PDF reflects print version of the catalogue (beginning to Economics)Graduate Degrees
Master of Arts and Master of Science in Geography
The department no longer accepts applications for master's degrees in geography without decanal approval and in the absence of external sources of funding. A Master of Arts or a Master of Science in geography may be awarded as a terminal degree for students failing the Ph.D. qualifying examination in special circumstances as noted below. Regulations covering these master's degrees appear in the 2003-2004 USC Catalogue.Master of Science in Geographic Information Science and Technology
Director: John Wilson
The geographic information science and technology master's program uses a variety of distance learning strategies to provide an increased knowledge of geospatial technologies and the geographic concepts and methods embedded in them. The courses that make up this program incorporate multiple curricular pathways tailored to the increasingly diverse backgrounds, occupations and applications that rely on geospatial technologies.
Course Requirements
Twenty eight units of graduate work are required.| CORE COURSES (16 UNITS) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 581 | Concepts for Spatial Thinking | 4 |
| GEOG 582 | Spatial Databases | 4 |
| GEOG 587 | GPS/GIS Field Techniques | 4 |
| GEOG 594ab | Master's Thesis | 2-2 |
| ELECTIVES (12 UNITS) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 583 | Spatial Analysis and Modeling | 4 |
| GEOG 585 | Geospatial Technology Project Management | 4 |
| GEOG 586 | GIS Programming and Customization | 4 |
| GEOG 588 | Remote Sensing for GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 589 | Cartography and Visualization | 4 |
| GEOG 591 | Web GIS | 4 |
All electives are chosen in direct consultation with the student's academic advisor based on background, academic interests, etc.
The courses in this program are open to students living and/or working anywhere, including students at USC's Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. centers. The master's program can be completed in two to three years as long as students take one or two courses in each of the fall, spring and summer semesters.
Admission Requirements
Four groups of students are served by this program:1. New students who wish to apply directly to the geographic information science and technology master's program.
2. Students currently enrolled in the geographic information science and technology graduate certificate program since this certificate program may serve as a possible "stepping stone" toward the master's program.
3. Students currently matriculated in a USC master's or doctoral degree program.
4. USC undergraduate students who want to stay for a fifth year and earn both bachelor's and master's degrees.
Candidates for admission among the first two groups of students must have: (1) a B.A. or B.S. degree or its international equivalent; (2) a minimum 3.0 GPA (A = 4.0). All coursework taken at the undergraduate level is used to calculate the GPA. Exceptions will be made in cases of very high GRE scores or some other compelling evidence of potential to excel in graduate studies (e.g., outstanding letters of recommendation). Preference will be given to candidates with significant professional experience working with geographic information systems and related geospatial technologies.
Application Procedure
Applicants are required to submit the following documents: (1) completed application for admission which can be found online at www.usc.edu/dept/geography (2) statement of purpose; (3) official transcripts from all schools previously attended; (4) two letters of recommendation; and (5) results of the GRE General Test. International students must submit TOEFL scores and are expected to achieve a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based examination.The statement of purpose should be uploaded into the online application. This statement should: (1) describe the student's motivation, field of interest and career goals; and (2) identify potential projects that the student might pursue for the master's thesis project.
The master's program utilizes rolling admissions and enrollment based on the standard academic calendar. This means that students may start the program in either the fall, spring or summer semesters.
Those interested in learning more about this program should contact Kate Kelsey, University of Southern California, 3620 S. Vermont Ave., KAP 462, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0255.
Doctor of Philosophy in Geography
Application deadline: December 1The Ph.D. program stresses empirical methodologies and focuses on the forces that shape cities and influence the leading issues of the 21st century concerned with the role of place, environmental degradation, globalization, social and environmental justice, and sustainability in people's everyday lives. Students are expected to conduct significant geographical research in independent study, research seminars and dissertation work in addition to completing core, methods, specialty and elective courses. The program aims to create sophisticated geographical scholars committed to the practice and teaching of geography.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 56 units is required, exclusive of GEOG 794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation, as documented below.The following core courses are required:
| CORE COURSES | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 500 | The Nature of Geography | 4 |
| GEOG 501 | Geographical Research: Design | 4 |
| GEOG 502 | Geographical Research: Methods | 4 |
| GEOG 581 | Concepts for Spatial Thinking | 4 |
Plus three courses from the following list of methods courses:
| METHODS COURSES | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 562 | The Practice of Ethnography | 4 |
| GEOG 583 | Spatial Analysis and Modeling | 4 |
| GEOG 587 | GPS/GIS Field Methods | 4 |
| GEOG 588 | Remote Sensing for GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 589 | Cartography and Visualization | 4 |
| PPD 612 | Research and Analytical Techniques | 4 |
| SOCI 520 | Qualitative Research Methods | 4 |
| SOCI 521 | Quantitative Methods and Statistics | 4 |
Plus three courses from the following list of specialty courses:
| SPECIALTY COURSES | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 601 | Sustainable Cities | 4 |
| GEOG 605 | City Space and Globalization | 4 |
| GEOG 615 | Natural Spaces in Urban Places | 4 |
| GEOG 631 | Human Settlement and Migration | 4 |
| GEOG 635 | Race, Space and Place | 4 |
| GEOG 681 | Environmental Modeling with GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 682 | Health and Place | 4 |
Plus a minimum of four elective courses (16 units) from other departments and programs and/or one or more of the methods and specialty courses that were not used to satisfy those program requirements.
Students with a prior master's degree may petition to receive transfer credit for up to 20 units based on previous graduate work that they have completed. These transfer credits may only be used to waive GEOG 581 and/or one of the methods courses and/or the elective course requirements. At least one-half of the total number of units applied toward the Ph.D. degree must be completed at USC (i.e., at least 30 of 60 units beyond the bachelor's degree). At least two-thirds of the number of units presented for the degree (including transfer work but not including GEOG 794abcdz) must be 500-level or higher. Students with advanced standing may not apply additional 400-level course work towards the Ph.D. degree.
Screening Procedure
Ph.D. students must undergo a screening procedure administered by the department at the end of the spring semester of their first year of full-time enrollment and before the student has taken more than 24 units of graduate credit at USC. This procedure consists of a review of the student's progress to date and a decision as to the student's continuation in the program.Guidance Committee
A doctoral guidance committee is formed by the student once he or she has passed the screening procedure. The committee is appointed in consultation with the student's research advisor. It is composed of five people, including the advisor, at least two other members of the geography faculty, and at least one person from outside the department. The committee consults with the student, advises the student on the program of study and administers the qualifying examination.Qualifying Examination
Students prepare for and take this examination as a group (i.e., cohort) in the fourth week of April in their second year of study.The qualifying examination is organized around three components: (1) a three-hour written examination in which students answer two of four questions on geographic theory and methods selected by the tenured and tenure-track faculty in the department who are members of the Graduate Studies Committee; (2) a portfolio prepared by the students describing the classes they took along with a review paper from their field of specialization (this ideally is an updated version of the final paper produced in GEOG 500); and (3) the research proposal that was produced for GEOG 501 and defended in front of the class and their qualifying examination committee.
The qualifying examination committee then meets with the student prior to the last day of classes in that semester for an oral examination in which it may ask questions about these materials prior to voting on the outcome of the examination as a whole.
Students who fail the qualifying examination at the end of their fourth semester may take the examination again at the end of the fall semester at the start of their third year of study or use that semester to prepare and submit a final paper to earn a terminal master's degree.
Dissertation
Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, a dissertation committee (three person minimum) is appointed by the research advisor. The candidate then embarks on doctoral dissertation research. Upon completion of an approved draft of the dissertation, the committee administers the public defense of the dissertation. The defense takes place upon unanimous approval of the dissertation committee. It is conducted in the form of a brief presentation, followed by a question and answer session with the dissertation committee, after which an evaluation by the committee is made.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission to graduate standing are expected to have a bachelor's degree in geography or a related field and at least a 3.0 (A=4.0) undergraduate GPA. All course work taken at the undergraduate level is used to calculate the GPA. Exceptions will be made in cases of very high GRE scores or other compelling evidence of potential to excel in graduate studies (e.g., outstanding letters of recommendation). For admission to the Ph.D. program, an M.A. or M. S. degree in geography (or equivalent experience) is desirable but not required.Application Procedures
Applicants should apply online using the Application that is available on the USC Graduate Admissions Web site (www.usc.edu/admission/graduate). Applicants requesting consideration for financial support (scholarships, fellowships, departmental research and teaching assistantships) should submit applications by December 1. Applicants not requiring financial assistance should submit their applications as soon as possible since the review of all applications will start on this date.Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology
Director: John Wilson
The geographic information science and technology graduate certificate program uses a variety of distance learning strategies to provide an increased knowledge of geospatial technologies and the geographic concepts and methods embedded in them. The courses that make up these programs incorporate multiple curricular pathways tailored to the increasingly diverse backgrounds, occupations and applications that rely on geospatial technologies.
Course Requirements
Sixteen units of graduate work are required.| CORE COURSES (12 UNITS) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 581 | Concepts for Spatial Thinking | 4 |
| GEOG 582 | Spatial Databases | 4 |
| GEOG 587 | GPS/GIS Field Techniques | 4 |
| ELECTIVES (4 UNITS) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 583 | Spatial Analysis and Modeling | 4 |
| GEOG 585 | Geospatial Technology Project Management | 4 |
| GEOG 586 | GIS Programming and Customization | 4 |
| GEOG 588 | Remote Sensing for GIS | 4 |
| GEOG 589 | Cartography and Visualization | 4 |
| GEOG 591 | Web GIS | 4 |
The courses in this program are open to students living and/or working anywhere, including students at USC's Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. centers. The certificate program can be completed in one to two years as long as students take one or two courses in each of the fall, spring and summer semesters. The graduate certificate program can serve as a possible "stepping stone" towards the geographic information science and technology master's degree program.
Admission Requirements
Two groups of students are served by this program:1. New students who wish to apply directly to the geographic information science and technology graduate certificate program.
2. Students currently matriculated in a USC master's or doctoral degree program (other than the M.S. in geographic information science and technology).
Candidates for admission among the first group of students must have: (1) a B.A. or B.S. degree or its international equivalent; (2) a minimum 3.0 GPA (A = 4.0) undergraduate GPA. All course work taken at the undergraduate level is used to calculate the GPA. Exceptions will be made in cases of very high GRE scores or some other compelling evidence of potential to excel in graduate studies (e.g., outstanding letters of recommendation). Preference will be given to candidates with significant professional experience working with geographic information systems and related geospatial technologies.
Application Procedures
Applicants are required to submit the following documents: (1) completed application for admission which can be found online at www.usc.edu/admission/graduate; (2) statement of purpose; (3) official transcripts from all schools previously attended. International students must submit TOEFL scores and are expected to achieve a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based examination.The graduate certificate program utilizes rolling admissions and enrollment based on the standard academic calendar. This means that students may start the program in either the fall, spring or summer semesters.
Those interested in learning more about this program should contact Kate Kelsey, University of Southern California, 3620 S. Vermont Ave., KAP 462, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0255.
Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate
Director: Jennifer Wolch, Ph.D. (Geography)
This multidisciplinary certificate program provides USC master's and doctoral students with a specialization in urban sustainability problems resulting from the growth of cities caused by natural population increase and massive rural-to-urban population flows. See Interdisciplinary Programs for course requirements.