Ashtyn Terrell, Cybersecurity – Spring 2024
When I first heard of the DS4D course at USM, I thought it was interesting, but I was a little intimidated. I had never been in a classroom environment that required so much public speaking, both in terms of presentations and conducting interviews. I had also never participated in a class with such potential to affect the real world. However, after speaking with a few professors connected to the program, who provided encouragement regarding my abilities at the time and the abilities I could gain from the course, I decided to enroll. As the semester progressed, the feelings of insecurity I initially experienced began to disappear due to the course’s hands-on design. This design is the closest I have ever experienced to a professional setting in my entire college career, as it mimics the actions, attitudes, and other elements of professional, technical project management. This opportunity to take action rather than simply studying concepts is an aspect of the course that I enjoyed most, as it allowed me to become more confident in my abilities to thrive in a professional environment. Some of the specific skills that I gained or refined during this course include improved public speaking, professional interview techniques, and increased knowledge of project and team management.
Emma, Communication Studies – Spring 2021
DS4D clearly demonstrates the intersection between academia and the professional world. While the skills and concepts we used in class were grounded in social scientific theory, their direct applications were indispensable to successful project completion. While I technically completed an interdisciplinary course, I effectively completed an internship simultaneously. I learned how to network, conduct myself professionally, navigate interviews, and collaborate with peers of differing opinions. While I have loved taking courses where I learned of abstract concepts and theoretical explanations for human thought and behavior, I can definitively classify this class as having the most external (beyond academic) value.
Hadley, Communication Studies – Spring 2021
DS4D was the best and most rewarding class that I took at Southern Miss. It challenged me in ways that I’ve never been challenged before, and it allowed me to take what I had learned in the classroom and put it into practice. My USM DS4D experience was life changing, and it has opened so many doors for me. I made so many connections, and I was able to connect with other DS4D students from around the country. I also had the opportunity to interview some of our country’s greatest military minds such as retired Major General Jeff Hammond; The Asymmetric Warfare Group; Lieutenant General of the United States Army, Theodore Martin; and Brigadier General Phillip Parker. I wouldn’t trade taking this course for anything.
Jasmine, Computer Science – Spring 2020
My experiences in DS4D assisted me in discovering that I am interested in strategy. For example, gaining familiarity with the Mission Model Canvas assisted me with similar models in my management courses. Additionally, my experiences communicating with individuals on and off base at Camp Shelby allowed me to explore my interests in strategic communications. These opportunities were vital in my discovery of what path I would decide to pursue in graduate school.
It was truly a beneficial opportunity to be able to interact with multiple professors at the university for this course. This course seemed to be one of the most similar to a graduate level seminar that I took in undergrad. I feel that this course was one of the most influential for preparing me for graduate school. This course gave me insights from multiple professors on my team’s ideas; this feedback was incredibly helpful and similar to how we run ideas across multiple professors in the research process.
Additionally, having a panel of professors and professionals from Camp Shelby allowed me to become more comfortable with presenting my ideas (whether research based or not) to audiences. We were provided with a large amount of helpful criticism. Please note that many graduate schools highlight the importance of handling criticism in the research process; therefore, this feedback was critical in my development as a future graduate student.
Matt, Criminal Justice (PhD) – Spring 2019
There is no other class where you can solve challenging problem sets for the Department of Defense, and to do so as part of a team of students under the guidance of professionals. DS4D is, simply stated, unique. The opportunity to apply solutions to problems and to do so through collaboration with teammates is not only valuable because of the satisfaction of tackling the interesting assignments at hand, but it is valuable because it forces students to practice and refine team problem solving in a way that is reflective of what they will be expected to do in the workforce, wherever they find themselves. This is a class that, for me, stood out.
