SSCI 594a - Masters Project Preparation Course Syllabus - Summer 2013

This course and its successor, SSCI594b, are required for all SSI Master of Science degree programs; they are not applicable to the GIST Graduate certificate program. The purpose of these courses is to accomplish a project demonstrating ability (PDA) in the spatial sciences, culminating the student’s experience at USC/SSI, and validating them as a master practitioner in the field. The PDA can be a traditional thesis, a cartographic portfolio, a GIS implementation, or some other sizable, professional study based in the spatial sciences or their application to another field. However, in every case the project’s theoretical concepts, methods, and results are detailed in a long-form written manuscript, generally of between 50-80 pages. In preparation for Masters project/thesis task, this course interweaves the following components throughout the semester: Reading and Writing ‐ We will read in their entirety Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style along with Turabian & al.’s A Manual for Writers, along with texts of varying lengths and styles, including encyclopedia entries, journal articles, book chapters, and also completed theses from our program. We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these texts in small group (2-3 person) teleconference sessions, using Adobe Connect and/or Skype. Research Methods ‐ We will read major sections from Montello & Sutton’s An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography and possibly attend guest lectures (recorded) from experts on such topics as human subjects research, test instrument design, computer equipment (hardware and software) utilization, and the all-important literature review. Technical Tools ‐ We will learn/brush-up on modern technical tools for publication, including particularly the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and its interfaces with addins for bibliographies, equations, and illustrations.