Graduate & Professional Degrees

Curriculum Requirements

A Master of Science degree in healthcare decision analysis will be granted upon completion of at least 33 units of formal course work. Students with experience in industry or government can substitute an equivalent amount of formal course work with a research project, subject to the approval from program administrators.

Course requirements normally include a minimum of eight courses (24 units) with emphasis on applied health care policy, business intelligence and technical analysis. Recommended course work and electives include some courses available in other departments of the university and will be selected in consultation with the program advisers according to the areas of intended specialization of the participant in order to meet the credit requirements of the program. Students should develop a specific plan of study in consultation with the graduate advisers before beginning the program.

Grade Point Average

A grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) must be achieved on graduate course work at USC.

The Healthcare Decision Analysis (HCDA) program gives students the tools and knowledge to succeed in the complex world of healthcare data analytics, international access and reimbursement, product pricing and value assessment, insurance operations and design, along with competitive business intelligence. A dual degree of Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Healthcare Decision Analysis will be granted upon the completion of the course work required for the PharmD degree, and the HCDA core and elective units. Dual degree students will be credited up to 9 units of appropriate PharmD course work toward the MS, HCDA. Dual degree students will select from a series of HCDA core courses and required electives to meet the MS, HCDA degree requirements. Electives will be considered from the disciplines: applied healthcare policy, business intelligence, regulatory science, and healthcare economics, along with all required clerkships and rotations offered though the USC School of Pharmacy. Students should develop a specific plan of study in consultation with program administrators before beginning the program.

This program is directed at professionals who wish to augment their academic credential for their involvement in heritage conservation projects and at graduate students who wish to complement a degree in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, public art administration, geography, anthropology, or other related disciplines.

Completion of this degree requires 48 units and includes 26 units of specified courses, 5 units of thesis preparation and thesis, and 17 units of elective courses as approved by the program director.

The department does not accept applicants for a Master of Arts degree in history. The MA degree is intended only as a transitional degree in the process of completing requirements for the PhD in history.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirement

Students are required to demonstrate competence in one foreign language, with the exception that none is required of majors in United States history.

Course Requirements

All students must enroll in HIST 500 Introduction to Graduate Historical Studies, and it is recommended that it be completed in the first year of residence.

Thesis Plan

Students must take a minimum of six graduate courses, including HIST 500 plus HIST 594a, HIST 594b Master's Thesis. No more than two 400-level courses may count toward this total. A thesis must be written and defended.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

This plan requires the approval of the student's master's committee chair to substitute a comprehensive examination for the thesis. If approved, the student completes eight graduate level courses, including 500, with no more than two 400-level courses counting toward this total, plus written exams in three fields, one of which may be in another department. Examinations are normally offered in October and April. An oral examination may be given at the discretion of the master's committee. Examinations are graded on an honors, pass or fail basis. Any student who receives a grade of fail in two examinations is considered as not having qualified for the degree. A student who receives one fail must retake an examination in that field at the next scheduled examination period. An examination cannot be retaken more than once.

This program, open to University of Southern California PhD students of art history as well as qualified students from other USC departments with written permission from their home department and the Department of Art History, is devoted to the study of the history of collecting and display of works of art and related materials across a broad chronological and geographical spectrum.

The program provides a means of advancing knowledge about the presentation, circulation and consumption of works of art, as distinct from the more traditional art historical investigation of the conditions surrounding their production. Additionally, this program is designed to remedy a widely perceived disjunction between the ways art history is practiced in the museum and the academy. Each academic department will determine the number of units completed which may be applied to the student's graduate degree in that department.

Doctoral Program in History

The doctoral program in the Department of History offers broad training in multiple fields and methods of historical study. Our students learn how to carry out advanced scholarly research, write and publish in multiple media; to speak persuasively in academic and public settings and to teach both in their specialties and beyond. Our curriculum consists of research seminars, thematic readings courses, historiographical colloquia and independent research, and it culminates in the execution of original research and the writing of a dissertation. The history profession nationwide combines a traditional emphasis on geo-temporal fields with a new emphasis on transnationalism, comparative history and interdisciplinary investigation. The department's program reflects the changing landscape of historical training and scholarship.

Graduate School Requirements

The Graduate School requires students pursuing a doctorate to complete a minimum of 60 units of course work, no more than 8 units of which may be in HIST 794a , HIST 794b , HIST 794c , HIST 794d , HIST 794z  (dissertation writing sequence).

History Department Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of ten (4-unit) courses before their qualifying exam, including the following:

• HIST 500 in the fall semester of the first year.
• Two 600-level research seminars within the history department (or taught by an affiliated faculty member in another department). One of the seminars must be HIST 600  and be taken in the spring of the first year. At least one of the research papers to satisfy the 600-level requirement must focus on a topic in the student's major field.
• At least eight (4-unit) courses must be taught by faculty with appointments in the History Department.
• At least one (4-unit) course must be taught by faculty not affiliated with the History Department.

Language Requirement

Students are required to demonstrate competency in two languages or proficiency in one. They must satisfy the language requirements before taking the qualifying examination.

The Qualifying Examination

For their qualifying examination, students are examined in two fields (major and minor) to be selected from the department's list of fields and at least one (but two, if they wish) area(s) of specialization developed in consultation with their advisers. The qualifying examination, itself, consists of two components: (1) the creation of a portfolio of written materials and (2) an oral examination focused on those materials.

The portfolio must be finalized and submitted to all members of the committee two weeks prior to the oral examination and must include the following:

1. A reading list for each examiner.
2. A written exercise assigned by each examiner and based on the student's reading list for them. Examiners may select from the from the following options:
   1. A timed written exam.
   2. An historiographical essay on a topic set by the examiner to be completed at any point during the students preparation for the examination.
   3. A detailed syllabus for a course assigned by the examiner to be completed at any point during the student preparation for the examination. 
3. A reflective personal statement in which the student articulates how their fields and area(s) of specialization cohere and lay the foundation for their future research and teaching agenda. The oral examination focuses on the whole of the materials in the portfolio, not merely the written exercises assigned by faculty but also the reading lists.

Prospectus and Prospectus Defense

Within six months of passing the qualifying examination, students must submit a formal dissertation prospectus to all members of the dissertation committee and pass a one-hour prospectus defense convened by that committee.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

The dissertation is a book-length scholarly monograph based on research, fieldwork and scholarly analysis. It should be an original contribution to academic historical discourse. Once students have completed the writing of the dissertation, they must follow the guidelines set forth by the Graduate School to defend and submit their work. 

This graduate certificate program provides students with a foundation in homeland security and public policy. It is designed to provide expertise to individuals working in the field with an interest in refining their risk and security analysis skills as well as others with interest in the field. The certificate develops risk analysis skills and provides students with the knowledge needed to understand the issues surrounding the increasingly important issues of homeland security and public policy.

Applicants for the Certificate in Homeland Security and Public Policy who are currently enrolled in a graduate program at USC in good standing with a 3.0 GPA only need to submit the appropriate paperwork for adding the certificate program which may be obtained from the student services adviser.

Applicants for the Certificate in Homeland Security and Public Policy who have not matriculated at USC must make a formal application for admission to the certificate program, provide transcripts of all college work, a resume and one letter of recommendation.

The certificate in homeland security and public policy consists of 15–16 units of graduate course work depending on the courses selected.

The Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism program will prepare students to advance their careers in the hospitality and tourism industry. Students will gain knowledge and skills related to service quality management, marketing, revenue management, human resource management, events and tourism development in the hospitality and tourism industry. Courses throughout the program address topics such as globalization, diversity and innovations in a variety of hospitality and tourism sectors. Sustainability and ethical practices are core themes explored throughout the program.

Our program also equips students with skills and knowledge to lead and innovate through disruption. Students will be prepared to take on industry changes as they progress through their career.

Additionally, students will learn how to make evidence-based decisions and plans for improvement through courses in financial management, data analytics, and applied research methods specific to the hospitality and tourism industry. The program culminates in a capstone course in which students directly apply the knowledge and skills they gained throughout the program to address an opportunity for innovation within a hospitality and tourism business or organizational unit.

The Master of Science in Human Resource Management program is designed to prepare professionals to advance their careers in the field of human resources (HR). The program emphasizes the strategic role that human resources plays in the performance of global organizations, providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to be effective partners.

In addition to core HR principles, students examine the full spectrum of human capital management concepts, including talent acquisition and retention, employee motivation, change management, and organizational culture. Students will learn about key HR processes, including talent management, total rewards, performance management, learning and development, employee relations, and HR analytics. Finally, students will explore key topics that are increasingly important to HR, including managing in a global context, diversity and inclusion, principled leadership, HR technology, and corporate social responsibility.