Graduate & Professional Degrees

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Students in USC Annenberg’s Master of Communication Management Program can pursue a STEM specialization and earn the MS Applied Communication Research.

The STEM specialization recognizes the increasing value of quantitative and other empirical methods, built on rigorous research methodologies, for professionals in the communication field.

Students pursuing this specialization will build expertise in subjects such as research, analysis, and statistics applied to communication and media fields; their professional and management contexts; audiences in legacy and newer social media and algorithmic-driven social networks. 

The degree is a specialization within the Master of Communication Management, and open only to students admitted to the Communication Management program. To be considered for the specialization, students enroll in CMGT 540: Uses of Communication Research plus one Communication Management elective in their first semester. Upon completing at least one semester, students may petition to join the STEM specialization. Approval will be based on academic performance, positive faculty evaluations, academic integrity and student conduct.

Residence

Students may pursue the MS Applied Communication Research only on a full-time basis. Full time, the specialization can be completed in two academic years; an accelerated path can be completed in one calendar year plus one semester, with approval of program directors.

Foreign Language Requirement

There are no foreign language requirements for this degree specialization.

Course Requirements

The MS Applied Communication Research requires 32 units of approved graduate-level courses.

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Students who complete this certificate will be able to pursue professional careers in data science. They will be eligible to be considered for admission to the following MSc programs in data science: Applied Data Science, Communications Data Science, Spatial Data Science, Healthcare Data Science, Public Policy Data Science, and Environmental Data Science.

Students will first learn advanced techniques in data science, including building scalable data systems, core algorithms in machine learning, and practical approaches to mining diverse kinds of data. Through class projects and homeworks, students will create a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their skills to potential employers.

Students will need to complete the three required courses and an elective with no possibility of substitutions or waivers.

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datascience.usc.edu

Program Director: Fred Morstatter, PhD

The USC Viterbi Master of Science in Applied Data Science will train students as data scientists. This degree provides students with the knowledge and skill to solve real-world world challenges that require a combination of data management and data analytics skills. Students will learn how to use the latest big-data infrastructures, such as Hadoop and Spark. They will learn how to use the various analytical tools, including machine learning, data mining and data visualization. And students will learn how to apply these tools to real-world problems. 

This degree is designed for students with a range of backgrounds, but students are expected to have at least a strong math and science background to pursue this degree. Students that do not have much training in computer science will first learn the basics of data science, including data formats, tools and techniques. They learn how to build data processing programs in Python, and they will learn how to apply the latest analytical tools through hands-on homework and projects. Students with a computer science background will be able to jump directly into the more advanced data science courses including data management, machine learning, data mining and statistics for data science. Once students have completed the introductory and core courses, they are given a choice of electives to allow them to pursue their own interests within data science.

For Admission Requirements, refer to Viterbi Graduate Degrees and Requirements.

A total of 32 units is required for the degree.

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This program is designed to provide advanced training in the basic tools of economics and their application to practical problems. The curriculum incorporates a systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. This includes instruction in cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, as well as economic forecasting and evaluation.

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This program is intended for individuals who are seeking or currently hold positions that involve mathematical applications, or for mid-career people wishing to improve their skills in applied areas. Specific options in the program include: biomedicine, discrete mathematics, economics, finance and business economics, fluid dynamics, numerical analysis and computation, and systems and control. In addition, students may design their own option to suit specific needs.

On admission to the program the student should contact the program director to set up the study plan. Courses of instruction are drawn from the Department of Mathematics and other participating departments which include: aerospace and mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, economics, electrical engineering, business administration, physiology and biophysics, and preventive medicine. To be counted as electives for the degree, courses outside of the math department must be approved by the program director.

Requirements for the Master of Science in Applied Mathematics

At least 30 units are required, including 15 units as described below:

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Application deadline: December 15

Completion of the program requires a maximum effort by the student for a minimum of four years of full-time work.

Screening Procedure

The screening procedure consists of written examinations covering core applied mathematics content. Students must pass three written exams for the following core subjects: 

• Applied Probability
• Real Analysis
• Partial Differential Equations

The department offers the examinations twice a year, prior to the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters.

At least one of the screening examinations must be successfully completed by the end of the second semester in the program. All of the examinations must be successfully completed by the end of the fourth semester. 

The qualifying examination should follow two or three semesters after the successful completion of the screening procedure.

Qualifying Exam Committee

No later than at the end of the first semester after passing the screening procedure, the student must form a qualifying exam committee. The committee must consist of an adviser (committee chair) and four other faculty members, including at least one from another department.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination consists of written and oral components.

The written portion of the qualifying examination consists of a PhD dissertation proposal. This document (10 pages minimum) should include: introduction, statement of the problem, literature survey, methodology, summary of preliminary results, proposed research, references, appendix (including one or two fundamental references). This should be submitted to the department at least one week before the qualifying examination.

The oral portion of the qualifying examination consists of a presentation of the PhD dissertation proposal and examination by the committee. The student must demonstrate research potential.

The student must register for MATH 794a in the semester immediately following successful completion of the qualifying examination.

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The MS degree in Applied Physics is directed toward students with interests in engineering physical systems for which acquisition and interpretation of information requires an understanding of underlying physical models, measurement techniques and disruptive factors such as noise, turbulence, and unwanted signals. Examples include RF electromagnetic or acoustic detection of objects or resources, photonic sources and detection and applications that involve the mechanics of solid and fluid media.

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Seeley G. Mudd, Room 706
(213) 740-2282

Fax: (213) 746-9082

Email: appliedpsychology@usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/map

Program Director: Jorge A. Barraza, PhD

The Master of Science in Applied Psychology program (MAPP) is designed for individuals who wish to pursue or advance a career in a non-academic field where knowledge of human behavior is essential to effective job performance. The program stresses practical applications of psychological principles related to social influence, human motivation, interpersonal dynamics, decision-making, and performance improvement.

The program is especially appropriate for those who have majored in a behavioral science field, e.g., psychology, sociology, political science, or anthropology. These applicants must have received their baccalaureate degree by the semester in which they begin the program.

Applicants must apply for admission to the Graduate School and satisfy all requirements for admission. Details on the method for applying, admission criteria and deadlines can be found at dornsife.usc.edu/map.

Thirty-four units of course credit is required for the MAPP degree. These units are taken from an inventory of courses that are specified for the program. All students are required to take PSYC 505, PSYC 509, PSYC 550a, PSYC 552, PSYC 565x, 4 to 8 units of PSYC 591, and 2 units of PSYC 592. The specific number of PSYC 591 units taken in a given semester will depend in part on what options are available from internship sponsors. In addition, students choose from the following courses to focus on either organizational psychology or consumer psychology: PSYC 517, PSYC 521, PSYC 523, PSYC 550b, PSYC 556, PSYC 566. MAPP students may take up to 4 units of PSYC 590.

Based on the student’s academic background, work experience and career goals, substitutions of up to two courses may be made from other courses eligible for graduate credit.

The program for a given cohort of students begins in the fall semester. The normal expectation is that full-time students will complete the program in two semesters plus the summer. Part-time students will generally take one or two courses per semester, and must complete the program within five years.

The Master of Science in Applied Psychology program is also available as a part-time, online degree. Students may enter this program in fall, spring or summer terms.

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This program is for those interested in applying technology to the challenges faced by an increasingly aging population. Ideally, for those with engineering, design or healthcare backgrounds or for those whose career objectives lead to application of technology in senior living or service organizations. 

Applicants to the program are expected to have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university preferably from a relevant field of study.