The Master of Public Administration/Master of Science in Gerontology (MPA/MS) dual degree offers students interested in the management of agencies and institutions the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the administrative and organizational processes and management skills necessary for the effective delivery of services to older persons.

In the MPA/MS dual degree, students spend their first year taking the required courses at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The research course, GERO 593 Research Methods, and the capstone course GERO 555 Integrating Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Approach, are taken at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The student begins courses in the Price School of Public Policy during the second semester of the first year.

Two versions of this dual degree are available, one with a general orientation and one with an emphasis on health services administration. Students must apply to both schools and, if accepted to both, participate in a specially designed program combining coursework from both schools.

Curriculum requirements for the general focus dual degree are detailed in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology section of this catalogue. Students are encouraged to seek advisement as they plan their actual programs, since curriculum changes may occur.

Additional Requirements

Program Adaptation

For the MS in Gerontology, 8 units of electives are replaced with GERO 550 and additional internship units. GERO 589 Case Studies in Leadership and Change Management is waived because students enrolled in this program have a primary professional focus in public administration. For the Master of Public Administration, 12 units of gerontology courses are used as the substantive specialization.