Master of Science in Informatics

In the Master of Science in Informatics program, you will engage more deeply in an intellectual conversation with research and science. An M.S. degree typically opens up advanced career opportunities, both in industry and as preparation for a Ph.D. College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State is home to a thriving community of students, scholars, staff, alumni, and friends. Through innovative research and a student-centered approach to interdisciplinary education, we are delivering on the college's founding mission to prepare leaders for the Information Age. Our passionate students, renowned faculty, and supportive alumni network have propelled the college to forge new frontiers and create a meaningful impact at Penn State and beyond.

The College of IST offers automatic acceptance into one of the college's M.S. or M.P.S. degree programs and will waive the application fee for any graduate from an IST bachelor's degree program with a 3.5 GPA or higher.
No, we do not have a minimum GPA requirement, however, we have found that our strongest candidates possess a GPA of at least 3.5 (out of 4.0), or the equivalent.
Upload a Statement of Interest. Please include a written personal motivational statement in your application to share information that you deem important to your candidacy. You may wish to describe aspects of your background and interestsintellectual, personal and/or professionaland how you will uniquely contribute to the IST community and/or the related profession. As a suggested length, limit your statement to one (1) or no more than two (2) pages, double-spaced. At the top of each page please indicate STATEMENT OF INTEREST, along with your name, numbering each page.
Arrange for two letters of recommendation to be submitted. Using the electronic application, applicants will enter the references' contact information. The Graduate School will contact the reference with instructions on how to upload a letter of recommendation.
Upload a complete resume or curriculum vitae, which should include current positions and publications.
Upload an Original Sample of Written Expression. Please include a brief sample illustrating your writing skills, organization and clarity, critical thinking, and consistent use of citations and references. This may be extracted from a previous academic paper (e.g., class essay, dissertation, thesis, journal article, capstone project, research paper) or work-related report (e.g., white papers, policy briefs, news articles and grant applications). If part of a group report, only include the part for which you were responsible, and/or include a note explaining the document's context your authorship. As a suggested length, limit your sample to no more than ten (10) pages, double-spaced, even if extracted from a longer piece. At the top of each page please indicate WRITING SAMPLE, along with your name, numbering each page.
Upload official transcripts from each institution attended. Upon acceptance of an offer of admission, hard copies of official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution(s) attended to The Graduate School for verification. International applicants should submit transcripts in English and their native language.
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). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisaaional admission, enrollment, and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Revised TOEFL PBT July 2017 and later 60