Administration degree in Sacramento in 1971. Since that time the Center has expanded to offer a Master of Health Administration as well. The Center is the headquarters for the School’s leadership programs and state policy outreach efforts to link researchers and policymakers.
Faculty are drawn from the USC tenure track faculty as well as from the practitioner community in Northern California. Required and elective classes for the MPA program are offered each semester at the Center.
Fitting the program into your life
Most students in Sacramento work full-time while in the MPA program. Taking two classes per semester, fall and spring, and one class in the summer, most students complete the program in two years.Intensive classes meet in Sacramento over two four-day extended weekends, enabling students from various locations to attend class in Sacramento and participate in the professional community of students, faculty, alumni and advisory board members.
Career: MPA students may also take advantage of our Center in the state capital by participating in internships, externships and job shadowing opportunities in Sacramento. Meeting alumni and students active in various aspects of the field, including state, local private and non-profit, is facilitated by attending networking events in Sacramento, including a holiday reception in early December, the annual Capitol Career Day in the spring, and Career Conversations with Professionals at noon on selected Fridays and MPA Labs scheduled monthly throughout the year.
Admission
Prospective students may request a packet of information about graduate programs online or by calling (916) 442-6911.Information sessions in Sacramento are held throughout the year. Please RSVP online or call (916) 442-6911 for more information.
Applicants for the MPA program at the State Capital Center in Sacramento apply online to the School of Policy, Planning, and Development’s Admission Office in Los Angeles.
Scholarship opportunities for students planning to take the bulk of their coursework in Sacramento are the same as those planning to take their coursework in Los Angeles. The Dean’s Merit Scholarship is offered to students entering in the fall who have applied by the priority deadline.