Master of Science in Applied Psychology
Class of 2025

Growing up, sports played a central role in Lorin Doran’s life, inspiring her to pursue a career in the field. After earning a B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Management from San Jose State, she initially set out on a path toward physical therapy.

Her interest in making a broader impact in healthcare eventually led her to Guardant Health, the leading blood-based cancer diagnostics company in the world. She joined when it was a small startup and has grown with the organization, now serving as executive assistant to the co-founders and co-CEOs.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three stepchildren, and their dog, Lorin has worked across departments including legal, finance, and human resources. Her curiosity about people and workplace dynamics ultimately inspired her to pursue USC’s online Master of Science in Applied Psychology (MAPP) to deepen her influence within her organization. She spoke to us about her MAPP experience and how it’s helping her grow in her career.

“I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I am constantly on the look out for ways I can increase my knowledge and increase my impact. I had taken a keen interest in psychology and found myself regularly choosing books that helped me understand the way the brain works and how and why people interact the way they do. One day it hit me, that there must be an intersection between psychology and business. What happens when you get an idea? Google it! So I did, and I found a number of programs dedicated to the study of organizational psychology. As I looked deeper, most of these programs were more academic and research focused, and I knew that was not the direction my career was headed. Then I came across the concept of applied psychology—the application of psychological principles to the corporate world—and I knew immediately, this is what I wanted to pursue.”

“I found two applied psychology programs in the US: USC and Harvard. I chose USC because of its reputation and because of its location. I wanted to feel proud of my university, and USC has such a great reputation across the nation of being a top tier school. Being able to say that I went here was a big deal to me. Also, I wanted to be able to visit campus regularly and build a relationship with the university, faculty, staff, and my classmates.”

“While attending MAPP, I was working full-time, got engaged, bought a house, and inherited three stepchildren. One of the best parts about MAPP was that you had people with different backgrounds, from different places, who were at very different stages of their lives. This created a comfortable and safe environment, and you never felt like you were in it alone. And although this meant many late nights and weekends, I wouldn’t go back and change anything. From the get go, I felt supported and valued. From pre-admission all the way through graduation, faculty, staff, and classmates were available to talk and share their experiences and best practices, which was extremely helpful and set me up for success. I really enjoyed the format because it allowed me to meet students who were a semester ahead of me as well as a semester behind, and really cultivate a few mentoring relationships. I loved learning from my classmates as well as being there for them when they needed me. Since graduating, I still remain close with many of my classmates and faculty.”

“As you would imagine, being an online student means you need to be more self-disciplined and proactive to get the most out of your education. It helps to have faculty and staff who are genuinely interested in your growth and success, which I found from the very beginning with the MAPP program. Even before I started classes, I had such an amazing experience with my enrollment advisor. I could tell he wanted to set me up for success from the beginning as he supported and encouraged me all the way through the admissions process. I knew that I was just going to get more of that once I started. I certainly was not let down. It is clear that USC has high standards and I was so impressed with each and every faculty member I met along the way. It felt like they were as invested in my education as I was and made it surprisingly easy to build relationships virtually.”

“Dr. Lepley and Dr. Farid-Nejad were two faculty members who stood out to me. I loved Dr. Lepley’s passion for her craft; it shined through on every live session and made the content really engaging. I also appreciated her patience with the class. It was clear she understood we all grasp different concepts at our own pace. Dr. Farid-Nejad was extremely open and relatable. I felt like I was learning from a good friend. I looked forward to attending her classes and just wish we had more live sessions!”

“Since I was working while attending MAPP, I was able to apply the principles real time. One of the biggest changes I noticed was how I showed up to meetings and how I engaged in conversations. The MAPP program equipped me with the knowledge and skills to actively participate in leadership meetings and strategic conversations. I am able to see my organization through a new lens and contribute to the conversations about how we can build stronger teams, increase engagement, become better leaders and teammates, and how we make our organization one that we all are proud of and a place where we want to be.”

“I am genuinely interested in helping employees find happiness at work, and although I don’t foresee a major career pivot after MAPP, I know I can use what I have learned to expand my role into a chief of staff role, which will increase my influence throughout the organization.”

“Pursuing a master's degree is no small endeavor. Make sure you are in a place personally, professionally, and financially to really give it your all and take the time to get the most out of it as you can. The program flies by, so take every moment you can to soak it up. This means being highly proactive and reaching out to faculty and classmates to build relationships every chance you get. You are all there with a common goal and there is so much you will learn from them.”