Admission Requirements

To view application requirements for general admission, click here.
Highly qualified Penn Engineering master’s students interested in transferring to the Data Science Program can apply after the end of their first semester at Penn. The Data Science Program will review applications following these deadlines: May 15th, December 15th.  Please allow a few weeks for a decision. To apply, you will need to complete the Data Science Program application and the SEAS transfer to another master's program form. Your current program must approve and sign the transfer form first.  Please access the School of Engineering information regarding transferring programs here.
Requirements for Penn Engineering master’s students transferring to the Data Science Program include: Completed two courses (Probability and Programming) with a grade of A- either as an undergraduate or at Penn as a graduate student via the following courses: Probability (Intro to Probability & Statistics ENM 5030) or Probability STAT 5100 or Advanced Probability MATH 5460. Programming (Programming Languages & Techniques CIT 5900 or Introduction to Software Development CIT 5910) and Algorithms and Computation CIT 5960) with a grade of A- or better. Completed Big Data Analytics CIS 5450 or Introduction to Machine Learning CIS 5190 with a grade of at least A. The Admissions Committee will also consider any additional background the applicant has in math (e.g. linear algebra, mathematical modeling, optimization) and programming. Transfer requests will not be considered until after grades have been posted for courses taken during the first semester of the applicant’s original Master’s program. Admission is selective and decisions are made by the graduate group. Applications are evaluated using the same criteria for candidates applying directly to the Data Science Program, i.e. candidates should have the same course background, academic credentials, test scores, etc.

Additional Application Requirement

The Personal Statement must clearly explain why the candidate wishes to transfer into the Data Science Program and how their background prepares them.
Highly qualified Penn Engineering master's students interested in pursuing the dual master degree with the Data Science Program can apply after the end of their first semester at Penn.  The Data Science Program will review applications following these deadlines: May 15th, December 15th. Please allow a few weeks for a decision.  To apply, you will need to complete the Data Science Program application and the SEAS Application for Dual Master's form.   Your current program must approve and sign the dual degree master's form first.  Please access the School of Engineering information regarding transferring programs here. Due to the overlap in programs, dual degree applications with CIS/CIT/SCMP are strongly discouraged.
Requirements for Penn Engineering master’s students interested in pursuing a dual Degree with the Data Science Program include:
Completed two courses (Probability and Programming) with a grade of A- or better either as an undergraduate or at Penn as a graduate student via the following courses: 1. Probability (Intro to Probability & Statistics ENM 503 or  Probability STAT 510 or Advanced Probability MATH 546). 2. Programming (Programming Languages & Techniques CIT 590 or Introduction to Software Development CIT 591) and Algorithms and Computation CIT 5960) 3. Completed Big Data Analytics CIS 545 or Introduction to Machine Learning CIS 519 with a grade of at least A. The Admissions Committee will also consider any additional background the applicant has in math (e.g. linear algebra, mathematical modeling, optimization) and programming. Dual degree requests will not be considered until after grades have been posted for courses taken during the first semester of the applicant’s original Master’s program. Requests are evaluated using the same criteria for candidates applying directly to the Data Science Program, i.e. candidates should have the same course background, academic credentials, test scores, etc.

Additional Application Requirement

The Personal Statement must clearly explain why the candidate wishes to pursue a dual degree with the Data Science Program and how their background prepares them.
Penn undergraduate students should not apply for Accelerated Master's status in the Data Science Program until their junior year. Qualified undergraduates from any Penn school, subject to their home school's rules and regulations, are eligible to apply. The Data Science Program will review applications following these deadlines: May 15th, December 15th.  Please allow a few weeks for a decision. Applicants may only apply to the Accelerated Masters program a maximum of two times while an Undergrad.
Requirements for Penn undergraduate students applying for accelerated master's  status in the Data Science Program:
• Minimum major GPA of 3.4 • At least a B+ in the following courses: 1. Programming Languages and Techniques CIS 1200 2. Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science CIS 1600 3. Data Structures and Algorithms CIS 1210 4. Probability (ESE 3010 or STAT 4300) 5. A Data Science Course (CIS 5450 or ESE 3050) or a Machine Learning Course ( CIS 4190/5190, CIS 5200, ESE 5450.  The Admissions Committee will also consider any additional background the applicant has in math (e.g. linear algebra, mathematical modeling, optimization) and programming. Admissions decisions are made only after the above-mentioned five courses are completed. Admission is selective and decisions are made by the graduate group. As a result of the ongoing reviews of the program, certain course offerings, program requirements, and course prerequisites are subject to change without notice. Where a change in program requirements is made while a student is enrolled, the student may elect to complete the program under the requirements in effect at the time of matriculation. Click here to access the School of Engineering Information regarding the Accelerated Master's option.  Please review the policies for double-counting courses here. The design of the Accelerated Master’s degree is for students to take a graduate course or two each term along with their undergraduate courses and requirements as their schedule permits. At no time should an undergraduate student be enrolled in more than 50% of graduate-level courses for the graduate degree in a single term. The Accelerated Master’s degree is in no way designed to be completed at the same time as the undergraduate degree and is discouraged.

Additional Application Requirement

The Personal Statement must clearly explain why the candidate wishes to join the Data Science Program and how their background prepares them.  You will also need to provide the email contacts of two professional references. Examples of professional references are a program director, advisor, instructor, internship/lab supervisor or PI, etc.  Submitting reference letters will not be required in order for the application to become complete.   The references are emailed and informed that they may be contacted in the future if the program needs more information regarding the applicant