General Requirements

Master's Degrees

Doctoral Degrees

The following sections give the general requirements which pertain to the awarding of the graduate degrees of Master of Science in Education; Master of Science in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling; Master of Science in Teaching English as a Second Language; Master of Education, College Student Personnel Services; Master of Science (Counseling Psychology); Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education; Ph.D. in Education (Counseling Psychology) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). More specific course requirements for each of these degrees are available in the following academic divisions:

Counseling Psychology
Waite Phillips Hall 500
(213) 740-3255

Curriculum and Teaching
Waite Phillips Hall 1004
(213) 740-3476

Educational Administration and Policy
Waite Phillips Hall 904
(213) 740-3454

Educational Psychology and Technology
Waite Phillips Hall 600
(213) 740-7407

Permission to register for courses in the School of Education does not automatically result in acceptance for study leading to an advanced degree. Limited status enrollment allows persons who have not been admitted to the university to take a limited number of courses at USC. If a limited status student is subsequently admitted to regular standing, no more than 12 graduate units taken through limited status enrollment can be applied toward a degree.

Admission

Admission to study for a graduate degree in education is based upon careful evaluation of the various competencies and attributes evidenced by the application for admission, a four year bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, upper division and graduate grade averages of B (3.0) or better, results of the GRE General Test and a favorable recommendation from the department in which the student intends to major. Usually a master's degree is required for admission to a doctoral program.

Divisions may recommend admission of students who do not meet the above criteria if alternative evidence of potential success in the program is provided. This evidence could include high test scores, high class rankings, letters of recommendation, or samples of scholarly papers or publications. The GRE scores are not used as the sole determinant of admission nor are they used in isolation from other data.

The GRE scores for an international student are assessed in terms of the mean scores from that student's country and for that student's anticipated discipline. A record of extenuating circumstances should accompany the application if appropriate.

For admission to the Ph.D. program, acceptance must be by both the School of Education and the Graduate School. Students seeking a Ph.D. must meet the requirements for both the Graduate School and the School of Education in all phases of the program. Students are advised to read carefully the requirements of both the Graduate School and the School of Education.

General Requirements for Graduate Degrees

Residence Requirements

Residency for a graduate degree program at USC is a period of intensive study completed on the University Park and/or Health Sciences campuses. Study at off-campus centers or at other institutions may not be used to satisfy any portion of the requirement. Residency may not be interrupted by study elsewhere.

A minimum of six graduate units in residence at USC during one semester or summer session is required for the master's and advanced master's degrees; a minimum of nine graduate units during one semester or summer session or at least six graduate units during each of two consecutive semesters or summer sessions, exclusive of 794 Doctoral Dissertation, is required for the Ed.D. degree.

For the Ph.D. degree, a minimum of 24 graduate units applicable toward the degree, exclusive of 794 Doctoral Dissertation, must be completed on the University Park and/or Health Sciences campuses. Internships, field work and other off-campus experiences and off-campus course work do not count toward residency.

The residence requirement reflects the belief of the School of Education and the Graduate School that scholastic requirements for the degree cannot be completed without devotion of a specified period of time to full-time study and research with appropriate facilities and under close faculty supervision.

Time Limit for Degree Completion

Students must maintain satisfactory progress toward their stated degree objective at all times. Progress is measured from the beginning of the first course at USC applied toward a specified degree. All requirements for that degree must be completed within a specified time as computed from the end of the semester during which all requirements are met.

The time limit for completing the master's degree or the advanced master's degree is five years. The time limit for completing the Ed.D. degree is 10 years.

The time limit for completing the Ph.D. degree is eight years. For students who earned an applicable master's degree within five years prior to admission to the Ph.D. degree, the time limit for completing the Ph.D. is six years.

A primary consideration in the setting of time limits is the currency of the course work and research with respect to the date the degree is to be conferred. Equally important is the concern that the faculty members serving as advisors or members of the guidance committee and the dissertation committee be available to the student for the duration of graduate studies at USC.

Occasionally a student finds it impossible to comply with prescribed time limits for completion of the degree. If a significant delay is likely to occur, the student must make arrangements in advance by petitioning for a leave of absence or an extension of time. Such petitions will be considered when there is clear justification based on sound academic reasons, or critical personal reasons.

The forms for petitioning are obtained in the Office of Student Services, Waite Phillips Hall 803. The petitions must be endorsed by the major field division and the Office of Student Services, and, in the case of Ph.D. students, by the Graduate School, also.

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