University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Overview
Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California is a private research university of international distinction. It ranks among the nation's top ten private research universities in terms of receiving government funds for research and development support. USC is one of sixty-two U.S. and Canadian research universities elected to the Association of American Universities.
The University enrolls approximately 32,000 full- and part-time students, including more than 15,500 graduate and professional students. Diversity is the hallmark of the USC student community, with students from across the United States and more than 100 countries.
The Location and Community
Situated just 3 miles south of the Civic Center, the 235-acre University Park campus is adjacent to museums and recreational facilities of the Exposition Park complex. It is served by a network of freeways providing access to most cultural, business, and residential areas of southern California. The 50-acre Health Sciences Campus is located within 3 miles of the Los Angeles Civic Center. Other teaching facilities include the Hawaii Center, the Orange County Center, the Sacramento Center, and the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina Island.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The University of Southern California (USC) offers programs of study leading to graduate degrees in the following major fields: accounting (including business taxation); American studies and ethnicity; anthropology; architecture (including building science, historic preservation, and landscape); art history (including museum studies); biochemistry and molecular biology; biokinesiology (including physical therapy); biology (including molecular biology, integrative and evolutionary biology, and computational biology and bioinformatics); biostatistics; business administration; cell biology and neurobiology; chemistry (including chemical physics); cinema-television (including film, video and computer animation, critical studies, interactive media, film/television production, and writing for screen and television); classics; communication (including global communication); communication management; comparative literature; computational linguistics; computer science (including computer networks, computer security, multimedia and creative technology, intelligent robotics, and software engineering); craniofacial biology; dentistry; East Asian languages and cultures (including linguistics and literary/cultural studies); economics; education (including counseling psychology); engineering (aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical?including systems and electrophysics, environmental, industrial and systems, materials science, mechanical, and petroleum); English (including literature and creative writing); epidemiology; environmental studies; fine arts (including public art studies); French; geography; geological sciences; gerontology; history; journalism (including strategic public relations); kinesiology; law; linguistics; mathematical finance; mathematics (including applied mathematics and statistics); medicine; molecular epidemiology; molecular microbiology and immunology; molecular pharmacology and toxicology; music; neuroscience; nurse anesthesia; occupational therapy (including occupational science); ocean sciences; pathobiology; pharmaceutical economics and policy; pharmaceutical sciences; pharmacy; philosophy; physician assistant practice; physics; physiology and biophysics; policy, planning and development; political economy and public policy; politics and international relations; preventive medicine (health behavior); professional writing; psychology; public health; Slavic languages and literatures; social work; sociology; and theater (acting, theatrical design, and dramatic writing). The degrees offered in areas of study are listed in the Faculty Head section of this description.
Facilities & Resources
The University libraries, comprising the central library, high-technology library, specialized research libraries, and three independent libraries, house more than 4.2 million volumes, more than 6 million microforms, and 30,000 journals. The research centers at USC include the Annenberg Center for Communication, the Integrated Media Systems Center, Information Sciences Institute, Alfred E. Mann Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Southern California Earthquake Center, and Biomimetic Engineering Center.
To support research, classroom learning, and independent study, USC provides students access to the Internet, e-mail, digital resources, and the latest technology in public computing centers. University residence halls have high-speed connections to the Internet. Most common areas at USC are configured for wireless technology.
Expenses and Aid
Tuition is estimated at $1,959 per unit. Selected programs have higher rates.
Financial Aid:
Graduate teaching and research assistantships are offered by most departments. The approximate value of these awards for the academic year range from $26,000 to $43,000, including full- or partial-tuition remission, the stipend, and a paid health-care package. Other sources of financial aid are Graduate School Diversity Fellowships of up to $18,000 plus tuition and mandatory fees, Provost Graduate Fellowships of up to $18,000 plus tuition and mandatory fees, federal assistance programs (Federal Work-Study), and student loans.
Housing/Living Expenses:
University apartments for graduate students and their families are available on a limited and first-come, first-served basis. Housing facilities for Health Sciences Campus students are also available. All units are fully furnished, with estimated monthly rates ranging from $450 to $475 for a one-bedroom/2-person unit and $305 to $580 for a two-bedroom/4-person unit. Bachelor units for 1 person range from approximately $580 to $635 per month. Family housing is estimated to range from $780 to $995 per month.
How to Apply / Application
Students should contact specific academic departments for additional information and requirements.
International Students
Coming to USC and Los Angeles to study provides you with the chance to experience the rich diversity of cultures, foods, languages and traditions of the world. Last year USC hosted over 5,500 international students from 115 different countries, in addition there were more then 1,200 visiting scholars and professors from abroad on campus. Thus, we are truly an international university.
Who to Contact
Office of Admission
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California 90089-0911s
213-740-1111
Faculty Department Heads
• Vice Provost for Academic Affairs: Elizabeth Garrett, J.D.
• Vice Provost for Graduate Programs: Jean Morrison, Ph.D.
• Accounting (M.Acc.) and Business Taxation (M.B.T.): Randolph P. Beatty, Ph.D.
• Aerospace (E.A.E., M.S., Ph.D.) and Mechanical Engineering (E.M.E., M.S., Ph.D.): Michael Kassner, Ph.D.
• American Studies and Ethnicity (Ph.D.): George Sanchez, Ph.D.
• Anthropology (M.A., Ph.D.): Craig Stanford, Ph.D.
• Architecture (M.Arch., M.Arch./M.Pl.), Building Science (M.B.S.), Historic Preservation (M.H.P.), and Landscape Architecture (M.L.Arch., M.L.Arch./M.Pl.): Robert Timme, M.Arch.
• Art History (M.A., Ph.D.) and Museum Studies (M.A.): Malcolm Baker, Ph.D.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (M.S., Ph.D.): Michael R. Stallcup, Ph.D.
• Biokinesiology (M.S., Ph.D.) and Physical Therapy (D.P.T.): James Gordon, Ed.D.; PT.
• Biology (M.S., Ph.D.), Molecular Biology (Ph.D.), Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Ph.D.), and Integrative and Evolutionary Biology (Ph.D.): David Caron, Ph.D.
• Biomedical Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.): Michael C. K. Khoo, Ph.D.
• Biostatistics (M.S., Ph.D.), Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology (M.S.), and Epidemiology (Ph.D.): Stanley Azen, Ph.D., and Duncan Thomas, Ph.D.
• Business Administration (M.B.A., J.D./M.B.A., M.S., Ph.D.), Medical Management (M.M.M.), and Management (M. Mgt.): Yash Gupta, Ph.D.
• Cell and Neurobiology (M.S., Ph.D.): Mikel Snow, Ph.D.
• Chemical Engineering (E.Ch.E., M.S., Ph.D.): Muhammad Sahimi, Ph.D.; Petroleum Engineering (E.Pt.E., M.S., Ph.D.): Iraj Ershaghi, Ph.D.
• Chemistry (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.) and Chemical Physics (Ph.D.): Curt Wittig, Ph.D.
• Cinema-Television (M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D.): Elizabeth M. Daley, Ph.D.
• Civil Engineering (E.C.E., M.S., Ph.D.), Applied Mechanics (M.S.), Computer-Aided Engineering (M.Eng.), Construction Management (M.C.M.), and Environmental Engineering (M.S., Ph.D.): L. Carter Wellford, Ph.D.
• Classics (M.A., Ph.D.): Thomas N. Habinek, Ph.D.
• Communication (M.A., Ph.D.), Communication Management (M.A., J.D./M.A.), and Global Communication (M.A.): Larry Gross, Ph.D.
• Comparative Literature (M.A., Ph.D.): Peggy Kamuf, Ph.D.
• Computational Linguistics (M.S.): Eduard Hovey, Ph.D., and Jean Roger Vergnaud, Ph.D.
• Computer Science (M.S., Ph.D.): Gerard Medioni, Ph.D.
• Craniofacial Biology (M.S., Ph.D.): Charles Shuler, D.M.D., Ph.D.
• Dentistry (D.D.S., M.B.A./D.D.S.): Harold C. Slavkin, D.D.S.
• Earth Sciences (M.S., Ph.D. in geological sciences): Thomas L. Henyey, Ph.D.
• East Asian Languages and Cultures (M.A., Ph.D.): Audrey Li, Ph.D.
• East Asian Studies (M.A., M.B.A./M.A.): Gordon Berger, Ph.D.
• Economics (M.A., J.D./M.A., M.Pl./M.A., Ph.D.) and Mathematical Finance (M.S.): Robert Dekle, Ph.D.
• Education (Ed.D., M.S., M.E., M.M.Ed., M.M.F.T., Ph.D.): Karen Symms Gallagher, Ph.D.
• Electrical Engineering (E.E.E., M.S., Ph.D.): Alexander Sawchuk, Ph.D. (systems), and John Choma, Ph.D. (electrophysics).
• English (M.A., Ph.D.) and Literature and Creative Writing (Ph.D.): Joseph Boone, Ph.D.
• Environmental Studies (M.A.) and Environmental Risk Analysis (M.S.): Albert A. Herrera, Ph.D.
• Fine Arts (M.F.A., M.P.A.S.): Ruth Weisberg, M.A.
• French (M.A., Ph.D.): Karen Pinkus, Ph.D.
• Geography (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.): Michael J. Dear, Ph.D.
• Gerontology (M.A., M.S., M.B.A./M.S., J.D./M.S., M.L.T.C.A., M.Pl./M.S., M.H.A./M.S., M.S.W./M.S., M.P.A./M.S., Ph.D.): Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Ph.D.
• History (M.A., Ph.D.): Steven J. Ross, Ph.D.
• Industrial and Systems Engineering (E.I.S.E., M.S., M.B.A./M.S., Ph.D.), Manufacturing Engineering/Entrepreneurship (M.S.), Engineering Management (M.S.), and Operations Research Engineering (M.S.): James E. Moore II, Ph.D.
• International Relations (Politics and International Relations, Ph.D.): Steven Lamy, Ph.D.
• Journalism (M.A.): Michael Parks, B.A.
• Kinesiology (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.): Casey Donovan, Ph.D.
• Law (J.D., LL.M.): Matthew L. Spitzer, J.D., Ph.D.
• Linguistics (Ph.D.): Hagit Borer, Ph.D.
• Materials Science (E.M.S., M.S., Ph.D.): Florian Mansfeld, Ph.D.
• Mathematics (M.A., Ph.D.): Wayne Raskind, Ph.D.; Graduate Studies (M.A., M.S., Ph.D. in applied mathematics, M.S. in computational molecular biology, and M.S. in mathematical finance and statistics): Gary Rosen, Ph.D.
• Medicine (M.D.): Brian Henderson, M.D.
• Molecular Epidemiology (M.S., Ph.D.): Stanley Azen, Ph.D., and Zoltan Tokes, Ph.D.
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (M.S., Ph.D.): Gunther Dennert, Ph.D. (Interim Chair).
• Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology (M.S., Ph.D.): Enrique Cadenas, M.D., Ph.D.
• Music (D.M.A., M.A., M.M., Ph.D.): Robert A. Cutietta, D.Ed.
• Neuroscience (Ph.D.): Larry W. Swanson, Ph.D.
• Nurse Anesthesia (M.S.): Philip Lumb, M.D.
• Occupational Therapy (M.A., O.T.D.) and Occupational Science (Ph.D.): Florence Clark, Ph.D.; OTR/L.
• Ocean Sciences (Ph.D.): Douglas E. Hammond, Ph.D. (Acting Head).
• Pathology (M.S. in experimental and molecular pathology) and Pathobiology (Ph.D.): Clive Taylor, M.D., Ph.D.
• Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy (M.S., Ph.D.): Michael B. Nichol, Ph.D.
• Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.S., Ph.D.): Wei-Chiang Shen, Ph.D.
• Pharmacy (Pharm.D., M.B.A./Pharm.D., J.D./Pharm.D.): Timothy Chan, Ph.D.
• Philosophy (M.A., J.D./M.A., Ph.D.): James Higginbotham, Ph.D.
• Physician Assistant Practice (M.P.A.P.): Ricardo Hahn, M.D.
• Physics (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.) and Physics for Business Applications (M.S.): N. Eugene Bickers, Ph.D.
• Physiology and Biophysics (M.S., Ph.D.): Richard N. Bergman, Ph.D.
• Policy, Planning, and Development (M.P.A., M.P.P., M.P.P.M., M.H.A., D.P.A., Ph.D., M.Pl., M.P.D.S., D.P.D.S., J.D./M.P.A., J.D./M.P.P., M.B.A./M.Pl.), and Real Estate Development (M.R.E.D., M.B.A./M.R.E.D., J.D./M.R.E.D.): Jack H. Knott, Ph.D.
• Political Economy and Public Policy (Ph.D.): John Odell, Ph.D. (Acting Director).
• Political Science (M.A.): Howard Gillman, Ph.D.; International Relations (M.A., J.D./M.A.): Steven Lamy, Ph.D.; Politics and International Relations (Ph.D.): Howard Gillman, Ph.D., and Steven Lamy, Ph.D.
• Preventive Medicine (Ph.D. in health behavior research), Public Health (M.P.H.), and Statistical Genetics and Genetic Epidemiology (Ph.D.): Ronald K. Ross, M.D.
• Professional Writing (M.P.W.): James Ragan, Ph.D.
• Psychology (Ph.D.): Gerald Davison, Ph.D.
• Religion and Social Ethics (M.A., J.D./M.A., Ph.D.): Donald E. Miller, Ph.D.
• Slavic Languages and Literatures (M.A., Ph.D.): Marcus Levitt, Ph.D.
• Social Work (M.S.W., J.D./M.S.W., M.Pl./M.S.W., M.P.A./M.S.W., M.S./M.S.W., Ph.D.): Marilyn Flynn, Ph.D.
• Sociology (M.A., M.S., Ph.D.): Michael Messner, Ph.D.
• Theater (M.F.A.): Madeline Puzo.