University of Southern California

Course Sequencing and Planning

» Curriculum
» Program Oversight and Advisement

Curriculum

The Master of Public Policy degree is a two-year, 48 unit professional degree designed to develop an individual's capacity to formulate, analyze, and implement public policy. The program's curriculum has three components: the core, a specialization, and the policy practicum. In addition, students are encouraged to do internships and/or research assistantships to gain practical experience.

Core (28 units)
The core develops the analytical skills – political, organizational, economic, quantitative, and managerial – that are essential for the effective policy analyst.

    Core Courses
  • Intersectoral Leadership (PPD 500)
  • Economics for Policy, Planning and Development (PPD 501ab)
  • Introduction to Policy Analysis (PPD 554)
  • Public Policy Formulation and Implementation (PPD 555)
  • Modeling and Operations Research (PPD 557)
  • Statistical Analysis (PPD 558)
  • Methods for Policy Analysis (PPD 560)
  • Policy Analysis Practicum (PPD 561ab)
    Electives

    Students complete 4 units of a management elective, 4 units of an analytic elective and 12 units of specialization electives.

    Select Management Elective (4 units):
  • Financial Accounting in the Public and Non-profit Sectors (PPD 516x)
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting (PPD 541)
  • Human Behavior in Public Organizations (PPD 545)
  • Information Technology Management in the Public Sector (PPD 654)
  • Political Management: Theory and Applied Techniques (PPD 656)
  • Intergovernmental Management: Local Perspective (PPD 661)
  • Intergovernmental Management: State Perspective (PPD 662)
  • Nonprofit Management and Leadership (PPD 675)
  • Strategic Management in the Nonprofit Sector (PPD 687)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (PPD 690)
    Select Analytic Elective (4 units):
  • Policy and Program Evaluation (PPD 542)
  • Risk Analysis (PPD 587)
  • Urban Demography and Growth (PPD 617)
  • Finance of the Public Sector (PPD 647)

The 12 units of electives in an area of policy specialization are selected by the students with the advice of the academic advisor or the director of the MPP program.

Specialization (12 units)
In addition to developing the core competencies of the policy analyst, the MPP student develops expertise in a policy area of his or her choosing. This consists of three elective courses, which may be taken from any Graduate Program within the University.

Students are encouraged to identify their specialization area as soon as possible, and to work with the MPP Director to identify appropriate courses. Areas of special expertise at USC include urban policy, nonprofits and philanthropy, community & economic development, health, transportation, the environment, education, and media and communications policy. Alternatively, some students use their specialization to develop other skills, like public or nonprofit management.

Some information on specialization clusters is attached, but these are only illustrative. Students are encouraged to develop their own unique specialization.

Policy Practicum (3+1 units = 4 total)
The final component of the MPP degree is the Policy Analysis Practicum (PPD 561ab). This course is a workshop in which teams of policy students do policy analysis for an actual client. Last year’s clients included the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Unified School District, the Southern California Association of Governments, a City Manager, and a Hollywood Community group. Professors Musso and Pachon oversee the practicum, which is only offered in the spring semester.

Program Oversight and Advisement

The MPP program is governed by the MPP Degree Committee:

Dr. Juliet Musso, Director RGL 300
Dr. James Ferris
Dr. Sherry Bebitch Jeffe
Dr. Dowell Myers
Dr. Harry Pachon
Dr. Gary Painter
Dr. Adam Rose
Dr. Detlof von Winterfeldt

General program questions should be directed to Dr. Musso. The other committee members have a wealth of policy knowledge that you can access.