B.S. in GeoDesign

The USC B.S. in GeoDesign degree is a joint interdisciplinary program among the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the USC School of Architecture, and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Because of this unique and innovative collaboration, students benefit from the globally-recognized strengths of each school’s diverse faculty and spectrum of disciplines. Many courses in the GeoDesign curriculum use a studio framework and iterative learning process, approaches fundamental to architecture and planning. From the spatial sciences, students gain the ability to assemble, organize, and visualize different kinds of data. Simply put, the sum of the GeoDesign major is greater than its parts.

The GeoDesign major trains students in design, planning, geographic information science and geospatial technologies. It provides students with valuable skills so they can pursue professional careers and/or graduate study in one or more of these three fields as well as a variety of environmental areas. With a B.S. in GeoDesign, students have the basis for careers as:

Archaeologists
Architects
Cartographers
Civil Engineers
Developers
GIS Specialists
Heritage Conservationists
Historical Preservationists
Landscape Architects
Landscape Ecologists
Researchers
Scientists
Urban and Regional Planners

The GeoDesign major is structured to provide students with sufficient elective credits to explore minors or other programs at USC so they can broaden their education to better prepare themselves for the next stage of their lives.

General Skills and Breadth Develop the ability to manage one’s time, work independently, take initiative, and collaborate.

Develop the ability to think critically, analyze, synthesize, and use information to solve problems.

Acquire broad knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences, and understand the relevance of these disciplines to geodesign at the intersection of the spatial sciences, architecture, and urban planning.

Develop the ability to communicate ideas and articulate positions orally and in writing.

Develop facility in the use of computer applications and the Internet.

Scientific and Design Skills Develop an understanding of the myriad ways in which places can be constructed, interpreted, and experienced by different people (i.e., migrants, people of color, the elderly, the poor, teenagers, toddlers, working adults, and more).

Learn about the principles of design and how these can be used as a force for good in building healthy, livable and sustainable communities.

Learn how urban and regional planning provides a framework for promoting civic engagement and collective action.

Develop an understanding of how geographically referenced data can be gathered and organized to support a large number and variety of collaborative projects.

Learn how geospatial data can be analyzed, modeled and visualized to inform design and planning and by doing so, support public participation and urban development.

Learn how form and function co-exist and evolve in urban settings and how globalization connects near and far-away places and actions.

Ethics/Society Be able to place spatial and geographic knowledge into an ethical context, especially how spatial sciences and geodesign principles can contribute to the resolution of ethical, social, and environmental issues.

After Graduation Develop a sufficient depth of knowledge and abilities in preparation for entry-level employment in a wide variety of fields, or for graduate study in the spatial sciences or other related disciplines.

Candidates for the B.S. in GeoDesign can qualify for graduation with departmental honors:

• Eligibility requirements:

GeoDesign majors with cumulative GPA ≥ 3.7 in department courses in their second to last semester and an overall GPA ≥ 3.5.

In addition, to qualify for the honors designation, GeoDesign majors must complete one or both of the criteria listed below:

1. Students present a poster or make a presentation of their research at a venue such as the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, the Los Angeles Geospatial Summit, or another professional conference; and/or
2. Students exhibit leadership within a club or organization (e.g., SC Mappers), serve as a speaker for an academic event (e.g., GeoDesign Speaker Series), or represent the B.S. in GeoDesign program in some effective way.

Enrollment Process:

Eligible and eligible students apply for the GeoDesign Honors Program and are enrolled in the GeoDesign Honors Program by their academic advisor preceding their final semester.

Honors Application:

Students are required to submit to the GeoDesign academic advisor an application package that includes the following items: name, student ID, major, GPA (overall and in the department), current and dated resume, STARS report, and proof of participation for distinction of honors. GeoDesign majors meeting the GPA and other criteria in their final semester also will be invited to apply in their final semester at the discretion of the GeoDesign Honor Program evaluation committee.

Evaluation and Designation of Honors Distinction:

A small GeoDesign Honors Program evaluation committee – comprised of at least one faculty representative from the School of Architecture, Price School of Public Policy, and the Spatial Sciences Institute – will be formed each year by the Spatial Sciences Institute Director of Undergraduate Studies to identify and assess which GeoDesign majors will receive the honors designation.

Honors Designation:

There is not a fixed number of honors designations that can be awarded each year.

B.S. in GeoDesign students who earn the honors designation will see the designation on their USC transcripts. This honors designation is not printed on diplomas.

The USC Progressive Degree Program enables superior USC undergraduates to begin work on a master's degree while completing requirements for their bachelor's degree. Students who are admitted to a master's program with a progressive degree option can complete both their bachelor's and master's degrees in five years.

With a progressive degree path,

a B.S. in GeoDesign could lead to a:
~ M.A. in Environmental Studies;
~ Master of Planning;
~ M.S. in Geographic Information Science and Technology (online);
~ M.S. in Spatial Data Science; or
~ M.S. in Spatial Economics and Data Analysis.

A B.S. in Policy, Planning, and Development or a B.S. in Architectural Studies could lead to a:
~ M.S. in Geographic Information Science and Technology.

Consult the USC Progressive Degree Program information and discuss specific details about your interests and goals with Ken Watson, SSI academic advisor.

Interested in attending USC because of the GeoDesign major? Learn more about this major from Ken Watson, academic advisor, Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF B55, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, watsonke@usc.edu |(213) 740-8298, or Dr. Laura Loyola, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, 3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF B55, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0374, loyola@usc.edu | (213) 740-5612. On campus for a tour? Stop by the Spatial Sciences Institute. For general USC undergraduate admissions information, please contact the Admission and Financial Aid Contact Center at (213) 740-1111.