The MSA is an intensive, cohort-based learning experience, offered only as a full-time, in-person program.

No. We offer one cohort annually. All students in the cohort begin together in NC State’s Summer II term (late June) and complete the program over 10 months. Graduation is held in early May.

We do not accept transfer credits. All students must complete the 34 credit hour MSA curriculum.

Students are typically here at the institute Monday through Friday between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. All required classes and program activities are scheduled within this window, and we encourage student teams to hold their meetings during this time as well. Students report spending a total of 40-60 hours/week on the MSA, depending on factors such as the number of projects assigned concurrently and individuals’ previous knowledge and studying preferences.

Yes! We provide dedicated career services to all students in the MSA program, including resume review and interview coaching. We also expose MSA students to dozens of companies and organizations through lectures, networking receptions and on-site interviews.

The MSA program is generally considered a full-time commitment that requires students to focus exclusively on their studies. That said, it’s possible for students with strong time management skills to successfully pursue part-time employment while enrolled in the program. These students pursue freelance work or jobs that afford them flexibility, so that they can prioritize their academic responsibilities.

Admission is highly selective; however, we admit students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our admissions committee bases its decisions on a combination of criteria.

No. We do not consider scores from standardized entrance exams such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as part of the MSA admissions process.

It depends. Refer to the English proficiency requirements to determine whether you qualify for a waiver.

You may complete prerequisites concurrent with your application. Be sure to indicate in your application if you’re currently completing any relevant courses (or have any planned for the upcoming semester).

No. You may submit your application when you’re ready, and any outstanding letters of recommendation will be automatically linked to your application file as they’re submitted. That said, the MSA admissions committee will not review an application until we’ve received all supporting documents, so encourage your recommendation providers to submit their letters promptly.

The typical personal statement, otherwise known as a statement of purpose (SOP), is 1-2 pages long.

An MSA admissions interview takes about 30 minutes, and we can conduct it in person at NC State’s Institute for Advanced Analytics or virtually through Zoom. This is a behavioral interview wherein members of the admissions committee (usually 3-4 institute faculty, staff and/or alumni) will ask about your interests and professional goals, as well as the skills and talents you might contribute if admitted to the MSA program. Before concluding our conversation, we will also give you an opportunity to ask us program-related questions. You should view this interview just as you would a professional job interview: Admission is competitive and seats are limited.

You’ll have 30 minutes to complete the remote-proctored online screening. It includes 12 questions, as follows: five multiple choice questions about your preferred coding language (you’ll select from Python, R or SAS), six multiple choice questions about fundamental statistics concepts, and one free-response coding question that can be written in any programming language.

Please refer to our admission timelines for admission decision notification dates. You will receive an email notifying you that a decision is available in the Graduate School’s applicant portal. To protect student confidentiality, we do not provide admission decisions over the phone. All admission decisions are final.

The state of North Carolina has a centralized Residency Determination Service (RDS).

MSA students are typically self-financed through personal savings and/or educational loans. While MSA students are not eligible for graduate research or teaching assistantships, the Institute for Advanced Analytics can typically provide partial financial aid awards to students with demonstrated need. Admitted students who have concerns regarding their ability to afford the cost of attendance should contact the institute’s admissions team to discuss their circumstances.