Graduate & Professional Degrees

Geodesign is a proactive science-based problem-solving approach to deal with pressing issues in our society. As interdisciplinary collaborators combine science, technology and creative problem-solving to engage with and build consensus among stakeholders in the Geodesign frameworks, practitioners in different industries and sectors can make better spatial decisions that can help achieve a healthy and sustainable future for our communities and the planet. This graduate program tackles the scientific underpinnings of Geodesign frameworks, and provides students with essential skills in critical spatial thinking, spatial analysis and visual presentation, as well as decision-making with geospatial tools. By choosing one concentration, students will have the opportunity to learn from interdisciplinary faculty, interact with industry leaders and prepare for the future job market that emphasizes interdisciplinarity, interoperability and creativity in dealing with complex real-world challenges.

AHF B55B
(213) 740-8298
Email: spatialsciences@dornsife.usc.edu

Director: John P. Wilson, PhD

The online and residential Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and Technology requires 16 units of graduate work and provides state-of-the-art training in some of the core geographic information science technologies and the underlying scientific principles and concepts that guide their design and use.

Course Requirements

Sixteen units of graduate work are required.

SSCI Header  

The online and residential MS in Geographic Information Science and Technology provides state-of-the-art education that draws upon scientific principles and concepts with core geographic information technologies (geographic information systems, global positioning systems and remote sensing, among others). Students choose from three tracks that provide a foundation for professional work in diverse occupations and disciplines that rely on geospatial data, analysis and visualization.

Course Requirements

Twenty-eight units of graduate work are required.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements

There is no language or research tool requirement for the master's degree.

Course Requirements

The MS degree in geological sciences requires 24 units of course work plus at least four thesis units. These restrictions apply: at least 16 units must be 500 level or higher; no more than eight units can be 590 Directed Research; and a maximum of four units, with superior grades, can be transferred from an accredited graduate school. Students are required to have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) in all graduate work. Students are also required to attend a series of departmental seminars.

Thesis

Students should arrange for the appointment of a thesis adviser and committee after the first semester, or, at the latest, after the first year of graduate work. The thesis committee should consist of the adviser plus two other faculty members, all of whom are generally selected from the department faculty. Once the committee is arranged, the student may make formal application to the Graduate School for the MS degree.

Application deadline: January 1

Course Requirements

For students who have earned a master's degree, the minimum number of course credits required for the PhD is 40 units. No more than four of these units may be earned in 794 Doctoral Dissertation. For students who have not earned a master's degree, the minimum number of course credits required is 60 units, including a maximum of eight units of 794 Doctoral Dissertation. The qualifying exam committee may require additional course work to insure a sufficient background in the student's area of specialization. At least two-thirds of the number of units presented for the degree must be 500 level or higher. Although the official minimum GPA for all graduate work attempted at USC is 3.0, the department does not consider a doctoral candidate in good standing unless the graduate GPA is considerably higher than the minimum (approximately 3.25 or above in graduate courses taken within the department).

Screening Procedure

Students in the PhD program must pass the screening procedure before their 25th unit of graduate credit. Screening consists of a review of the student's progress and is usually done by the chair following a written recommendation by the student's adviser(s).

Qualifying Exam Committee

The doctoral qualifying exam committee is formed after the student has passed the screening procedure. The committee is appointed by the department with the advice of the student's research adviser. The five-member committee consists of the adviser, a minimum of three other members from the Department of Earth Sciences, and one from outside the department. The committee consults with the student, recommends an appropriate program of study and administers the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Qualifying Examination

This examination consists of two parts, one written and the other oral. The written exam, which precedes the oral, includes questions submitted by committee members on current geological problems and theory. The oral portion of the exam consists of the defense of two propositions written by the candidate prior to the oral exam. In addition, general questions are posed to test the student's breadth of scientific and earth science background. The student's performance is evaluated by the qualifying exam committee, with a pass based on not more than one negative vote or abstention. Those who intend to take the exam must meet all the conditions specified in the section on general requirements for the PhD.

Defense of the Dissertation

When the candidate has passed the qualifying examination, a dissertation committee replaces the qualifying exam committee. The latter is appointed by the adviser and qualifying exam committee in conjunction with the student. The dissertation committee administers the final defense of the dissertation.

The defense takes place after the dissertation is substantially complete, and upon unanimous approval by the dissertation committee. It is conducted in the form of an open departmental seminar, but is evaluated by the dissertation committee alone.

The online and residential Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence requires 16 units of graduate work and provides state-of-the-art training in some of the core geospatial technologies and the underlying scientific concepts and analytical methods that guide their design and use to solve a variety of human security problems and challenges.

Course Requirements

Sixteen units of graduate work are required.

The online and residential Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Leadership requires 16 units of graduate work. The capstone course focuses on the cultivation of leadership skills and practices, and the electives afford students the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of selected geospatial technologies, the underlying scientific concepts and analytical methods, and the ways they can be used in decision-making.

Course Requirements

Sixteen units of graduate work are required.

The graduate certificate in geriatric dentistry program is designed to prepare practicing dentists and dental hygienists who have already completed their professional training in general or advanced dentistry or dental hygiene to acquire a greater understanding of gerontology and geriatrics. Dental hygienists must have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in order to apply for the program. The program consists of a total of 12.5 units of coursework delivered online and in-person in which the students will gain knowledge about older adults from a variety of perspectives, focusing on those topics that will have a direct impact on professional practice. 

Clinical privilege status is not required for any of the course work. Students admitted to the non-degree certificate program are expected to enroll each semester until the program is completed.

There are eight required courses (seven online and one residential) and no electives. During the fall and spring trimesters, the residents will attend weekly video conferences in which online students are required to analyze, diagnose, prepare and discuss/treatment plan cases that are posted for analysis. Students in this program will also prepare, present and defend six of their own cases as part of their final portfolio. As part of the required curriculum, all students are expected to attend USC from one to two weeks during the summer trimester following completion of the didactic courses, for a knowledge assessment course (GDEN 710). The summer activities will include reviews, practical demonstrations and assessment of competencies.  

The Master of Science in Geriatric Dentistry online program consists of 30.5 units of course work delivered online and in person leading to a master's degree in geriatric dentistry. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to work in geriatric dentistry. The program consists of a series of didactic courses in which the students will gain in-depth knowledge about older adults from a variety of perspectives that will include learning about the aging process and how it affects and is affected by social, behavioral, and health factors commonly seen with aging. The program will focus on the most common medical and oral health conditions seen in older adults including oral lesions and orofacial pain conditions and their treatments, as well as cognitive changes, mental disorders, and social factors that will impact and thus require adjustments to oral health care delivery.

During the year, the students will attend weekly video conferences where they will discuss the care of older adults using composite patient case scenarios, during which the patient's presentation including their detailed oral presentation as well as their medical, pharmacologic, and psychologic profiles and social status are taken into consideration in determining treatment modifications.

All master's students must choose and finish a capstone project and 18 portfolio cases during the program duration. The students will attend USC for 8-10 days during two summer trimesters for knowledge assessment courses. As part of the graduation requirements, the students must successfully defend their capstone projects and portfolio cases during their last summer term and pass all the courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or more.

The residential graduate certificate in gerontology program provides an opportunity for those who have completed a bachelor's degree in another profession or discipline and are employed in the field of aging to acquire a greater understanding of gerontology theory and research. The program consists of 16 units of gerontology content designed to familiarize the student with several areas of the field which relate to professional practice.

In addition to three of the four required core course areas for the certificate program (GERO 510, GERO 520 or GERO 522, GERO 530 or GERO 585, GERO 540), each student will have the option to choose one elective course that meets his or her particular area of interest.

Certificate students do not take a field practicum. Students admitted to the non-degree certificate program are expected to enroll each semester until the program is completed.