USC Catalogue 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]
Spatial Sciences Institute
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Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The programs and courses affiliated with the Spatial Sciences Institute explore the various ways in which space is used to acquire, represent, organize, analyze, model and visualize information. They seek to engage students enrolled in a range of academic programs in the natural and social sciences, the humanities and the professional schools.
The Bachelor of Science in GeoDesign is an interdisciplinary major offered by the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the USC School of Architecture and the USC Price School of Public Policy. This degree prepares students for professional careers and/or graduate study.
The undergraduate minor in spatial studies explores how maps and related geospatial techniques may be used to describe, explore and interpret specific places and the natural and human processes.
The MS in Geographic Information Science and Technology provides state-of-the-art training in the core geographic information technologies (GIS, GPS and remote sensing, among others) and the underlying scientific principles and concepts that guide their design and use. This is an online program and may be taken by undergraduate students majoring in other disciplines as a progressive master’s degree.
The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology incorporates the same online core courses and electives as the master’s degree and may be taken by master’s and doctoral students majoring in other disciplines.
Allen Hancock Foundation Building B55
(213) 740-5910
FAX: (213) 740-9687
Email: spatialsciences@dornsife.usc.edu
Director: John P. Wilson, PhD
Associate Director: Susan Kamei, JD
Faculty
Professors: Myles Cockburn, PhD (Preventive Medicine); Maged Dessouky, PhD (Industrial and Systems Engineering); Philip Ethington, PhD (History); Matthew E. Kahn, PhD (Economics); Kelly Shannon, PhD (Architecture); John P. Wilson, PhD (Sociology)*
Associate Professors: Francois Bar, PhD (Communications); Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, PhD (Public Policy); Jennifer Hook, PhD (Sociology); Lon Kurashige (History); Mandour Rahimi, PhD (Industrial and Systems Engineering)
Assistant Professors: Jennifer Ailshire, PhD (Gerontology); George Bank-Weiss, PhD (Civil & Environmental Engineering); Meredith Franklin, PhD (Preventive Medicine); Travis R. Longcore, PhD (Architecture); Ann Owens, PhD (Sociology); Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, PhD (History); Alexander Robinson, PhD (Architecture); Kelly Sanders, PhD (Civil & Environmental Engineering); Emily Smith-Greenaway, PhD (Sociology)
Professors of the Practice of Spatial Science: Steven D. Fleming, PhD; Karen K. Kemp, PhD
Professors (Research): Brian Finch, PhD (Sociology); Craig Knoblock, PhD (Computer Science)
Associate Professor (Research): Tatiana Tatarinova, PhD (Pediatrics)
Associate Professor (Teaching): Jennifer N. Swift, PhD
Assistant Professor (Research): Yao-Yi Chiang, PhD
Assistant Professors (Teaching): Thomas Garrison, PhD (Anthropology); Darren M. Ruddell, PhD; Robert O. Vos, PhD; Daniel N. Warshawsky, PhD
Lecturers: Su Jin Lee, PhD; Laura Loyola, PhD; Katsuhiko Oda, PhD; Jason Post; Elisabeth Sedano, PhD; Wei Yang, PhD
*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.
Degree Programs
The Spatial Sciences Institute offers a Bachelor of Science in GeoDesign (with the USC School of Architecture and Price School of Public Policy), minors in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence and in Spatial Studies, an online Master of Science and a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology as well as online graduate certificates in Geospatial Intelligence and Geospatial Leadership, a Master of Science in Spatial Informatics (with the Department of Computer Science), a Doctor of Philosophy in Population, Health and Place (with the departments of Preventive Medicine and Sociology), and a Graduate Certificate in Spatial Analytics.
All of the programs and courses affiliated with the Spatial Sciences Institute explore the various ways in which space is used to acquire, represent, organize, analyze, model and visualize information. They seek to engage students enrolled in a range of academic programs in the natural and social sciences, the humanities and the professional schools.
Undergraduate Degrees
The Bachelor of Science in GeoDesign is an interdisciplinary major offered by the Spatial Sciences Institute, the USC School of Architecture and the USC Price School of Public Policy. This degree treats planning as a globally relevant framework for collective action, the spatial sciences as a platform for supporting science-based decision-making, and design as a vehicle for solving the world’s wicked problems. This degree prepares students for professional careers and/or graduate study and the progressive degree program affords students to complete all requirements for the BS in GeoDesign and the MS in Geographic Information Science and Technology (as well as several other master’s degrees) in five years.
Honors Program
Candidates for the BS in GeoDesign can qualify for graduation with departmental honors by meeting these requirements: a 3.7 GPA in the courses counted toward the major at the time of graduation and completion of a research project or thesis under the guidance of a faculty member teaching the capstone course SSCI 412 . In addition, students must receive an A or A- in the capstone SSCI 412 course. Departmental honors are noted on academic transcripts but not on the diploma.
Minors
The undergraduate minor in human security and geospatial intelligence explores how maps and related geospatial techniques and data can be used to help anticipate and manage a series of natural and human disasters around the globe. The undergraduate minor in spatial studies explores how maps and related geospatial techniques may be used to describe, explore and interpret specific places and the natural and human processes that help to shape them.
Graduate Degrees
The online MS in Geographic Information Science and Technology provides state-of-the-art training in the core geographic information technologies (GIS, GPS and remote sensing, among others) and the underlying scientific principles and concepts that guide their design and use. This MS may be taken by undergraduate students majoring in other disciplines as a progressive master’s degree. The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology incorporates the same online core courses and electives as the MS. The online graduate certificates in Geospatial Intelligence and Geospatial Leadership include some of the same online courses and specialized courses focused on a variety of human security problems and challenges and leadership principles, respectively. All three of these online graduate certificates may be taken by master’s and doctoral students in other disciplines. The courses in these online programs are offered year-round and students can start these programs in the fall, spring or summer semesters.
Students interested in the GeoHealth track in the Keck School of Medicine’s online MPH degree should contact the Department of Preventive Medicine and those interested in the MS in Spatial Informatics should contact the Department of Computer Science.
The Graduate Certificate in Spatial Analytics provides doctoral students with customized opportunities to learn about the fundamental geographic information science principles and a series of rapidly evolving geospatial technologies that take advantage of the Cloud and the Web along with advances in analytical techniques, modeling tools and online geographic data sources. The learning goals and outcomes in the courses that contribute to this certificate can be customized to match the student’s disciplinary interests and research needs.
The Spatial Sciences Institute also serves as the administrative lead for the PhD in Population, Health and Place (PHP). This interdisciplinary doctoral program draws on faculty and courses in the departments of Preventive Medicine and Sociology as well as the Spatial Sciences Institute. The students in this program will take core courses that span the population sciences, public health and the spatial sciences as well as electives guided by their prior academic training and research interests. This one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary doctoral program provides training for careers in research, teaching and applied work.
PhD Admission Requirements
The courses required for admission are an introductory geography or sociology course, a course in statistics, a course in research methods or experimental design and at least one course from each of the following lists: (1) one or more of social demography, society and population, medical sociology; (2) one or more of cartography, human geography, medical geography, spatial analysis.; and (3) one or more of climatology, hydrology, environment and health. Additional courses are desirable, as is work in the biological, physical and social sciences, in mathematics and in philosophy. Students with less background in public health, sociology or the spatial sciences, but outstanding undergraduate records in related fields are also encouraged to apply.
Students are selected on the basis of undergraduate records, scores on the Graduate Record Examinations’ General Test, course background, three letters of evaluation, personal statement of interests and goals, and evidence of research skills or interests (e.g., publications or participation in research projects).
Application for admission to the PhD Program in Population, Health and Place requires submission of two sets of material: special program forms and university application forms. Students are admitted only for study beginning in the fall semester; both sets of completed application forms must be submitted by December 1 for admission the following fall.
Degree Requirements
These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation section and the The Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.
Bachelor’s Degree
Minor
Master’s Degree
University Certificate
Doctoral Degree
Spatial Sciences Institute
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