Dr. Jonathan Gratch

Professor

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Biography

Jonathan Gratch is a Full Professor in the fields of Computer Science and Psychology at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering and the Institute for Creative Technologies. He completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1995. Gratch's research centers on computational models of human cognitive and social processes, particularly focusing on emotion. He explores how these models shape human-computer interactions within virtual environments. He has served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of IEEE's Transactions on Affective Computing and holds positions such as Associate Editor for several scholarly journals. Gratch is heavily involved in Affective Computing, where he directs the Affective Computing Group and works on developing human-like software agents for virtual training environments. His research aims to understand human behavior through computational methods and has applications in training, entertainment, and clinical contexts. Over his career, Gratch has received numerous accolades, including being named an AAAI Fellow and a Cognitive Science Fellow, reflecting his contributions to the field.

Research Interests

Experience

Research Professor

1995-01-01 — Present

USC Viterbi • Los Angeles, CA

Leads research in Affective Computing and Human-Computer Interaction at the Institute for Creative Technologies.

Awards

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ACM/SIGART Autonomous Agents Award

2010-01-01
#

NASA Group Achievement Award

1999-01-01

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.