Master of Science in Communication Data Science Dual Degree with Tsinghua University

The Master of Science in Communication Data Science Dual Degree with Tsinghua University School of Journalism and Communication leads to two Master degrees, one from each institution: a Master of Science in Communication Data Science (a cross-disciplinary joint degree program offered by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism) and a Master of Journalism and Communication from the Tsinghua University (THU) School of Journalism and Communication. The two institutions, USC and THU, have a formal partnership to amplify cooperation between USC and THU and between the United States and China to capitalize on the synergies of the respective curricula and to provide students with the opportunity for a unique transcultural and cross-discipline experience that will position them to be global leaders in their field.

Graduates of the Master of Science in Communication Data Science Dual Degree will be experts in the emerging fields of data science for journalism and communication. In the course of their studies, students will learn about theories and principles underlying human communication and their integration into emerging communication technologies. They will also understand the technical underpinnings of a diverse range of emerging communication platforms, including digital newsrooms, social media, enterprise collaboration systems, and virtual and augmented reality. They will have the capability to build these technologies and effectively manage teams to create effective communication frameworks for a variety of goals. Finally, they will master powerful techniques for analyzing large volumes of data generated by digital communication platforms using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Prospective students can refer to the Annenberg website for more information about the program.

Upon completion of this program, students can explore careers in traditional media outlets as well as technology companies. Newspapers and network/cable news need individuals who understand the new technology-enabled social communication paradigms and can help translate this knowledge into new sources of information.

In the corporate world, the need to understand and capitalize on social media is pervasive, and the unique expertise this degree provides leaves graduates well positioned to design creative approaches to reach new audiences. In addition, as technology becomes ubiquitous in society, the role of the informed communicator has become very important in formal and informal formats. Many companies seek a combination of communication and data science skills to improve their products and reach new markets.

The most up to date description of the program is in the USC Catalogue. Course descriptions are available here.

Total Units: 32

Core Foundation Courses (20 units):

COMM 502 Theoretical Approaches to Multidisciplinary Design Projects (4 units)
CMGT 515 Innovation and the Information Economy (4 units)
DSCI 510 Principles of Programming for Data Science (4 units)
DSCI 549 Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science (4 units)
DSCI 550 Data Science at Scale (4 units)

Data Science Elective - Choose One Course (4 units):

DSCI 529 Security and Privacy (4 units)
DSCI 552 Machine Learning for Data Science (4 units)
DSCI 553 Foundations and Applications of Data Mining (4 units)
DSCI 554 Data Visualization (4 units)
DSCI 560 Data Science Professional Practicum (4 units)

Communication Electives - Choose Two Courses (8 units):

CMGT 510 Communication, Values, Attitudes and Behavior (4 units)
CMGT 520 Social Roles of Communication Media (4 units)
CMGT 530 Social Dynamics of Communication Technologies (4 units)
CMGT 537 The Industry, Science and Culture of Video Games (4 units)
CMGT 541 Integrated Communication Strategies (4 units)
CMGT 555 Online Marketing Communication Development and Analysis (4 units)
CMGT 587 Audience Analysis (4 units)

Notes:

The fastest you may finish this program is in 4 semesters (2 academic years). Students may only take 2 courses per semester.

All information contained here is summarized from the USC Catalogue and is considered non-official. For all rules, regulations, procedures, and outlines, please see the current academic year USC Catalogue. The USC Catalogue supersedes all other publications.

Current students follow degree requirements in effect for the academic year they began their studies at USC. If you are a current student, please refer to your STARS report or the appropriate USC Catalogue for your year. Students seeking to advance their catalogue year to follow updated curricula may contact their department advisor.

Published on August 13th, 2021Last updated on October 30th, 2024