Urban Spatial Analytics, MUSA

The for-profit sector has embraced data and analytics as a means to increase efficiency and grow the bottom line. The government and non-profit sectors are next in line. The Master of Urban Spatial Analytics is a one year graduate program that teaches students how to use spatial analysis and data science to address the most pressing public policy and city planning conundrums of our day. We are teaching the next generation of civic technologists. The one-year MUSA program combines coursework on GIS, spatial analysis, data science, statistics, R and python programming, data visualization and web-based mapping with world-class urban content coursework from across the University of Pennsylvania. The program is administered jointly by the Weitzman School of Design and the Penn Institute for Urban Research.

Students enrolling in the MUSA program are expected to have a basic familiarity with GIS (including ESRI's ArcGIS or ArcView programs) and descriptive/inferential statistics. For those who lack such background, MUSA and the Weitzman School of Design offer introductory GIS courses during the summer, two weeks prior to the start of the the fall term.

Curriculum

A total of 9 course units are required for graduation.

Required Courses
MUSA 5000Statistical and Data Mining Methods for Urban Data Analysis1
MUSA 5080Public Policy Analytics1
MUSA 8010MUSA/Smart Cities Practicum1
or MUSA 8020 Advanced Topics in GIS Capstone
MUSA Electives
Choose from any MUSA courses or one of the following:3
Modeling Geographic Space
Land Use and Environmental Modeling
Urban Content Requirement
Urban Content Requirement 1 11
Urban Content Requirement 2 11
General Elective
Elective1
Total Course Units9
1

Select at least two approved courses or course units in a designated urban content area. A list of approved courses is available in the City Planning Department.

Course Sequence

Full-Time: 2 terms / 9 months
  • Fall Year 1 - 5 course units
  • Spring Year 1 - 5 course units
Part-time: 4 terms / 18 months
  • Fall Year 1 - 3 course units
  • Spring Year 1 - 3 course units
  • Fall Year 2 - 2 course units
  • Spring Year 2 - 1 course unit / capstone
 

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.