Introduction to Tableau at USC
Tableau is a powerful visual analytics platform designed to help individuals and organizations maximize the value of their data. USC’s current Tableau setup includes Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server.
Key Features
- Interactive Data Visualization: Transform raw data into charts, graphs, and maps for intuitive analysis.
- User-Friendly Interface: Drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy for users of all skill levels to build visualizations.
- Broad Data Connectivity: Connect to spreadsheets, databases, and cloud services for comprehensive analysis.
- Real-Time Analytics: Access up-to-date data and generate live reports for timely insights.
- Collaboration & Sharing: Publish dashboards to USC’s Tableau Server to share insights across teams.
- Tool Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other platforms to enhance business intelligence workflows.
Tableau Products at USC
Tableau Desktop: Create workbooks, dashboards, and stories to answer business questions. Learn more at www.tableau.com/products/desktop.
Tableau Server: Publish and share content securely via a web browser. Access is organized by ‘sites’ in a multi-tenant environment. Submit a ServiceNow ticket to the Data Analytics Engineering and Integration team to request a site.
System Requirements
Tableau Desktop
- Windows: Windows 10 (x64), Windows 11
- Mac: macOS Big Sur 11.4+, Monterey 12.6+, Ventura, Sonoma (Native Apple Silicon support from version 2024.2)
Tableau Server
- Current Version: 2025.1.5
Use the matching Desktop version for compatibility.
Supported Browsers
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
These browsers support client-side rendering using HTML5 canvas for improved performance.
Eligibility & Access
Tableau Desktop
Available for purchase by students, faculty, and staff. Free licenses may be available for students enrolled in Tableau-based courses.
Tableau Server
USC faculty and staff can access published content. Contact your site administrator for access.
- Admission – data@usc.edu
- Advancement – chongs@usc.edu
- Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy – agarg@usc.edu / maryann@usc.edu
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center – James.Luo@med.usc.edu / xinhuiwa@usc.edu
- Athletics – data@usc.edu
- Bovard College – crile@usc.edu
- Dornsife College – ericp@usc.edu / kohyunch@usc.edu
- Family Medicine – hookst@usc.edu
- Financial Aid – noemigar@usc.edu / sethpers@usc.edu
- ITS – data@usc.edu
- Institutional Research – mmarchak@usc.edu
- Marshall School – jizhou@marshall.usc.edu / sfaris@marshall.usc.edu
- Office of the Provost – gderderian@Provost.usc.edu
- Ostrow School – creighto@usc.edu / sanapany@usc.edu
- Sol Price School – dhorn@usc.edu / wendykim@usc.edu
- Schaeffer Center – wallisj@usc.edu
- Registrar – data@usc.edu
- Student Affairs – chugeoff@usc.edu / jzalma@usc.edu
- Thorton School of Music – fbullock@usc.edu
- University Human Resources – brucejoh@usc.edu / balthase@usc.edu
- Annenberg – data@usc.edu
- USC Mann Finance – harrisan@usc.edu
- USC Online – crile@usc.edu
- Viterbi – Binh T. Tran / akirchne@usc.edu
Pricing
- Tableau Desktop: For full-time students enrolled in a class that uses Tableau as the data visualization tool, the instructor can apply for a free Tableau Desktop license for all the enrolled students in that class (https://www.tableau.com/academic/teaching). The license is valid for the duration of the class. Contact data@usc.edu for details.
- Faculty and researchers can purchase a discounted Tableau Desktop license via ITS. Contact data@usc.edu for assistance.
- Tableau Server: Authorized users may access and publish content on USC Tableau Server for free.
Helpful Links
- Tableau Desktop:
- For assistance using this software, see Tableau’s Get Started with Tableau Desktop tutorial.
- Tableau Server: To view content on USC Tableau Server, you must be on USC VPN, visit dataviz.usc.edu, and log in using your USC NetID and password. If you have access to more than one site, you will be prompted to select which site you wish to access; if you have access to only one site, you will go directly to the content.
- Search for How-To Instructions and knowledge-based articles on the ITS Service Portal.
Support & Resources
- Getting Started: Tableau Desktop Tutorial at help.tableau.com
- USC Tableau Server: dataviz1.usc.edu (VPN required)
- ITS Service Portal: Search Tableau Help
- 24/7 Support: Call (213) 740-5555, option 2