Five Top-Tier UPenn Programs for Big Data Careers
The University of Pennsylvania appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Data Science Certificate Programs.
At Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, The Wharton School delivers a BS in Economics for University of Pennsylvania Quakers to pursue 21 concentrations, including Business Analytics and Statistics, that build atop the Ivy League liberal arts core for data-driven mathematical skills. Chaired by Dr. Sergei Savin, the 32-unit, AACSB-accredited major offers opportunities to semester abroad in Berlin or Madrid, enter the BI International Case Competition, join Sports Analytics Club, engage in Leadership Ventures, and intern at Deloitte or Aetna. Fully online, undergrads can complete the nine-module, three-month Business Analytics Certificate directed by Dr. Christopher Ittner for only $2,450 total.
The College of Liberal & Professional Studies also presents a four-unit Certificate in Data Analytics outlined by Dr. John Lapinski online via Canvas with eight-week courses like Statistical Methods and Predictive Modeling.
Since 1921, the Wharton MBA has developed 19 University of Pennsylvania majors, such as Business Analytics, for post-graduates to learn the executive management strategies that keep organizations productive and profitable. Headed by Dr. Richard Waterman, the 19-unit, two-year curriculum mixes intensive 600-level courses like Regression Analysis with Global Immersion trips from India to Italy, Beta Gamma Sigma membership, McNulty Center for Leadership fellowships, and the Executive Mentoring Program. Within the School of Engineering & Applied Science, the MSE in Data Science prepares for technical research or consulting careers in only 1.5 years. The 10-unit, ABET-accredited track overseen by Dr. Susan Davidson at Levine Hall lets graduates complete the DATS Practicum, review the Wharton Budget Model, contribute to the Warren Center for Network & Data Science, and access the Himes Lab.
About the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania originated on November 14, 1740, when Philadelphia evangelist George Whitefield opened a charity school designed by Edmund Woolley on Arch Street. In 1749, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin wrote about his idea for the Public Academy of Philadelphia. By January 1751, Franklin had assembled a Board of Trustees and acquired Whitefield’s school for his vision. In 1765, it formed the United States’ earliest medical school. In 1779, the Commonwealth seized the Academy and made it the University of the State of Pennsylvania. In 1872, it relocated across the Schuylkill River to develop West Philadelphia’s University City district. In 1881, the University of Pennsylvania started the nation’s first business college. In 1902, it was called the Wharton School of Finance & Commerce after Bethlehem Steel Corporation executive Joseph Wharton. In 1971, Wharton professor Simon Kuznets won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
Endowed for $12.2 billion, the University of Pennsylvania now employs 4,793 faculty teaching 25,860 Quakers from 87 countries online, on the 218-building Philadelphia campus, and at the 694-acre New Bolton Center with 700+ clubs like the Data Science Group. In 2019, UPenn won the NACUFS Gold Loyal E. Horton Dining Award for its Houston Market. In 2017, Penn accepted the EPA Phoenix Award of Excellence for its Pennovation Center. The University of Pennsylvania received the 2013 AACN Beacon Award for Excellence too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Penn the #1 best business school and 17th top engineering college. On Niche, UPenn boasts America’s 10th best academics, 24th best professors, and 65th most diversity. The Wall Street Journal placed the University of Pennsylvania 12th globally. Forbes picked Penn for the 83rd top value and seventh best institution overall.
University of Pennsylvania Accreditation Details
On June 26, 2014, the University of Pennsylvania received formal notification from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) Commission on Higher Education (CHE) that the Level VI accreditation status was reaffirmed through 2023-24 under the eighth president, Dr. Amy Gutmann, who earned the Eugene M. Lang Lifetime Achievement Award. Located 0.5 miles east via Chestnut Street in Philly, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Education Department to evaluate UPenn’s 12 Ivy League schools. Further, the School of Engineering & Applied Science has been approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) since October 1, 1936. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) also re-accredited Wharton on July 1, 2016.
University of Pennsylvania Application Requirements
Admission at the University of Pennsylvania is classified “most selective” by Peterson’s because only 3,740 of the 44,491 Fall 2018 applicants were triumphant for 8.4 percent acceptance. First-year Quakers seeking the BS in Economics: Business Analytics Concentration must culminate a strong high school curriculum with four math units, including Calculus. The Class of 2022 achieved an average cumulative GPA of 3.93. The middle 50th percentile earned New SAT scores of 690-760 for Reading and 730-790 for Math. Mid-range ACT scores were 33-35. Competitive Wharton transfers will have 30+ credits graded at least C for GPAs above 3.0. MBA in Business Analytics majors must complete four-year bachelor’s degrees at U.S. or equivalent foreign institutions. Admitted MBAs present a median 3.6 GPA, 732 GMAT score, and five years of relevant experience. The MSE in Data Science accepts bachelor’s grads with mean GRE scores of 162 for Quantitative, 163 for Verbal, and 4.6 for Analytical Writing. Prerequisite courses like Programming Languages and Probability must be graded B+ or better.
The University of Pennsylvania enforces freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Decision and January 5th for Regular Decision. BS in Economics transfers can apply until March 15th. The Wharton MBA in Business Analytics has three rounds of applications closing on September 17th, January 7th, and April 1st. Prospective MSE in Data Science students can file from September 15th to March 15th each year. Accordingly, complete the Penn, Coalition, or Common Application online for $75 ($80 if graduate). Forward official transcripts to 1 College Hall Room 1 in Philadelphia, PA 19104. Submit testing scores with SAT code 2926, GRE code 2888, ACT code 3732, or GMAT code G56-97-36. Attach supplemental documents, such as the two teacher evaluations, mid-year school report, counselor recommendation, Early Decision agreement, 500-word essay, and resume. Contact (215) 898-7507 or info@admissions.upenn.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of Pennsylvania is billing full-time BS in Economics majors $25,578 each term or $51,156 annually. Undergrads pay mandatory fees of $6,614 every year. Waivable student health insurance premiums are $3,583 yearly. Residing at the Philadelphia campus’ dorms like Sansom Place adds $10,600 for housing. Standard meal plans for Houston Market are $5,590 extra. Penn budgets $1,358 for books, $922 for travel, and $1,946 for indirect expenses. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals about $78,186 on-site or $64,540 at home. The Certificate in Data Analytics has a unique LPS rate of $3,616 per course unit online. Wharton MBA cohorts spend $81,378 for yearly tuition and fees. The School of Engineering & Applied Science charges MSE students $7,310 per course unit.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Student Financial Services Office in Franklin Building Room 100 connects 58 percent of new UPenn Quakers to tuition aid averaging $46,318 each for $52.57 million combined. The Mayor’s Scholars Programs will cover the full unmet financial need for Philadelphia students. Undergrads with an expected family contribution of $25,000 or less qualify for the five Maguire Foundation Scholarships each year. University Named Scholarships are available yet kept private for donor confidentiality. Since 1918, the Philadelphia Foundation has grown 200+ funds like the Feinstein Scholarship, GSK Opportunity Scholarship, Herb It Forward Scholarship, Mervyn Sluizer Jr. Scholarship, and Robert Digges Scholarship. Federal resources, including the Pell Grant and Work-Study Program, require FAFSA applications coded 003378. Pennsylvanians also access the PHEAA Grant, NAAAP Philadelphia Scholarship, Olivia Marquart Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Chafee Education Training Grant, and others.
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania at the Data Science Department website.
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