Completion of the requirements for either degree is assumed to take a minimum of three years of approved graduate study and research beyond the bachelor's degree. For the Ph.D. student, a minimum of 24 graduate units completed in residence on the University Park Campus in Los Angeles is required. For the D.P.A. student, a minimum of 20 graduate units must be completed at the University Park Campus or the Sacramento or Washington, D.C. Centers within two calendar years. Full-time study is represented by enrollment in eight units during the semester. Usually, the school and the student's guidance committee insist on a clear and mutually understood commitment of time and energy by the student to ensure significant involvement in the doctoral learning experience. For university policies regarding continuous enrollment, leave of absence and readmission, see the Requirements for Graduation section of this catalogue.
The deadline for applications for admission to the Ph.D. and D.P.A. programs in Los Angeles is February 1. Applications to the D.P.A. program in Sacramento may be submitted throughout the year and the process of reviewing these applications is continuous. Application decisions for admission to the D.P.A. program in Washington, D.C. are made once each year for a fall semester admission. Applications for admission to the Ph.D. and D.P.A. programs in Los Angeles are also made once each year for a fall semester admission.
Doctoral program applicants may be allowed to take master's level courses before the admission process is completed. Students may not take 600-level course work until after formal admission.
The admission decision is made using criteria which include verification that the applicant has a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, has maintained a B average in the last 60 units of undergraduate work, and has earned an acceptable score on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examinations. Other elements of the applicant's educational and experiential background are also evaluated, including performance in other advanced degrees. D.P.A. applicants must also provide evidence of at least five years of practical administrative experience.
Each applicant should submit the following: (1) one copy of official transcripts of all previous college and university work (be sure that these official transcripts show an awarded degree where appropriate); (2) copies of Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores; (3) a 1000-word essay discussing the applicant's background and reasons for wanting to pursue a Ph.D. degree and identifying his or her personal, educational and professional goals; (4) an up-to-date resume, including academic and professional accomplishments; (5) three or more letters of recommendation, two from previous instructors, others from instructors or from professional supervisors or colleagues (the letters should indicate the applicant's academic and professional accomplishments and potential); (6) a completed USC Graduate Admission Application, along with the nonrefundable application fee; and (7) a completed School of Public Administration Supplemental Graduate Application. International applicants are asked to submit additional information. See the International Admissions section under Master of Public Administration in this catalogue. Applicants should carefully choose, and clearly state, the degree objective (Ph.D. or D.P.A.) for which they are applying, since different sets of admissions criteria exist for each of them.
The procedures and conditions of transfer are the same as those for the master's degree programs listed in the Course Work Taken Elsewhere section with the following exception: transfer credits cannot be older than 10 years at the time of petition for transfer and must reflect current knowledge in the field. However, students entering with an appropriate completed graduate degree from an accredited institution may be eligible for admission to the D.P.A. program with Advanced Standing. Consult the Doctoral Coordinator and the Graduate Admission section of this catalogue for further information.
Please note that more stringent regulations apply to international students. See the Admission section of this catalogue.
There are differences between the screening process for Ph.D. and D.P.A. students. For Ph.D. students, if their GPA in the four core courses is less than a B average (3.0), they will automatically be screened out of the program. If the GPA is above a B+ (3.3), and they have successfully completed their first-year research apprenticeship, they will automatically be screened into the program. If the GPA is in between a B and a B+ average, they will be screened out unless three of the instructors of the four core seminars and the research supervisor vote to screen them into the program. Screening for D.P.A. students may include, as appropriate, a review of faculty evaluations of all work completed within the School of Public Administration and samples of written work such as research papers. An oral examination may be included in the procedure. Refer to the School of Public Administration Doctoral Handbook for specific requirements.
The guidance committee is to be established by the beginning of the second year and prior to starting course work in the area of concentration. The chair should have recognized expertise in the qualifying area and should be a regular participant in the qualifying examination committee for that area. The majority of the members of the guidance committee (typically at least three out of five) should be experts in the area in which the student is qualifying and should be regular participants in the qualifying examination committee. The remaining members should have a clear interest in this area.
Students will formalize their relationship with their committees through the development of a contract which specifies all courses completed, date of screening decision, the area of concentration, and which courses will be taken and when, in order to prepare for the area section of the qualifying examination. This contract will be signed by the student, the members of the guidance committee and the faculty doctoral advisor. It will be filed in the doctoral office.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995