MS Spatial Data Science (MSSDS)
The MSSDS is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply data science approaches to geospatial data. The program of study includes 7 core courses providing in-depth spatial data science training and 9 elective credit hours to help students understand how these skills may be applied to real world problems. The core classes include a 1 credit class where students will develop professional skills that complement the technical skills and to prepare them for employment. Students assemble a portfolio demonstrating mastery of selected spatial data science skills and present this in their final semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
No
Unfortunately, we cannot support students in the professional program with assistantships. We do have assistantships available for students in our traditional Master’s in Geography program.
The program has a fee of $100 per student, each fall and spring semester (no fee charged during summer), for an MSSDS student enrolling in three (3) or more credits of coursework. The fee applies to both classroom and on-line classes.
The program can be completed in as little as 2 years, depending on the number of credit hours taken per semester.
GEOG 3100 Introduction to GIS
GEOG 3020 Geographical Analysis or an upper division basic statistics course
GEOG 4140 Advanced Methods in GIS
An entry-level programming course, or equivalent experience, is strongly recomended
The Department requires that you have taken these courses or have equivalent competence.
The following is a model program of study illustrating one sequence of courses:
Year 1 Fall Semester
- GEOG 6150: Geospatial Big Data (4 Hours)
- GEOG 6000: Advanced Geographical Data Analysis (4 Hours)
- GEOG 6180: GeoProcessing with Python (3 Hours)
Year 1 Spring Semester
- GEOG 6165: Geovisualization (3 Hours)
- GEOG 6160: Spatial Modeling and Geocomputation (4 Hours)
- GEOG 5320: Geography of Terrorism and Homeland Security or other elective (3 Hours)
Year 2 Fall Semester
- GEOG 6120: Advanced Optical Remote Sensing or other elective (3 Hours)
- GEOG 5170: Geospatial Field Methods: GPS and Drones or other elective (3 Hours)
- GEOG 5340: Geography of Disasters and Emergency Management (3 Hours)
Year 2 Spring Semester
- GEOG 6161: Capstone in GIS (3 Hours)
- GEOG 6162: Project Management (3 Hours)
Not at this time. However, the prerequisite courses GEOG 1180 Intro to Geo-Programming is available online.
No.
If credits are used for a previous degree at the University of Utah, they cannot be reused for the MSSDS. Otherwise, a maximum of 6 undergraduate credits or 9 hours non-matriculated credit from the classes listed above, taken no more than three years prior to approval, may be transferred into the program.
Credits transferred from another institution may be used for only one degree. Up to six semester hours of transfer credit may be applied toward fulfillment of graduate degree requirements if they are of high letter grade (B or higher; 'credit only' grades are unacceptable), are found acceptable by the graduate committee, and were taken within three years of semester of admission to the University of Utah.