Program Requirements

1. Baccalaureate or graduate degree in an appropriate discipline. M.S. student should have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. You must provide transcripts of colleges/universities attended. Applicants with foreign transcripts must submit an official language transcript as well as a certified translation.

2. Qualifying scores on the GRE of 1000 (verbal and quantitative), or equivalent performance on some other standardized test (ie, MCAT, GMAT). This requirement is for M.S. students only.

3. Proficiency with the English language and excellent communication skills.

4. Two letters of reference.

5. One page letter statement of purpose- (ie. "Why do you want to take the degree or certificate program in Regulatory Science?", "What attributes do you have that distinguish you as a good candidate for our program?").This is a very important part of your application.

What does the program involve?

Limited Student

Students interested in taking a course or two as a limited enrolled student before applying to the certificate or M.S. program should contact the program for further information. Limited enrolled students are allowed to take up to 12 units before they have to apply to the program. Be reminded that students interested in the certificate option must apply before they finish their last course in the certificate program. Full tuition amount is required under this status. Click here for more specific information.

Certificate Program

The program now offers “Certificates in Safety” which is a family of graduate certificate programs at USC. These accredited offerings are designed to develop specialists with an unusually high level of competence in high-demand fields of medical products development.  Three certificates are offered. 

• The Certificate in Clinical Research Design and Management is an ideal training program for individuals interested in clinical research, either at a clinical site or in a medical products company. 
• The Certificate in Patient and Product Safety prepares risk managers and pharmacovigilence experts for professional careers where medical products and facilities interact with people to create high-risk situations that need to be anticipated and controlled. 
• The Certificate in Food Safety meets a growing need for regulatory and safety experts in food and supplement industries.  
• The Certificate in Preclinical Drug Development is designed to provide advanced training for individuals interested in preclinical aspects of translational medicine and associated research.

The program is designed for working professionals who wish to take one or two courses per term in convenient weekend or distance formats. Each program requires the completion of 12 units of study in courses 2-4 units in length.  More information on these programs can be obtained from the Regulatory Science program. Click here for more specific information.

M.S. Regulatory Science Program
Students must complete 36 units to graduate from the MS program. A typical graduate course is 3 units. Typically students take a minimum of 30 units of coursework and complete a 6-unit internship/research project. Students with experience in industry may be allowed to substitute six units of additional coursework in lieu of the internship component with the approval of the academic committee. Or, they can complete the research component in their workplace with permission of the program committee. Unfortunately, we cannot give you credit for your past work experience.

It is recognized that students will have diverse backgrounds with differing levels of preparation in fields relevant to the program under study. However, 8 courses from a core of seven focus areas will normally form the base of the program (Table 1). Additional courses are selected from a list of recommended choices (Table 2) or any other applicable course can be taken (student must first get approval from their advisor). Students are strongly advised to consult with the program coordinator when making all course selections. Up to 12 graduate units of relevant USC coursework, or 8 graduate units taken in a different university, can be taken prior to formal enrollment in the graduate program. These courses can be credited to the requirements of the graduate program with the permission of the Admissions/academic committee.

It is not necessary to take the classes in any particular order but we do strongly suggest that people without regulatory/clinical experience start with MPTX 511 -"Introduction to Medical Product Regulation".

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*International Students - Internship Options