Progressive Degree Program (PDP) @Viterbi
✌️ Degrees, One Path to Success
What is PDP?
PDP Benefits
Why consider the Progressive Degree Program?
PDP is a unique and engaging way to earn your Master's degree, allowing you to get a head start on your graduate studies. Whether you want to specialize in a certain field for an advantage in your professional industry, or you want to pursue in-depth research, to advance your PhD aspirations, the PDP program gets you there sooner.
There are many wonderful reasons to choose the PDP program at USC Viterbi, but here are just a few:
- A graduate degree can open doors to career advancements and professional pedigree faster than your peers
- Position yourself for professional excellence and increased exposure to various industries
- Engage and collaborate with other graduate students, while simultaneously networking with industry professionals
- Strengthen your academic background and deepen your expertise in a specific concentration
- Expedited graduate admissions process, compared to applying for graduate programs afterwards, independent from completing your undergraduate degree
- Be able to integrate and balance your graduate coursework with your ongoing undergraduate coursework, allowing you to take graduate-level courses alongside your Bachelor's curriculum
- Establish a strong industry foundation and skillset early to accelerate your path to PhD studies and enhance connections with esteemed faculty and visiting scholars at USC
- Opportunity to pursue relevant, cutting-edge research with leading faculty*
*Research positions vary per lab, with positions available on an as-need basis. Student may need to perform independent research on available lab positions for graduate (non-PhD) students.
Important Deadlines
Fall 2024
Priority Deadline: September 25, 2024Final Deadline: December 5, 2024
Spring 2025
Priority Deadline: February 25, 2025Final Deadline: May 5, 2025
*To qualify for scholarship consideration, you must submit your application by the Priority deadline.
Upcoming Events
🗓️ Next Info Session:
Thursday, October 17, 2024
12:00 - 1:00 PM (PST)
MCB 102
Can't make the information session above? Check out future information sessions here!
Fifi ThriftB.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering, [YEAR] + M.S. Computer Science, 2021
“I only needed to add an extra semester to complete my masters, which was logistically and financially one of a kind. This allowed me to focus on my extracurriculars instead of stressing about graduate applications and financing.”
Am I Eligible?
- Are a current undergraduate USC student in good academic standing
- Must have a minimum of 64 total units of undergraduate coursework completed (excluding AP, IB, or transfer credits prior to your high school graduation date)
Must have a cumulative USC undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Students who are not eligible for the Progressive Degree Program include:
- Students with a GPA below 3.2
- Former students who have completed the maximum amount of credits or have already graduated from their undergraduate program
- Students who do not currently attend the University of Southern California (USC)
Additional Circumstances
There are a few additional key pieces of information to be mindful of, if you are in one of the following circumstances. Please review the information below to be informed of any additional criteria or materials you may need to provide.
How To Apply
All Viterbi PDP applications should apply directly through myViterbi. If you are a USC undergraduate outside of the Viterbi School, you should still have access to myViterbi and should submit your application through myViterbi. **Non-Viterbi undergraduates: In addition to your application, you will need to email your course plan to: viterbi.pdp@usc.edu.**
If you meet the eligibility requirements, as listed above, you may apply to Viterbi PDP by submitting the following components:
- PDP Application Form via myViterbi. All USC undergraduates have access to myViterbi
- Current STARS Report
- Transfer Credit Report (If applicable)
- 1x Letter of Recommendation (If applicable; see below for details)
- If your undergraduate GPA is below 3.5, you are required to submit one letter of recommendation from an instructor in a relevant academic field.
- If your undergraduate GPA is above 3.5, you will not be required to submit a letter of recommendation. (Please note: If you have above a 3.5 GPA, your PDP application will say it is "Incomplete" with the letter of recommendation. Please disregard this message, if you have successfully submitted all other PDP application materials through myViterbi. We will consider your application complete.)
All Viterbi PDP applications should apply directly through myViterbi. If you are a USC undergraduate outside of the Viterbi School, you should still have access to myViterbi and should submit your application through myViterbi. **Non-Viterbi undergraduates: In addition to your application, you will need to email your course plan to: viterbi.pdp@usc.edu.**
To apply, please follow the steps below:
-
- Identify the master's degree you would like to pursue. For a list of available PDP Master's degrees, please see Degree Offerings.
- Review the financial air policies pertaining to PDP. All students who are receiving financial air and/or university scholarships, as listed on the Financial Aid website, are required to complete a degree status check.
- Log into myViterbi and look for "Progressive Degree Program", under Student Resources.
- Complete the application and follow the instructions for each step. Units and GPA information is available through OASIS on both your STARS Report and your Transfer Credit Report. Oasis can be accessed through myUSC.
- While completing your online application, you should download the PDF of the Proposed Course Plan. You will complete this form with the help of your undergraduate and graduate academic advisors, whose signatures of approval must appear on the course plan. After signing, you should send the completed course plan to viterbi.pdp@usc.edu to have it uploaded on your behalf to myViterbi.
- Check myViterbi from time to time to make sure your recommender has submitted the letter of recommendation, if that requirement applies to your application.
Program Requirements
Once admitted to the Progressive Degree Program (PDP), admitted students are required to adhere to the following:
- PDP students must fulfill all specified degree requirements for both their bachelor's degree and master's degree, respectively. The required number of course units for the PDP Master's degree may be reduced by up to a maximum of 1/3 of the total units of the traditional master's degree program.
- PDP students will be subject to undergraduate academic progress standards while classed as undergraduate students and master's graduate academic progress standards once classed as graduate students. For more information about the change in status from undergraduate to graduate please see the PDP Financial Aid Page.
- The time limit for completing a Progressive Degree is 12 semesters starting from the student's first term in college, regardless of whether that term was at USC or elsewhere.
- The bachelor's degree may be awarded separately, but must be awarded before the graduate degree.
Degree Offerings
The Viterbi School of Engineering offers the following Master's of Science degrees via PDP.
*Please note the Program Page hyperlink will route you to additional information about the traditional degree program, where requirements and deadlines may differ from PDP. The Course Plan Template hyperlink will route you to the proposed Progressive Degree curriculum information within a specific program.
| Master's Program | Program Page | Course Plan Template |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | General M.S. Information | AE 42 |
| Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering (Fluid & Solid Mech) | General M.S. Information | AMFS 1221 |
| Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Dynamics & Control) | General M.S. Information | AMDC 1250 |
| Mechanical Engineering | General M.S. Information | ME 561 |
| Product Development Engineering (Technology Track) | General M.S. Information | PDE 1224 |
| Aerospace Engineering + Engineering Management (Dual M.S.) | General M.S. Information | AEMT 1578 |
| Mechanical Engineering + Engineering Management (Dual M.S.) | General M.S. Information | MEMT 1577 |
If you have any specific questions regarding the coursework or course plan, please reach out to the AME departmental advisors.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
For more information in how the Progressive Degree Program (PDP) will impact your current financial aid package, please click on the button below.
Interested in scholarships for the Progressive Degree Program? Click on the button below to find out more about scholarship eligibility as a PDP student.
Curriculum Advising
If you have specific questions about the curriculum or catalogue requirements for a specific program, please see our Degree Offerings page. After reading through the required curriculum, please schedule an appointment with a graduate advisor from the department you wish to apply to.
If you have any inquiries regarding matters of your curriculum -- curricular eligibility, course selection, etc. -- you will need to meet with both your undergraduate academic advisor, as well as the graduate advisor for the program you are applying to. Please see below for department-specific PDP information and advising contact information. You may also email any member of the academic department's student affairs team in order to be connected to the correct advisor.
| Department | Department Specific Information | Advisor Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering | AME PDP | AME Student Affairs Advising Contact |
| Astronautical Engineering | ASTE PDP | ASTE Student Affairs Advising Contact |
| Biomedical Engineering | BME PDP | BME Student Affairs Advising Contact |
| Chemical Engineering & Materials Science | MORK Student Affairs Advising Contact | |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | CE & ENE Student Affairs Advising Contact | |
| Computer Science | CS PDP | CS Student Affairs Advising Contact |
| Electrical & Computer Engineering | ECE PDP | ECE Student Affairs Advising Contact |
| Industrial & Systems Engineering | ISE PDP | ISE Student Affairs Advising Contact |
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Progressive Degree Program (PDP), please don't hesitate to chat with us! Our PDP advisors are ready to assist you with everything from available programs, your candidacy for PDP, how to apply, and more! USC Viterbi PDP hosts on-campus and virtual (Zoom) office hours each week —Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays— to provide you with the utmost flexibility within your own schedule.
To meet with one of our Viterbi PDP advisors and schedule a 1-on-1 appointment, please click below on the "Schedule Appointment" button. This will take you to a pop-up window, where you can view and register for available appointments.
Alternatively, if you prefer to communicate through emails, please send your questions and concerns to: