StudyQA — Master: Spatial Informatics — University of Southern California (Page 8)

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The Master of Science in Spatial Informatics is a cross-disciplinary joint degree program offered by the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Students must be admitted by both the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Geospatial data accessibility, spatial decision support systems and geospatial problem solving environments are revolutionizing most industries and disciplines, including health care, marketing, social services, human security, education, environmental sustainability and transportation. Spatial informatics professionals draw upon engineering, computer science and spatial sciences principles to solve data-intensive, large-scale, location-based problems.

The USC Master of Science in Spatial Informatics provides students with the knowledge and skills to:

Understand and contribute toward the significant technical and societal challenges created by large location-based data environments, including architecture, security, integrity, management, scalability, artificial intelligence topics and distribution;
Understand the principles and application of informatics and geographic information science (GIS), and the goals of enterprise information intelligence and analytics; and
Utilize technical, engineering and GIS skills coupled with informatics capabilities to intelligently mine data to provide enterprise-centric solutions for diverse societal issues.

Students complete a core set of courses to provide a foundation in information engineering, analysis and spatial thinking with their choice of electives to optimize preparation for their preferred career path and unique professional opportunities.

Students will understand the overall field of data analytics, the role of the analyst and/or data scientist and the domains where spatial informatics skills can be applied to critical organization missions. They will understand how data management, data visualization and artificial intelligence techniques (specifically data mining and machine learning) are critical to the spatial analysis process and how these can be applied to real world challenges. Throughout their course work, students will assemble a digital portfolio of work product that is intended to help them demonstrate their capabilities and skills for the job market.

Applicants to this program are expected to have a previous degree in science, technology, engineering, math or a related social science with at least a 3.0 overall GPA and satisfactory GRE Test results. Programming experience or at least a year of calculus is required for admission.

A minimum of 32 units with an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is required for the MS in Spatial Informatics. Students should consult with an academic adviser prior to registering for any classes.

Required Courses (6 courses/24 units)

Foundation (take both courses):

INF 549 Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science Units: 4
SSCI 581 Concepts for Spatial Thinking Units: 4

Spatial core (take both courses):

SSCI 580 Spatial Computing Units: 4
SSCI 583 Spatial Analysis Units: 4

Informatics core (take both courses):

INF 510 Principles of Programming for Informatics Units: 4
INF 550 Overview of Data Informatics in Large Data Environments Units: 4

Spatial and Informatics Elective Courses (2-3 courses/8 units)

SSCI 596 and ENGR 596 are optional.

Spatial elective (4 units)

SSCI 582 Spatial Databases Units: 4
SSCI 584 Spatial Modeling Units: 4
SSCI 588 Remote Sensing for GIS Units: 4
SSCI 589 Cartography and Visualization Units: 4
SSCI 596 Internship in Spatial Sciences Units: 1 **

Informatics elective (4 units)

CSCI 587 Geospatial Information Management Units: 4 *
ENGR 596 Internship in Engineering Units: 1
INF 552 Machine Learning for Data Informatics Units: 4
INF 553 Foundations and Applications of Data Mining Units: 4
INF 554 Information Visualization Units: 4
INF 555 User Interface Design, Implementation, and Testing Units: 4
INF 559 Introduction to Data Management Units: 3

Note:

*SSCI 582 meets the CSCI 585 prerequisite for CSCI 587 and must be taken before it.
**SSCI 596 may be taken in addition to one of the 4-unit SSCI elective courses, but SSCI 596 by itself does not fulfill the Spatial Sciences elective requirement.

An undergraduate degree in science, technology, engineering, math or a related social science from a regionally-accredited university.
Programming experience or a strong math background are required for admission.
Satisfactory cumulative undergraduate GPA (grade point average)
Satisfactory GRE test scores. All scores must be officially reported to the university directly by ETS.
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
GRE General Test: Satisfactory scores less than five years old. Official scores must be reported from ETS directly to USC using ETS school code 4852. A department code is not required
Letters of Recommendation (Optional): Letters of recommendation should be from faculty or others (supervisors, professional colleagues, etc.) qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. They should be submitted through the online graduate application.
Statement of Purpose (Optional): The statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the Viterbi School of Engineering, your preparation for this field of study, study interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study.
Résumé or CV (required)
English Language Proficiency: In addition to the general admission criteria listed above, international students whose first language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS examination to be considered a candidate for admission. There is no minimum TOEFL or IELTS score required for admission to the Viterbi School. For possible exemption from additional language requirements, you must achieve an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90, with no less than 20 on each section or an IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6 on each band score.