Dean's Message

I am Jack Knott, Dean of the University of Southern California (USC) Price School.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to this great university, to our remarkable school, and to the extraordinary opportunity you have to earn one of the country's most respected Master of Public Administration degrees — online, from any location.

The USC Price School and its world-class faculty engage in solving some of the most critical issues facing our world today: energy and environmental sustainability, healthcare reform, housing, terrorism, immigration, and transportation challenges, to name just a few. They also work on major governance issues of effective public and non-profit management, innovation and performance, public-private partnerships, and institutional reform.

We distinguish ourselves as a school that turns knowledge-into-action. Faculty testify before Congressional committees, advise federal agencies and state and local governments, serve as members of commissions, and are contacted for their expertise by the national news media on a daily basis.

Most importantly, the USC Price School faculty care deeply about providing an exceptional education to all our students, whether on-line or in residence, to prepare them for productive and rewarding future careers.

Since our founding in 1929, we have remained at the forefront of education and research. Today, according to U.S. News & World Report, USC Price ranks:

• 7th overall among 262 schools of public affairs
• 5th in public management
• 4th in city management
• 7th in nonprofit management

The University of Southern California (USC) ranks number 23 nationally, placing us in the top 10 percent of public and private universities. USC is home to 233,000 living alumni worldwide. The Trojan Family, as the USC alumni network is known, is world-renowned for its strong ties to one another and its effectiveness in helping all Trojans advance in their endeavors.

Through social media tools, engaging technology, local gatherings around the country, and direct contact with our faculty and alumni, online students have an extraordinary opportunity to further their public administration career and contribute to their local communities — at a critical time in history when these skills are essential to shape our world for the better.

I invite you to join our community.

Sincerely,

Jack H. Knott
C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Dean and Professor
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy