Graduate Degrees

Admission

Applicants for admission to either the Master of Planning, the Master of Real Estate Development or the Doctor of Philosophy in Planning must have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited educational institution. In recognition of the increasing diversity of capabilities required as the theories and practices of planning and development evolve, students from a variety of undergraduate and graduate backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Applicants for admission will be expected to have completed a broad range of undergraduate courses in addition to their academic major or professional concentration. Generally, this will be reflected in completion of courses from the following fields: English; economics (basic theory); political science, history or sociology; physical or natural science; art or philosophy. In addition, mathematics (algebra, calculus, probability theory) and a course in statistics are strongly recommended.

Application for Admission

Admission to graduate programs in the School of Urban and Regional Planning is highly selective and competitive. Preference is given to those with a record of high educational achievement and personal qualities favoring success in the fields of planning or development. Applicants must have achieved superior grades during undergraduate and any graduate education. A grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) is normally expected as well as satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examinations (a minimum score of 1,000 on the verbal and quantitative sections combined is normally expected of master's applicants and 1,200 for students applying to the Ph.D.). Students applying for admission to the Master of Planning or the Master of Real Estate Development program may also submit either the Graduate Management Administration Test or the Law School Admission Test. In exceptional cases, an applicant who has not met these scholarship requirements may be admitted with conditions of admission.

For specific information on admission requirements and application procedures, contact the School of Urban and Regional Planning Student Affairs Office at (213) 740-2052.

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu