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Admission Requirements

• A bachelor's degree must be in hand before you start the MPS study. The bachelor's degree should be quantitatively oriented and can be from a variety of fields; for example, statistical, mathematical, engineering, physical, agricultural, biological, social, or computer science. To meet these prerequisite requirements, courses must be from an accredited college or university and be listed on an official transcript.
• Minimum mathematical background:
  • Two semesters of calculus.
  • One elementary non-calculus-based statistics.
  • One course in matrix algebra.
• Applicants with an advanced mathematical background are encouraged to apply.
• Official GRE scores. These scores are still required for admissions. At-home versions of these scores will be accepted by our graduate program as long as they are accepted by the Graduate School. 
• Official TOEFL scores for international students (minimum scores: listening 15, writing 20, reading 20, speaking 22). Each of these minimum scores must be met.

Note About TOEFL/IELTS

The Graduate School at Cornell can offer English language proficiency waivers for students who meet specific criteria. These waivers are applied manually for each student at the time that their application is reviewed. If you provide your scores, they have to be matched up by the graduate school to your application. Under the application checklist, you might see your status marked as "Pending." Don't worry about missing the February 1 deadline if your scores have already been submitted. We consider your self-reported scores, and if your application makes the final cut, we reach out to the Graduate School to match up your official scores. The application process doesn't close until February 1. After that date, we will start processing applications and matching official scores. 

Application Materials

To apply for admission to the Cornell University Master of Professional Studies (MPS) Degree Program in Data Science and Applied Statistics, you must submit the following materials through our online application system. Please note that the academic statement of purpose and the personal statement are unique from one another and each has a different focus. Additional information on these essays may be found by going to the Graduate School's website. 

• A Cornell Graduate Application is available online here.
• An academic statement of purpose. 
• A Personal Statement.
• Two academic letters of recommendation. You may also submit a professional reference as the third letter of recommendation if you have one, but make sure to at least provide two academic letters of recommendation. 
• Complete transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate-level studies undertaken at all schools. These must be official and translated into English if the original language is not English (in this case, both the exact copy of the transcripts in the original language and the English translation must be submitted). You must scan your official transcripts (not an online printout)  and upload the documents into the online application as part of the submission process. When admitted, you must submit an official paper version of your latest transcript(s) to the Cornell Graduate School.
• Official GRE scores should be reported directly to Cornell University. The GRE institutional code is 2098; the department code is not needed.
• English Language Proficiency Requirement:   International applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by taking a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam.  For more information (including eligibility for exemption and institution code), please refer to the Cornell Graduate School.
• A resume, which does assist the admissions committee with evaluating your background.
• MPS Early Admit Option: If you are a Cornell undergraduate applying for the MPS Early Admit Option, please complete the online SDS MPS Early Admit Petition. Once approved you can upload the completed petition form to the Graduate School Apply Web online application system along with your other application materials. Please note that the Early Admit Option is open only to Cornell undergraduates.

Application Deadline

The deadline for Fall admissions is February 1.

A limited number of Spring term admissions are available for currently enrolled Cornell undergraduates and for a small number of exceptional non-Cornell applicants. Students who enter in the Spring generally take three semesters to complete the MPS degree. The deadline for Spring admissions is October 1.  If you wish to apply for the Spring semester, you should send an email to the program director, indicating that your application is for the Spring term. For questions, contact the Director of the MPS program, Dr. Xiaolong Yang, or Allen Ward.

When Will You Be Notified of Our Decision?

First-round admission decisions will be made in early April. Admissions decisions may not be finalized until late May or early June.  

Your Email Address and Official Name

All communications between our MPS program and applicants will be through email.  It is very important that you use the same email address as the one you provide in your application.  All notifications from our MPS program and the Cornell Graduate School will be sent to that email address.  When communicating with our MPS program, you must use your official name in the body of your email, which must be the same as the name that appears in your application, transcript(s), GRE, passport (if applicable), and other official documents (if any).

Deposit for Admission Acceptance

In order to ensure that we reserve our limited space for serious applicants, we collect a deposit when you accept the admission offer from the MPS program in Data Science and Applied Statistics at Cornell. At the time of accepting our admission offer, you must pay a deposit of $800. The deposit will be paid back to you after you come to Cornell and attend our MPS program, at the beginning of your graduate study. For those who do not come, the deposit is not refundable.

Do not send transcripts, credit card numbers, or any other information regarding your application via e-mail or fax to the Field of Statistics. The Field of Statistics will not accept any materials sent using these methods. In addition, the Department of Statistics and Data Science assumes no liability for any information that is sent via e-mail or fax. For other important application policies, please refer to the Cornell Graduate School.

Updated November 20, 2024