Data Analytics (MPS)

Admission to the MPS in Data Analytics program will be based on baccalaureate academic records, applicable work experience, and two letters of recommendation from a previous professor or supervisor who can attest to the applicant\xc2\x92s academic potential. Applicants with undergraduate degree in a quantitative discipline such as science, engineering, or business may apply. Students from other disciplines will be considered based on prior coursework and/or standardized test scores. An applicant must hold either (1) a bachelor\'s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or (2) a postsecondary degree that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree earned from an officially recognized degree-granting international institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. Applications must include a statement of professional goals, a curriculum vita or resume, and two letters of recommendation. Test scores from the GMAT or GRE exams are not also required. An undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale in the final two years of undergraduate studies is required.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. International applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.

International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a graduate degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Wales.