USC Price Blog

Leslie Best is a 2016 Master of Public Administration online graduate as well as the managing partner and president of two organizations: The Best Group and In Good Company Consulting. With an undergraduate degree and a master’s in engineering, Best discusses how the MPA Online program’s flexibility and practical knowledge helped her navigate a significant…

Tuesday’s presidential debate featured memorable zingers, facial expressions and false claims of migrants eating pets. But for voters seeking detailed plans and policy positions, the debate likely left much to be desired. And, in some ways, that’s by design.

Dr. Christopher Foster, originally from a small town in South Georgia, has served in the military and holds a PhD in Emergency Management. In his current role as director of emergency services, he is responsible for the police and fire departments, creating VIP protection plans, and managing budgets. Dr. Foster, who graduated from the Master…

You may have heard the term glass cliff lately and wondered how it differs from the metaphorical glass ceiling. Here’s how this concept describes the challenges minorities face in business and politics. Today, many organizations tout diversity and inclusion as their core values. But often, women and minorities are still underrepresented at the leadership level….

Master of Public Administration online graduate Paola Najera has a background in various sectors, including energy, finance, and nonprofit. As a first-generation Guatemalan Latina, she balanced professional responsibilities with academic pursuits. Najera, who graduated in 2024, discusses her motivations, experiences, and future aspirations just before landing her new role in Global Communications at Visa. Q:…

During the pandemic Nicolas Rodriguez was laid off from his sales and marketing job in the private sector, prompting him to reflect on his career path. With a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he decided to return to his passion for the government and nonprofit sectors. Now, the 2024 USC Price Master of Public Administration…

Katherine Cooley is a senior consultant at Deloitte, focusing on regulatory and compliance issues for government clients. She graduated from the USC Price Master of Public Administration online in 2018 with a concentration in city and county management. Cooley reflects on her decision to pursue the MPA program online, her initial goal of becoming a…

As Tony Domenick and Blake Nawa’a sang at venues across Colorado, they often dreamed of a more collaborative choir.  The professional singers usually worked with choirs run by a sole artistic director, resulting in poor solutions to rehearsal problems, less diverse musical repertoires, or little use of other experts. Domenick and Nawa’a imagined a choir…

Pivoting from a museum career to a role in the nonprofit sector, alumna Kate Kelly is using her Master of Public Administration (MPA) to enact change in foster care. Many people begin college with a dream job in mind, working throughout their undergraduate years to realize their career goals. Not everyone, however, finds satisfaction in…

A day in the life of MPA Online student, Jarred Cornell as he navigates switching from the private sector to politics in his home state of Florida.