Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! We'd be happy to meet with you to discuss any of our programs. If you are visiting during the academic year (September - December, February - May), we may be able to arrange for you to sit in on a class. Please contact Miranda Williamson, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services: mirandawilliamson@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-7929 to schedule your visit.

Review directions to the Kroc School, access a campus map of the University of San Diego or take a virtual tour of the Kroc Facility.

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Most application materials can be submitted as part of the online application. If, however, you need to mail any additional documents, they should be sent to USD's Office of Graduate Admissions:

University of San Diego
Office of Graduate Admission
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492

The average size of each cohort is 25-30 students.

Yes, there is a mandatory orientation for all students in late August. Our international students are also required to attend a separate international student orientation, which begins in mid-August. You will receive details and information related to orientation in July. Please review Admitted Students for details.

You can find details regarding the first day of classes and other important deadlines on the Graduate Student Calendar. 

Any interested individual holding a bachelor's degree from an approved and accredited institution may apply to take courses through USD's Open Campus, through the department of Professional and Continuing Education. With the permission of the Office of Graduate Admissions and the Kroc School, students may take up to 6 units of course work offered by the school. Open Campus students may be prohibited from enrolling in specific courses due to space or resource limitations.

USD offers very limited housing on campus to graduate students, and applications are typically due in early May. Visit the USD's Residential Life website to learn more about these opportunities and to submit an application. Housing is plentiful in the areas surrounding the university — visit the Off-Campus Housing for Graduate and Law Students website for resources related to housing, local maps and neighborhoods, as well as information about transportation and parking.

The Kroc School Graduate Assistantships (GAs) are designed to enhance student learning by working in collaboration with faculty. It is an opportunity to assist in research, the design of pedagogical innovations or in undergraduate courses.

Ready to get started? Find out more and to submit an application.

Students are also encouraged to apply to assistantships open to all graduate students at USD. Our students have previously held assistantships with offices such as the Center for Peace and Commerce, International Center, Women's Center, United Front Multicultural Center and University Ministry. Application deadlines for these positions may be sooner than you think, so please contact the office directly for details.

In addition to assistantships, USD offers many opportunities for student employment with various departments including libraries, dining services and the Torero Store. You may contact the department directly to find out if there are any openings or visit USD Student Employment for additional information.

Master's students typically have morning and/or evening classes three to four days a week. Throughout the semester, we also offer workshops, which typically are two days over a weekend. The Kroc School does not typically offer classes on Fridays. Through events, lectures and social activities our students have many opportunities to engage in the USD and Kroc School community as well as our center and institutes. Some students take on leadership roles with the Peace and Justice Graduate Student Association (PJSA), while others engage with campus-wide graduate organizations. While the academic program keeps students busy, we encourage students to explore all of the great things that make San Diego "America's Finest City."

USD runs on a semester system. Fall semester starts in late August and ends in mid-December. Spring semester starts in late January and ends in mid-May. Some students choose to take a course during intersession, which runs for three weeks in January between the fall and spring semesters.

Congratulations! We encourage you to visit our resource page for Admitted Students to learn about next steps, program requirements, living in San Diego, getting to know campus, parking and transportation resources and information related to graduate student life. You can also learn more about university campus resources such as the Graduate Student Council, Health Center and One Stop Services.

To accept your offer of admission, login to your MySanDiego portal and submit your nonrefundable deposit.

Step 1: Locate your login credentials. Login credentials would have been sent to you after you submitted your application. The e-mail would be from grads@sandiego.edu. Please check your spam and or junk mail as well. 

Step 2: In your MySanDiego portal, click on the "Admissions" tab at the top of the page and select "Admitted" on the drop-down menu. On the "Admitted" page, you'll see a "Confirm my Enrollment" section on the left side.

Step 3:  Next, click the "Make my Deposit" button.  Please note that once you click the "Make My Deposit" button, a pop-up blocker notification might appear in the corner of the search/URL bar. You need to enable the pop-up and then a new window will appear which will allow you to make your deposit. Google Chrome is the recommended browser as the deposit process seems to work well in this browser.

About the MA in Peace and Justice Program

About the MA in Social Innovation Program

About the JD/MA Dual Degree Program

About the MS in Conflict Management and Resolution Program