Dr. Geoffrey Cowan

Professor

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Biography

Geoffrey Cowan is a lawyer, academic administrator, government official, best-selling author, distinguished professor, nonprofit executive, and Emmy Award-winning producer. He served as the 22nd director of Voice of America and was the dean of USC Annenberg from 1996 to 2007. Cowan was named university professor and inaugural holder of the Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership, and he directs USC Annenberg’s Center for Communication Leadership and Policy. He has held faculty positions at USC’s Gould School of Law and, in 2010, became president of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. Cowan has hosted significant retreats and summit meetings for President Barack Obama and had a historic meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in June 2013. His notable publications include 'See Evil: Backstage Battle Sex Violence Television' and 'People v. Clarence Darrow: Bribery Trial America’s Greatest Lawyer.' He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cowan graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School. He is married to Aileen Adams, a deputy mayor in Los Angeles, and has two children.

Research Interests

Awards

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USC General Education Teaching Award

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Public Service Award

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Primetime Creative Arts Award

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Gold Award

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Man of the Year

Courses

JOUR 200W: Power Responsibility Press JOUR 490x: Directed Research JOUR 590: Directed Research

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.