Graduate & Professional Degrees

The Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering in conjunction with the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering offers a program leading to the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering/Master of Science in Engineering Management. This program is designed for graduate electrical engineers whose career objectives lead to increasing technical management responsibilities.

In addition to the general requirements of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the dual degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master of Science in Engineering Management is also subject to the following requirements:

(1) All applicants must meet the admissions requirements of both the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; (2) a total of at least 48 units is required; (3) 24 of these must satisfy the requirements of the master's degree in electrical engineering; (4) 20 units must satisfy the required courses towards the master's degree in engineering management;  (5) 4 units of adviser approved ISE electives; (6) all courses counted towards the dual degree must be at the 500 level, except those 400-level courses required by the master's degree in electrical engineering and/or engineering management.

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned on all course work applied toward the master's degree in electrical engineering. This average must also be achieved on all 400-level and above course work attempted at USC beyond the bachelor's degree and through an accumulation of no more than 12 units beyond the minimum needed for the specific degree program. Transfer units count as credit (CR) toward the master's degree and are not computed in the grade point average.

In addition to the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering is also subject to the following requirements: (1) a total of at least 28 units is required; (2) every non-EE course for graduate credit requires prior written adviser approval recorded each semester on a special request form in the student's department file; (3) no more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400-level - at least 19 adviser-approved units must be taken at the 500- or 600-level; (4) at least 20 units must be taken in electrical engineering, those not in EE require written adviser approval and must be technical in nature; (5) a maximum of eight units of EE 599 Special Topics courses may be counted toward the MSEE; (6) at most, 4 units of EE 590 (Directed Research) and 1 unit of seminar, EE 598 (or other seminar with adviser approval), may be counted toward the MSEE; (7) units to be transferred (maximum 4 with adviser approval) must have been taken prior to taking classes at USC - interruption of residency is not allowed. Curricular Practical Training units do not count toward the 28 required units in the MSEE program.

Students following the MS Thesis Option must have at least 16 units at the 500 level and take EE 594a and EE 594b. A maximum of 2 units for EE 590 may be counted in conjunction with EE 594a and EE 594b registrations. 

The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in electrical engineering is awarded in strict conformity with the general requirements of the USC Graduate School. See general requirements for graduate degrees. Departmental requirements for this degree consist of a concentrated program of study and research and a dissertation. Each student wishing to undertake a doctoral program must first be admitted to the program and then take the screening examination. This examination will emphasize comprehension of fundamental material in one of the 13 specialized areas of electrical engineering. Within each area, courses are offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering, which will provide basic background for the examination and partial preparation for the dissertation. Not all courses are required for preparation for the screening examination in any specific area. Consult a separately published guide, available from the department office, for more information concerning examination content and scheduling. Further guidance concerning the full completion of courses, including those given outside the department, which are recommended for preparation for the dissertation, can be obtained from the faculty in each technical area.

Each student is required to complete one semester of EE 698 Doctoral Seminar (1 unit), which should be taken in the first semester that it is offered during their program.

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (VLSI design) is earned by successfully completing the normal requirements for the Master of Science in electrical engineering, with the following additional required courses:  EE 536a; EE 577a; EE 577b or EE 536b; and EE 552. If a student chooses to take the first of the OR courses, the other course may be counted in the VLSI/CAD, Circuits and Devices and Computer Systems areas as indicated, below. 

For Admission Requirements, refer to Viterbi Graduate Degrees and Requirements.

No more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400 level — at least 19 adviser-approved units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level.

The students must also take two courses from one of the following areas and one course from a second area:

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Wireless Networks) is a unique interdisciplinary degree program that prepares graduates for the design and improvement of future wireless networks such as the "Internet of Things." The program combines courses related to radio hardware, transmission techniques, the medium-access control layer, networking, applications and standards.

No more than three courses (maximum 12 units) may be counted at the 400 level — at least 18 adviser-approved units must be taken at the 500 or 600 level. Units to be transferred (maximum 4 with adviser approval) must have been taken prior to taking classes at USC — interruption of residency is not allowed. ​

For Admission Requirements, refer to USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

The Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (Wireless Networks) requires at least 28 units.

The Master of Science in Emergency Management program prepares professionals to take emergency management leadership roles in organizations within the private and public sectors. Through courses in critical infrastructure, disaster planning and operational coordination, students will develop strategic, tactical and decision-making skills that address all phases of emergencies at the local, state and federal levels. Students will learn to navigate and collaborate across complex and interdependent governmental, non-profit and business organizations and systems that are crucial to protecting communities from natural and human-made hazards and emergencies. Current topics such as climate change, public health emergencies and complex cross-border disasters will be examined. Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to develop strategies that help communities build resilience and mitigate the disproportionate effects of disasters on socially and economically diverse populations.

Transportation is a dynamic field with many aspects. The Master of Science in Emerging Transportation Systems prepares students from any sufficiently analytical undergraduate background for advanced positions in the private, public or non-profit sector as well as for advanced graduate study. Students complete the program core, subject to options indicated there, plus a specialization for a total of 32 units.

The program core provides students with a broad, interdisciplinary basis for understanding transportation systems and needs. A required specialization of the student’s choosing provides depth in a focused aspect of transportation systems relating to a particular set of methods or problem domain. Students learn:

• the design, provision, operation and effectiveness of transportation services in the larger context of economic and social systems;
• how organizations can best adapt to changes affecting the transportation environment in which services are demanded and provided, including the relationships between transportation, technology, information services and regulatory requirements; and
• to characterize, analyze and address complex transportation problems at the system level by relying on both theory and applied analytical methods.

For Admission Requirements, refer to USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

Affiliated with the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research, the graduate certificate in Ending Homelessness offers advanced training to promote the discovery and dissemination of evidence-based solutions to reduce homelessness and health disparities. The certificate acquaints students with the history and current status of homelessness in the United States with a particular focus on Los Angeles that has the largest unsheltered population in the country. Students learn about how homelessness, and responses to homelessness, have been differently conceived, defined, measured and prioritized. A major goal of the certificate is to be able to differentiate between "upstream" and "downstream" factors that must be addressed to solve homelessness and recognize that we have proven and effective ways to intervene. Issues of how racism and stigma contribute to the challenge of solving homelessness will also be a focus. The certificate offers a unique opportunity to have an immersive experience requiring students to engage people experiencing homelessness through conducting surveys that are part of the Greater Los Angeles Annual Homeless Count, which is required by the federal government in order to funding for homeless services. Students will receive a stipend for their participation in the Annual Homeless Count.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work offers university certificates that provide students advanced practice or research training through a social justice and intercultural competence lens that emphasizes community, organizational and environmental justice. Certificates are designed to complement and deepen training provided through our degree programs by focusing on experiential application of concepts in relation to particular and diverse client populations, settings, and systems. Each certificate consists of at least 12 units, which may in part be satisfied by courses completed for a degree program. Certificates are also available to graduate students from other disciplines and to employed professionals.

The graduate certificate in in Ending Homelessness requires a minimum of 12 units.

This program is designed for students interested in the multidisciplinary field of energy transitions requiring the integration of physical principles with engineering analysis for a broad range of scientific activities related to developing processes (e.g., CO2 capture and utilization), new materials (e.g., photovoltaic cells), and energy storage capacity (e.g., H2 storage underground). This degree is awarded in conformity with the general requirements of the Viterbi School of Engineering.

Graduation requires 28 units total with 3.0 GPA overall.

Requirements for the Engineer in materials science degree are the same as set forth in the general requirements for graduate degrees.