Pennsylvania State University World Campus - Data Science Degrees, Accreditation, Applying, Tuition, Financial Aid

Data Analytics & Big Data at Pennsylvania State University World Campus

Penn State World Campus appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Data Science Certificate Programs.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus offers several options for studying data analytics that include a Master of Professional Studies in Data Analytic without a concentration and two additional degrees with concentrations in Marketing Analytics or Business Analytics. The university also offers two graduate certificates including one in Marketing Analytics and another in Business Analytics. Topics discussed in the university’s data analytics programs include data mining, data architecture, business intelligence, data modeling, and extraction, transformation, & loading development. Depending on the program the student chooses, he or she will enroll in classes offered by four of the academic departments that operate on campus and through the university’s online distance learning program.

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Students who enroll in one of the Master of Professional Studies degree programs will take classes like Foundations of Predictive Analysis, Data Mining, and Applied Statistics. Other classes will include Large-Scale Database and Warehouse, Database Design Concepts, and Data-Driven Decision Making. Students will also choose from a selection of electives like Data Collection and Cleaning and Applications in Applied Demography. To complete their graduate degree, students will undertake a capstone course that will require the design and implementation of analytics systems and data science using the tools and techniques taught within the program. Students must complete all core courses before enrolling in Design and Implementation of Analytics Systems, which is the capstone course.

Each graduate degree in Data Analytics at Penn State World requires that students complete 30 credits. Students who want to enroll in a program with fewer required classes may choose one of the graduate certificate programs in Business Analytics or Marketing Analytics. The Online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics and the Online Graduate Certificate in Marketing Analytics are offered in cooperation with the School of Business. The program in Business Analytics requires that students complete a total of nine credits, and the program in Marketing Analytics requires that students complete a total of 12 credits. The benefit of enrolling in the certificate programs is that they don’t require that students attend online classes at a specific time, so students can enroll and complete their classes at a schedule that suits them.

About Pennsylvania State University World Campus

Penn State World Campus is the online campus of The Pennsylvania State University system. The campus was launched in 1998 and has its headquarters in University Park. Approximately 13,400 students attend classes through the university’s online system, which offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as several certificates. The university system in Pennsylvania has been offering distance education since the 1890s when it became one of the first correspondence schools. The school would create its online program a century later with the launch of its internet campus. Some of the first fully-online classes ever offered were provided by Penn State. The online classes offered at the university are taught by the same professors and faculty who teach on campus. Students take their exams via a live online proctoring tool, and some classes require assignment completion with a webcam in a live setting.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus Accreditation Details

The regional accrediting organization for Pennsylvania State World Campus is the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The university is also approved to operate in every state in the country, so students can take their online classes if they live in Pennsylvania or any other state. Additionally, the nursing programs at Pennsylvania State World Campus and its Penn State College of Nursing are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The university’s College of Business is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Business Schools. The university’s Master of Public Administration is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus Application Requirements

All students who want to attend Pennsylvania State World Campus will begin with an online application. First-year applicants will then submit a Self-Reported Academic Record, which is an unofficial high school transcript. All first-year students must complete their SRAR even if they’ve been out of high school for many years. Once a student has been accepted to the university, he or she will provide an official transcript that will serve as the student’s proof of his or her graduation. Graduate students who want to apply to programs at Pennsylvania State World Campus should check with the program in which they want to enter. Generally, students will need to hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university or college. Some programs may have some prerequisites or recommend students have certain types of degrees. For example, the Master of Professional Studies in Data Analytics recommends that students possess an undergraduate degree in a discipline like engineering, science, or business.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate students at Pennsylvania State World Campus who have already earned more than 59 credits and have enrolled in fewer than 12 credits will pay $555 per credit. Students who enroll in at least 12 credits will pay a flat rate for the semester of $6,742. Undergraduate students who have not yet earned 59 credits will pay $596 per credit for the semester if they enroll in fewer than 12 credits and will pay a flat rate of $7,297 if they take 12 or more credits. Graduate students who enroll will pay a rate based on their program. For example, students enrolled in the Business Analytics Graduate Certificate program will pay $975 per credit if they enroll in 11 or fewer credits and will pay a flat rate of $11,700 if they enroll in 12 or more credits. All students will also pay an information technology fee that will range from $86 to $252.

Financial aid at Pennsylvania State University World Campus is available to half-time and full-time students who qualify under the guidelines for federal student aid. The university recommends that all students apply for financial aid even if they don’t feel they need financial assistance since they may be eligible for scholarships to help with tuition costs. Students can receive traditional student loans and grants through the federal financial aid program, as well as scholarships from public and private sources. Students interested in studying data analytics at Pennsylvania State University World Campus should contact a World Campus Admissions Counselor.

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