Dr. Emilio Ferrara

Professor

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Biography

Emilio Ferrara is a Professor of Computer Science and the Associate Chair of the Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also the inaugural Director of the Interdisciplinary Data Science Program at USC's School of Advanced Computing. His academic contributions focus on artificial intelligence, network science, and data science, particularly how they relate to human behavior and techno-social systems. Ferrara has published over 200 articles in top-tier venues including the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Machine Intelligence, and Communications of the ACM. He has received numerous awards including the 2015 IBM Watson Big Data Influencer title, the 2016 Complex Systems Society Junior Scientific Award, and the 2018 DARPA Director's Fellowship. His research is funded by significant grants from DARPA, IARPA, NSF, NIH, and other reputable organizations, amounting to over $20 million. He also has joint appointments with USC Annenberg and USC Keck School of Medicine, highlighting his interdisciplinary approach to data science and its applications across various fields.

Research Interests

Awards

#2022

Rising Stars Science

2022-01-01
#2019

Junior Faculty Research Award

2019-01-01
#2018

Director's Fellowship

2018-01-01
#2016

Young Faculty Award

2016-01-01
#2016

Junior Scientific Award

2016-01-01
#2015

IBM Watson Big Data Influencer

2015-01-01

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.