Political Economy and Public Policy

Degree Requirements
Courses of Instruction


Kaprielian Hall 324B
(213) 740-4921
(213) 740-3521
(213) 740-3522 (FAX)

Director: John E. Elliott (Economics)

Associate Director, Student Affairs: Farideh Motamedi

Participating Faculty: See Economics, International Relations and Political Science in this catalogue.

The graduate program in political economy and public policy is administered jointly by the Department of Economics, the School of International Relations and the Department of Political Science. It is concerned with interactions between politics and economics and their relations to the policy process. It prepares students for careers in teaching, research, industry and government. A Doctor of Philosophy degree, normally requiring three to five years of study, is offered. The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in PEPP requires successful completion of a comprehensive examination and 32 units of approved course work. Students who have already completed requirements for an M.A. degree in either economics, international relations, or political science will normally be able to apply much of their master's program toward meeting requirements for the Ph.D. degree in PEPP.

A student admitted to the Ph.D program in PEPP who also wishes to pursue a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Economics, International Relations or Political Science should apply directly to one of those departments for separate admission to the respective M.A. program.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students should obtain admission application forms by writing the Director of the Graduate Program in Political Economy and Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089. Applicants should have a bachelor's degree or equivalent educational background. All applicants must take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations.

Remedial Course Work

All students admitted to the graduate program are expected to be prepared to take graduate level courses in economic and political theory and in research methods in politics and economics. Remedial work in these subjects may be required. Students whose native language is not English will be required to take the TOEFL and an English placement examination. Course work in English may be required if so indicated by the student's performance in the exam.

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
Joye Day
day@mizar.usc.edu