The following information is for new students enrolled in the Master of Science in Analytics degree program for the 2009-2010 academic year.
STUDENT ORIENTATION
An orientation for all MSA Class of 2010 students will begin at 9:00 am on Monday, June 29, 2009 on Centennial Campus (map), in Venture 2 Building, Suite 530 Classroom.
STUDENT GROUP WEBSITE
The MSA Student Forum is a private Google Group community restricted to students currently enrolled in the MSA program. The purpose of forum is to facilitate the flow of communication among class members and faculty regarding academic, social and professional items of interest. New students will be sent an invitation to join upon acceptance to the program. A Google account or Gmail account are needed to register.
PROGRAM CALENDAR
The MSA Program Calendar is maintained in Google. Students may subscribe to the calendar feed to receive automatic updates. The calendar provides a day-to-day schedule of classes, guest lectures, and other important events for MSA students
CAMPUS MAP
Here is a Google Map with key locations in and around campus.
SEMESTER SCHEDULE
- Semester 1 (Summer): June 29 through August 7, 2009 — 5 credits
- Semester 2 (Fall): August 19 through December 15, 2009 — 13 credits
- Semester 3 (Spring): January 12, 2010 through May 7, 2010 — 12 credits
CAMPUS TRANSIT AND STUDENT PARKING
Commuters who drive to campus can obtain a parking pass to park on Centennial in the Partners Way parking deck (B, C, DC or DD pass required). More information is available from the Transportation Department. Students can also use the Wolfline, the NC State community’s own bus service. Wolfline buses run every day that classes are in session, serving all three campuses, two park and ride lots, and official NC State housing. Wolfline uses the Transit Visualization System to help you locate your bus on routes online.
COMPUTER LAPTOP REQUIREMENT
MSA students are required to own a laptop computer. The recommended minimum specifications are provided below. Students who own a Macintosh or Linux based laptop, please be aware that some of the software used in the program will not be available for local installations on Linux of Mac OS X operating systems. If you use a Macintosh, please also have bootcamp with XP Professional or Vista Business already installed (The NCSU bookstore sells Vista Business upgrade for $75.95). All laptops must have wireless access capability. You will also need a copy of Office 2007 (Office 2007 Std is available for students from the NCSU bookstores for $59.95).
Minimum Recommendations:
- Processor: No minimum requirement, but dual-core processors are suggested if possible
- System RAM: 2 GB
- Optical Drive: CD-RW / DVD
- Hard Drive: 80 GB
- Operating System: Win XP Professional, Vista Business (32-bit), or Vista Ultimate (32-bit). Neither XP Home, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, nor any 64-bit version of Vista will work with certain software in the MSA program.
- USB: 2.0
- Wireless: built in 802.11 G (802.11 A capability is also helpful)
Specific questions regarding the selection of a laptop should be addressed to: iaa@help.ncsu.edu
COMPUTING RESOURCES
Here is an overview of student computing resources at NC State.
PROGRAM OFFICE
The MSA Program is located in the Institute’s main offices in Venture 2, Suite 530, on Centennial Campus (map).
TUITION AND FEES
Tuition and fees for NC State University are proposed each year by the UNC Board of Governors and set by state government through its budgetary process. Thus, tuition and fees are subject to incremental change each year. Tuition and fees are charged according to the number of credit hours (with maximum charge per semester based on 9 credit hours). The following table provides the estimated tuition and fees payable each semester for students enrolled in the MSA program. As a result of the semester-based tiered structure of tuition and fees, it is worthwhile to note that the total cost of the MSA degree is 60% of a traditional two-year M.S. program at NC State.
| Estimated Tuition and Fees 2009-2010 | |||
| Semester | Credits | Resident | Non-Resident |
| Summer | 5 | $1,230.00 | $3,620.00 |
| Fall | 13 | $2,996.50 | $9,020.50 |
| Spring | 12 | $2,996.50 | $9,020.50 |
| Total | 30 | $7,223 | $21,661 |
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COURSE REGISTRATION
Students in the MSA program are administratively registered for courses each semester. Students do not register themselves. Upon registration, the semester’s bill for tuition and fees will be automatically sent to each student, who will be notified by e-mail.
HEALTH INSURANCE
There is a voluntary health insurance plan for students who do not already have health insurance coverage, which is provided by a third-party insurance agency. Health insurance is mandatory for international students.
MOVING TO RALEIGH
Please consult the NC State Housing Office for information about living on and near campus. Students traveling from other parts of the world can learn more about how to ease the transition to Raleigh with the help of the Graduate School’s New Student Survival Guide. Here are some additional online resources for finding off-campus housing:
LOCAL CLIMATE CONDITIONS
National Weather Service Forecast Office for Raleigh, North Carolina.