SSCI594b,Master’sThesisSyllabusUnits:2Term—Day—Time:Spring2017,OnlineLocation:OnlineInstructor:ElisabethJ.SedanoOffice:AHFB57CRegularOfficeHours:Tue10-11amPTandThur1-2pmPTAlsoavailableotherdaysandtimesbyappointmentviaemail.ContactInfo:sedano@usc.edu,213-740-9582,http://www.bluejeans.com/u/sedanoLibraryHelp:KatharinPeterOffice:VKCB40AOfficeHours:ByappointmentContactInfo:klpeter@usc.edu,213-740-1700(office)ITHelp:RichardTsungOffice:AHF145DOfficeHours:ByappointmentContactInfo:ctsung@usc.edu,213-821-4415(office)

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CourseDescriptionThiscourseanditsprerequisite,SSCI594a,arerequiredfortheMasterofSciencedegreeinGeographicInformationScienceandTechnology(GIST)Program;theyarenotapplicabletotheGISTGraduateCertificateprogramoranyotherSSIprograms.Thepurposeofthesecoursesistocompleteacapstoneprojectinthespatialsciences,culminatingstudents’experiencesintheM.S.inGISTProgramandvalidatingthemasmasterpractitioners.BaseduponthethesisproposalandthesisworkcompletedinSSCI594aandwiththeapprovaloftheSpatialSciencesInstitutefaculty,studentsshouldbeundertakingSSCI594bpreparedtocompletetheirthesiswritingandsuccessfullydefendtheirtheses.

LearningObjectivesOncompletionofthiscourse,studentswillbeableto:

• DesignandexecuteameaningfulresearchprojectthatdemonstratesspatialthinkingandusestheknowledgeandskillslearnedwhileintheGISTProgram.

• Undertaketheresearchprocessandbeawareofresearchobligationsandpitfalls.• Articulateresearchorprojectobjectivesclearly,situateresearchwithinanacademicor

scholarlycontext,stateclaimsandevidenceclearly,assessvalidityofclaims,evidence,outcomes,andresults.

• UtilizetheMicrosoftOfficeTMsoftwaresuiteandabibliographicreferencemanagercompetentlyandefficientlytoproducedocumentsthatmeetM.S.inGISTProgramrequirementsandshowyourworktoadvantage.

• Narratetheresearchprocessclearlyintheformofaformalmulti-chaptermaster’sthesismanuscript,structuredaccordingtotheapprovedM.S.inGISTthesisstyle.

• Describeyourmaster’sresearchclearlyandsuccinctly,inwrittenandoralforms,tofaculty,mentors,andpotentialsponsors.

Prerequisite(s):SSCI594aCo-Requisite(s):NoneConcurrentEnrollment:NoneRecommendedPreparation:StudentsmustbeenrolledintheM.S.inGISTProgramandhaveanapprovedthesisprospectusorproposal,withanadvisorandcommitteemembersassigned.

CourseNotesThepreparationanddefenseofyourmaster’sthesisistheculminatingexperienceintheM.S.inGISTProgram.Studentsareexpectedtoworkwithahighlevelofself-motivation.Successfulstudentsexerciseinitiativeandexhibitstrongcommunicationskillsinworkingwiththeiradvisorsandcommitteemembers.

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Thiscourserequiresindividualeffortthatisoverseenbythecourseinstructor,yourThesisAdvisor.Weeklyorbi-weeklymeetingswillbeheldtodiscussprogressandreviewsubmitteddocuments.Oncetheresearchandnecessaryanalysisandresultscompilationarecompleted,thenindividualthesischapterswillbewrittenandrevisediterativelyuntilwebothagreethatthedocumentisreadyforsubmissiontotheThesisCommittee.Ifthecommitteeagrees,thenaDefenseofyourthesiswillbeheld.FollowingsuccessfulcompletionoftheDefense,themanuscriptisrevisedafinaltimeandonceapproved,canbeuploaded.

Uponsuccessfulcompletionofthethesis,theIn-Progress(IP)gradereceivedinSSCI594awillbeconvertedtoPassing(P),andstudentsalsowillreceiveaPassing(P)gradeforSSCI594b.

TechnologicalandCommunicationRequirementsEverystudentmusthavethefollowingtechnologyrequirements:

• AcomputerwithafastInternetconnection.• Afunctionalwebcamandamicrophoneforusewheneverapresentationormeetingis

scheduled.• Acurrentwebbrowser-generallyitisagoodideatohavemorethanoneinstalledon

yourcomputerasbrowserrequirementsareconstantlyevolvingandtheirabilitytoworkwithvariousapplicationsvaries.

Blackboard–Whileeachstudentwillcompletehisorherworkindependently,acourseBlackboardsiteisavailabletoprovideguidanceabouttherequiredadministrativeprocessesandmanuscriptformat.Linkstonecessarytimetables,proceduresandformswillbefoundhereaswellasdiscussionboardsthroughwhichyoucanshareideasandsupportwithotherthesisstudents.Duringthefirstweekofthesemester,youshouldconfirmthatyoucanaccesstheBlackboardsite.Pleasereadpromptlyallcommunicationsthataresentthroughit.

SSIserverandtechsupport–UnlikeothercoursesintheGISTProgram,studentsinthiscoursewillutilizetheSpatialSciencesInstituteServeronlyforindependentthesiswork.YouaccesstheServerat:https://gistonline.usc.edu/.Ifyouareunabletoconnecttotheserverorexperienceanytypeoftechnicalissues,sendanemailtoSSITechSupportatspatial_support@dornsife.usc.eduandcopy(cc)meontheemail.BesuretobespecificinemailsenttoSSISupportwithrespecttotheproblemyouareexperiencing.

Meetingsandpresentations(includingdefenses)–BlueJeansisabrowser-basedservicethatfacilitatessynchronous,interactivesessionswithvoice/videoandshareddesktopcapabilitiesbetweentwoormorepeople;thisistheprimaryforumforourindividualmeetingsandpresentations.TouseBlueJeans,you’llneedawebcamonacomputerwithafastinternetconnection.Itisusefulalsotohaveaphone(mobileorlandline)onhandincasethereareissueswiththewebcamaudio.

Communications–Thisisadistancelearningcourse,somanyofourinteractionswillbeasynchronous(notatthesametime).AllmaterialstobehandedinwillbesubmittedviaBlackboardorviaemail.Pleasebesurethatyoureadassoonaspossibleallemailsentfrom

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Blackboardorfromme.ChecknowtomakesurethatmailsentfromboththeUSCBlackboardaccountsanddirectlyfrommyusc.eduaccountdoesnotgointoyourjunkmail!

RequiredReadingsandSupplementaryMaterialsStudentswillcontinuetorefertothetextbooksthatwererequiredinSSCI594a:

1. TurabianK.L,W.C.Booth,G.G.Colomb,andJ.M.Williams2013.Amanualforwritersofresearchpapers,theses,anddissertations.8thed.Chicago,IL:UniversityofChicagoPress.

ThisbookprovidesadetailedreferencetotheChicago16theditionreferenceandcitationstylethatmustbeusedtomeettheSSIGISTthesisformatrequirements.

2. Montello,D.R.andP.C.Sutton2013.Anintroductiontoscientificresearchmethodsingeographyandenvironmentalstudies.2nded.LosAngeles,CA:Sage.

ThisbookprovidesguidanceontheundertakinganddesignofresearchinSpatialScience.

DescriptionandAssessmentofAssignmentsTherearenoformalassignmentsinthiscourse.Inconsultationwiththecourseinstructor,yourThesisAdvisor,studentsdevelopapersonalworkschedulewithspecifieddeliverables.Weeklyorbi-weeklyindividualmeetingswillbeheldonlinetodiscusssubmitteddeliverablesandrevisetheworkplanifneeded.

GradingBreakdownSincetherearenoassignments,thereisnoassignmentgradesinthiscourse.CompletionofthiscourseisdeterminedwheneachmemberofyourThesisCommitteedigitallysignstheApprovaltoUploadform.Thisformissignedaftersuccessfulcompletionoftheoraldefenseandacceptancebyeachcommitteememberofthethesisdocument.

CourseScheduleInconsultationwiththecourseinstructor,eachstudentwilldevelophisorherownworkscheduleforthecourse.ThisschedulewillbeuploadedintoBbatthebeginningofthesemesterandrevisedasneededastheworkprogresses.

Therearetwopossibleschedulestofollowinthiscourse.Option1isveryaggressiveandrequiresthatallofthehands-onprojectworkhasalreadybeencompletedbythebeginningofthissemester.Thustheworkcompletedinthissemesterinvolvesonlyfinalizing,defendingandrevisingthethesisdocument.Ifsuccessfulinthisaggressivetimetable,studentswillbeabletouploadbymid-semesterandachieveadegreedatedattheendofthissemester.

Option2isthemorecommonlyfollowedschedule,allowingtimefortheprojectworktobecompletedinadditiontothethesispreparation,revisionanddefense.Byuploadingbeforethe

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beginningofthefollowingsemester,studentswillavoidhavingtoregisterandpayfor594z,thoughdegreeswillbedatedattheendofthefollowingsemester.

Option1BasicTimetable–AllworkcompletedandfinalapprovedanddefendedthesisuploadedbeforetheGraduateSchool’sdeadlinethatnormallyfallsduringWeek10.Degreedatedattheendofthissemester.

Date Tasks

Week1(orearlier)

Prepareworkschedule.Meetwithadvisorandcommittee.Continueworkonthesisdraft.

Week2-5Writefullthesisdraft.Iterativelysubmitsectionstoadvisorforreview.

Weeks6 Preparefinalrevisionofthesisdraft.

Week7 Submitdrafttocommittee.Week8 DefenseWeeks9 FinalrevisionsWeek10 Uploadfinalthesis

Option2BasicTimetable–Allworkcompletedbytheendofthesemester.Registrationinnextsemesternotrequired,howeveryourdegreewillbedatedattheendofnextsemester.

Date Tasks

Week1 PrepareworkscheduleMeetwithadvisor

Week2 CommitteemeetingBegintechnicalwork

Weeks3to6 CompletetechnicalworkWeeks7to10 PreparethesisdraftWeeks11to12 RevisethesisdraftWeek13 DefenseWeeks14-15 FinalrevisionsWeek16 Uploadfinalthesis

StatementonAcademicConductandSupportSystems

AcademicConduct

Plagiarism–presentingsomeoneelse’sideasasyourown,eitherverbatimorrecastinyourownwords–isaseriousacademicoffensewithseriousconsequences.Pleasefamiliarize

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yourselfwiththediscussionofplagiarisminSCampusinSection11,BehaviorViolatingUniversityStandardshttps://policy.usc.edu/student/scampus/part-b/.Otherformsofacademicdishonestyareequallyunacceptable.SeeadditionalinformationinSCampusanduniversitypoliciesonscientificmisconduct,http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Discrimination,sexualassault,andharassmentarenottoleratedbytheuniversity.YouareencouragedtoreportanyincidentstotheOfficeofEquityandDiversityhttp://equity.usc.eduortotheDepartmentofPublicSafetyhttp://adminopsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety.ThisisimportantforthesafetyofthewholeUSCcommunity.Anothermemberoftheuniversitycommunity–suchasafriend,classmate,advisor,orfacultymember–canhelpinitiatethereport,orcaninitiatethereportonbehalfofanotherperson.TheRelationshipandSexualViolencePreventionServiceshttp://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/provides24/7confidentialsupport,andthesexualassaultresourcecenterwebpagehttp://sarc.usc.edudescribesreportingoptionsandotherresources.

SupportSystems

AnumberofUSC’sschoolsprovidesupportforstudentswhoneedhelpwithscholarlywriting.Checkwithyouradvisororprogramstafftofindoutmore.StudentswhoseprimarylanguageisnotEnglishshouldcheckwiththeAmericanLanguageInstitutehttp://dornsife.usc.edu/ali,whichsponsorscoursesandworkshopsspecificallyforinternationalgraduatestudents.TheOfficeofDisabilityServicesandProgramshttp://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.htmlprovidescertificationforstudentswithdisabilitiesandhelpsarrangetherelevantaccommodations.Ifanofficiallydeclaredemergencymakestraveltocampusinfeasible,USCEmergencyInformationhttp://emergency.usc.eduwillprovidesafetyandotherupdates,includingwaysinwhichinstructionwillbecontinuedbymeansofblackboard,teleconferencing,andothertechnology.

ResourcesforOnlineStudents

TheCourseBlackboardpageandtheSSICommunityBlackboardpagehavemanyresourcesavailablefordistancestudentsenrolledinourgraduateprograms.Inaddition,allregisteredstudentscanaccesselectroniclibraryresourcesthroughthelinkhttps://libraries.usc.edu/.Also,theUSCLibrarieshavemanyimportantresourcesavailablefordistancestudentsthroughthelink:https://libraries.usc.edu/faculty-students/distance-learners.Thisincludesinstructionalvideos,remoteaccesstouniversityresources,andotherkeycontactinformationfordistancestudents.