FAQ

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Perfusion Science at the University of Southern California is currently a Candidate for accreditation by the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (AC-PE) of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP), 9355 – 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775 as of July 2024. Candidacy is not a guarantee of accreditation. Candidacy status ends when the program is awarded/ denied accreditation OR three (3) years after application for Candidacy has been made, whichever comes first.

The average salary in the state of California is estimtaed at $170,000 in 2023 (Salary.com), to $180,000 (ZipRecruiter.com).

The future of perfusion is bright; per iData research, cardiac surgery procedure volume is expected to increase 4% per year, reaching over 1.3 million annual procedures in 2029, and nearly all cardiac cases are only possible with at least one perfusionist present.

Healthcare experience is not required to enroll in a perfusion program, however it may allow you to have a better understanding of the details of healthcare professions and can make you a stronger applicant.

Most likely, yes. With adequate time, affiliations can be created with outside institutions.

No; the Master of Science in Perfusion Sciences program is a residential program that requires full-time and in-person education.

We accept approximately 8 students per year.

Please check our financial aid page for scholarship opportunities. Of note, public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) is a federal aid program that offers loan forgiveness when working full-time for an eligible not-for-profit institution with a minimum of 120 payments towards student loans.

Unfortunately, the program is not eligible to admit international students or students requiring a visa for admission. Please consider other USC Graduate and Professional Degrees that may accept international students.

As perfusion is a highly specialized field, USC (and all perfusion programs) consider it crucial to have had an experience shadowing a perfusionist to understand what their role in the cardiac operating room is, what their workflow looks like, and how the heart-lung machine comes into play within the surgery. At the moment, our department does not have the bandwidth to accommodate observers as our primary focus is educating our students, therefore I would recommend reaching out to local institutions, utilizing social media, and trying to network to find a perfusionist to shadow– which may potentially require travel outside of your area. Please reach out in the future if you are unsuccessful in finding a shadowing experience.