USC is the oldest private research university in the American West. Its faculty and students collaborate on a wide range of research projects that directly affect Southern California, the nation, and the world. Faculty members conduct both individual and grant-funded research, much of which takes place in the school’s research centers and institutes. Students have the opportunity to serve as research assistants in these centers or to assist faculty with individual research projects.

Transportation education for students at USC is offered in both the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy (Price School) and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering (VSOE), as well as by pursuing the multi-disciplinary, university-wide Graduate Certificate in Transportation Systems.