Program Overview

Introduction to the Certificate in Public and Urban Informatics

The Certificate in Public and Urban Informatics is designed for students who have completed an undergraduate degree from a nationally or internationally accredited program. This certificate aims to enhance their data and informatics skills, particularly in the application of planning and public policy topics.

Program Overview

A certificate is a grouping of specific courses that indicate the student has developed cross-disciplinary expertise in a particular subject area. The application of quantitative data techniques to planning and public policy is dramatically increasing due to the digitization of information, improvements in computer storage and processing speeds, and advancements in machine learning, AI, and related statistical techniques.

Target Audience

Professionals starting their careers may pursue this certificate to enhance their skills and explore the Bloustein School’s master’s in public informatics. Mid-career professionals may find this certificate of interest to upgrade and advance their quantitative and informatics capabilities.

Certificate Award

The Bloustein School will award a Certificate in Public and Urban Informatics to students who successfully complete the 12-credit curriculum. Students who complete the certificate are eligible to apply for the Bloustein School’s 36-credit Master of Public Informatics and, if admitted, can use their credits as part of their degree requirements.

Certificate Programs Offered

• Transportation Studies
• Geospatial Information Science
• Historic Preservation
• Human Dimensions of Environmental Change
• Public Policy
• Urban Planning (for MPP students)
• Real Estate Development and Redevelopment
• Climate Change Risk and Resilience
• Energy (please note this certificate is under review, new information coming soon)
• Public and Urban Informatics

Curriculum

To be admitted to the certificate program, applicants must have successfully completed Basic Quantitative Methods (34:833:521) or passed the requisite placement exam. The curriculum consists of 12 credits (four courses):

• 34:833:525 Applied Multivariate Methods or 34:970:630 Discrete Choice Methods
• 34:816:502 Theory and Practice of Public Informatics
• 34:816:634 Big Data Analytics
• Urban and Public Informatics Elective, such as 34:970:510 Graduate Planning Studio or 34:970:591 Introduction to GIS

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Certificate in Public and Urban Informatics, students should be able to:

• Acquire fundamental quantitative skills in statistics and data analytics as applied to planning and public policy
• Understand the broader context, subject matter, and issues in the field of urban and public informatics
• Apply data-driven and domain knowledge to problems in planning and public policy

Application Requirements

Prospective students must submit all application materials before the Bloustein School reviews their credentials for admission. The application requirements include:

• Online application form
• Application fee (waived for current graduate students already enrolled in a formal Rutgers degree program)
• Baccalaureate degree from a nationally/internationally accredited program – Official undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate transcripts from all institutions
• Resume/CV
• One letter of recommendation
• TOEFL/IELTS required for non-U.S. applicants
• Personal statement (approximately 750 words) describing why the student wants to study public informatics, their professional goals, and their background in graphics, statistics, and computer science.