Advanced Certificate in
Applied Urban Science and
Informatics Requirements

Admissions Overview

To be considered for the Advanced Certificate in Applied Urban Science and Informatics program, you are required to demonstrate, through a combination of coursework, previous or concurrent degree program, and professional experience, competency in the following areas, depending on your intended informatics discipline specialization:

  • Single-variable calculus
  • Basic programming
  • Statistics and probability
  • Geographic information systems and spatial analytics
  • Basic computer science

A selection committee may deem some applicants in need of further training to be admitted into to the program. In such cases, accelerated instruction may be available during the pre-semester City Challenge Program.


Admissions Criteria

To apply to the Advanced Certificate in Applied Urban Science and Informatics program, you must have either (1) a previous master’s degree in a relevant field or (2) a bachelor’s degree in science, mathematics, or engineering and a minimum of two years of appropriate professional experience. You must also demonstrate high aptitude for quantitative analysis and academic success through performance in undergraduate and graduate coursework.

Admissions Process

Applications for the certificate program are reviewed on a rolling basis.

  • Step 1: Learn more – request information here or attend an information session.
  • Step 2: Submit a completed online application. In addition to your online application, we also require:
    • University transcript(s)
    • GRE scores
    • Three recommendation letters
    • Resume/CV
    • Personal statement or urban informatics essay
    • TOEFL (school code #3345) or IELTS for non-native English speakers
    • $95 application fee
  • Step 3: Urban Data Challenge. Upon review of your completed application, you will be asked to analyze a specific urban problem statement and dataset. Your analysis should arrive to a proposed solution for the given problem statement.