Overview

The Planning and Development Studies MPDS program offered at University of Southern California is very flexible, allowing students to pursue areas of expertise that they find valuable in their present or future careers. Entering students must have a minimum of five years of planning, development or related professional work experience.

Students elect a concentration area from one of three already defined or, with prior approval by an adviser, design a concentration from Price School of Public Policy courses and USC graduate courses. A minimum of eight units must be Price School of Public Policy courses.

The three defined concentration areas are:

Community Economic Development
Environmental Policy and Planning
International Planning and Development

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Policy Issues in Planning and Development
Research and Analytical Techniques
Housing Facilities and Community Development
Community Development and Site Planning
Urban Demography and Growth
Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl: Policy Debates and Planning Solutions
Physical Planning and Design in Developing Countries
National Urban Policy in Developing Countries

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-24 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

Language

English

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

28 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Los Angeles, United States

Disciplines

International Development Environmental Economics & Policy Urban Planning View 120 other Masters in International Development in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

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AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

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98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

You must hold a degree considered equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree, as evaluated by the USC Office of Graduate & International Admission.
Your college or university must be recognized by the appropriate governmental ministry as a degree-granting institution.
All transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas must be written in the original language of instruction.
Official transcripts must show all courses and subjects taken and all grades (marks) received.
Official transcripts must be sent directly to USC by the college or university.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Out-of-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year

Living costs

Los Angeles

United States

1520 - 2570 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Planning and Development Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

The three defined concentration areas are:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Los Angeles

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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