Applied Urban Science and Informatics (MS)
Program Description
The Applied Urban Science and Informatics MS offered by NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) provides students with the opportunity to engage in the interdisciplinary study of urban science and informatics and apply technical skills to urban problems. The two-year, 36-credit MS program provides core courses in urban science, urban informatics, and information and communication technology in cities. Students will have the opportunity to select from multiple urban domains and informatics disciplines to gain breadth and depth in the application of big data analytics to urban problems.
Admissions
To apply for admission to any Tandon graduate program, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 36 credits, comprised of the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Lab | ||
| CUSP-GX 7000 | Data Governance, Ethics, and Privacy | 0 |
| Data Science Methodologies | ||
| CUSP-GX 7013 | Introduction to Applied Data Science | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7023 | Applied Data Science | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7033 | Machine Learning for Cities | 3 |
| Urban Science and Policy Methodologies | ||
| Select one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Civic Analytics | ||
| Innovative City Governance | ||
| Capstone Project | ||
| CUSP-GX 7103 | Capstone Urban Science Intensive I: Project Management | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7113 | Capstone Urban Science Intensive II: Data Analysis and Communications | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select courses from the Electives section below. | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
If students take both Civic Analytics (CUSP-GX 7043) and Innovative City Governance (CUSP-GX 7053) one will count as an elective.
Electives
Students can customize their education with 18 credits of CUSP electives. CUSP has organized them into Knowledge Tracks below to help students align electives with their career goals. These overlapping tracks are only intended as a guide; students are not required to choose electives associated with the listed tracks exclusively.
As part of their 18 electives, students may take up to 6 credits of non-CUSP courses from any NYU School except the School of Professional Studies upon approval from the CUSP Education Team.
Knowledge Tracks
The lists of electives below is not comprehensive—it reflects the latest offerings, with new elective courses introduced regularly. Students may take 18 credits of elective offerings throughout the MS program from the list below, which may be updated occasionally.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This track focuses on mastering AI and machine learning techniques to address urban challenges and create more efficient, equitable, and resilient cities.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 8093 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8843 | Virtual and Augmented Reality | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8863 | From Correlation to Causation: Data Science for Decision Making | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8873 | Urban Computing and Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| MG-GY 8813 | Design for Innovation with AI & ML | 3 |
Complex Systems
This track focuses on modeling urban environments to assess climate risks, optimize transportation infrastructure, and analyze complex city-scale interactions for sustainable, resilient urban planning.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 8043 | Advanced Spatial Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8053 | Urban Decision Models | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8123 | Climate Risk Analysis and Urban Sustainability | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8153 | Complex Urban Systems | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8863 | From Correlation to Causation: Data Science for Decision Making | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8883 | Urban Transportation & Logistics Systems | 3 |
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
This track focuses on spatializing and visualizing data using advanced mapping technologies to support decision-making on urban issues.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 5053 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8033 | Urban Spatial Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8043 | Advanced Spatial Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8093 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8103 | Data-Driven Methods for Policy Evaluation | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8113 | Monitoring Cities | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8853 | Understanding Urban Subsurfaces: Identifying, Integrating, & Operationalizing Relevant Data Streams | 3 |
Policy Analytics
This track focuses on the intersection of data, technology, and urban policy. It explores how data drives transformation by supporting land use planning, transportation, housing, and sustainability policies. It emphasizes the role of civic technology in empowering citizens through smart cities, open data, and digital tools.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 5053 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7043 | Civic Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7053 | Innovative City Governance | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8053 | Urban Decision Models | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8103 | Data-Driven Methods for Policy Evaluation | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8133 | The Citizen and The City | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8823 | Digital Civics for Social Innovation | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8833 | City Immersion | 3 |
Smart Infrastructure
This track focuses on developing and implementing smart city infrastructure and emerging technologies' role in improving city services and residents' quality of life.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 8063 | Urban Sensing | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8083 | Big Data Management & Analysis | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8113 | Monitoring Cities | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8143 | Internet-of-Things Security and Privacy: A Data-Driven Perspective | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8823 | Digital Civics for Social Innovation | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8833 | City Immersion | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8843 | Virtual and Augmented Reality | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8883 | Urban Transportation & Logistics Systems | 3 |
Sustainability
This track focuses on using data to assess climate risks and guide cities in adapting to environmental changes for long-term sustainability and resilience.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 8033 | Urban Spatial Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8063 | Urban Sensing | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8123 | Climate Risk Analysis and Urban Sustainability | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8153 | Complex Urban Systems | 3 |
Urban Technology Management
This track explores how entrepreneurship in emerging technologies can transform cities, envisioning new governance, infrastructure, and planning tools.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP | ||
| CUSP-GX 7043 | Civic Analytics | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7053 | Innovative City Governance | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8083 | Big Data Management & Analysis | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8133 | The Citizen and The City | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8823 | Digital Civics for Social Innovation | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8863 | From Correlation to Causation: Data Science for Decision Making | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8873 | Urban Computing and Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CUSP & Management of Technology (MOT) | ||
| MG-GY 7703 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 3 |
| MG-GY 8203 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| MG-GY 8673 | Technology Strategy | 3 |
| MG-GY 8813 | Design for Innovation with AI & ML | 3 |
| MG-GY 9013 | Design Thinking for Creative Problem Solving | 3 |
Internships
The Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP) at NYU Tandon offers a distinctive Internship-for-Credit program, enabling full-time graduate students to apply interdisciplinary skills in real-world environments. This supervised program integrates fieldwork with academic learning, equipping students to tackle relevant challenges while gaining valuable industry experience. Students are responsible for securing an eligible internship and obtaining adviser approval, as CUSP does not place students directly.
Upon completion, students submit comprehensive reports reflecting on their contributions and insights, deepening their understanding and enhancing their career prospects. This opportunity enriches their academic journey and propels them towards impactful careers.
Capstone Project
During the 6-credit, two-semester Urban Science Intensive I and II courses, students collaborate in a multidisciplinary environment with sponsors from city agencies, private companies, startups, or academic institutions to address pressing urban challenges in transit, public health, and sustainability. Students play a key role in leveraging data to drive meaningful change in the city.
Capstone Urban Science Intensive I: Project Management (CUSP-GX 7103) marks the initial stage of this sequence. During this phase, students are immersed in a real-world, off-campus work environment where they work in teams to define the scope of their projects. This course emphasizes developing essential project management skills, including problem identification, stakeholder engagement, timeline management, and team coordination. Students focus on creating actionable plans and establishing effective communication strategies with project stakeholders. By the end of the semester, the goal is for students to develop a comprehensive project plan as the foundation for the subsequent course.
Building upon the groundwork established in the first course, Capstone Urban Science Intensive II: Data Analysis and Communications (CUSP-GX 7113) focuses on applying advanced data science techniques to refine solutions to the identified urban challenge. In this phase, students engage in data collection, analysis, and visualization tasks to generate actionable insights. The final capstone course strongly emphasizes the communication of complex data, as students are expected to present their findings and proposed solutions through a professional client presentation and a poster showcase. This final step in the capstone sequence ensures that students can effectively convey the impact and practicality of their solutions in real-world applications.
Sample Plan of Study
| 1st Semester/Term | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| CUSP-GX 7000 | Data Governance, Ethics, and Privacy (Required) | 0 |
| CUSP-GX 7013 | Introduction to Applied Data Science | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 8000 | Foundations in Policy, Research, and Writing (Optional) | 0 |
| Urban Science and Policy Methodologies | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| 2nd Semester/Term | ||
| CUSP-GX 7023 | Applied Data Science | 3 |
| CUSP-GX 7033 | Machine Learning for Cities | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| 3rd Semester/Term | ||
| CUSP-GX 7103 | Capstone Urban Science Intensive I: Project Management | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| 4th Semester/Term | ||
| CUSP-GX 7113 | Capstone Urban Science Intensive II: Data Analysis and Communications | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Identify and analyze urban issues with a focus on communication, innovation and solution building.
- Develop the technical skills to analyze data and communicate findings.
- Understand and communicate for decision making at the city and policy making level.
- Engage, support or contribute to the development of applied research in the service of cities and public good.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Tandon Policies
Additional academic policies can be found on the Tandon academic policy page.