North Carolina State University

• Personal statement (1-2 pages)Required

  A brief (1-2 pages in length) personal statement; no specific page formatting requirements.

• RésuméRequired

  Your current résumé (admissions page: a resume or curriculum vitae).

• Unofficial transcriptsRequired

  An unofficial transcript for each college/university you have attended, regardless of degree completion. Official transcripts are required only after an applicant is admitted and enrolls.

• Recommendations2 letters

  Two individuals who have a substantive understanding about your academic and/or professional strengths (e.g. professors, advisors, supervisors, colleagues, clients); they need not know you in an analytics-related capacity. Avoid family members and friends.

  Two (2) recommendations. You list two individuals in the application; each receives an automated email with instructions. You have the option to submit a third letter.

• GMAT (not considered)Not accepted

  We do not consider scores from standardized entrance exams such as the GRE or GMAT as part of the MSA admissions process.

• GRE (not considered)Not accepted

  We do not consider scores from standardized entrance exams such as the GRE or GMAT as part of the MSA admissions process.

• Duolingo English Test, IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBTIf your degree wasn't taught in EnglishRequired

  Duolingo English Test: Total score of 110 or better and minimum subscores of 110 in Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production. Scores must be no older than two years (24 months) prior to the beginning of the entry term.

  IELTS Academic: Overall band score of at least 6.5, with at least 6.5 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. General IELTS scores will not be accepted. Scores must be no older than two years (24 months) prior to the beginning of the entry term.

  TOEFL iBT: Tests taken prior to January 21, 2026: total score of at least 80 on the iBT with at least 18 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Tests taken after January 21, 2026: total score of at least 4 with at least 4 in each section. Scores must be no older than two years (24 months) prior to the beginning of the entry term.

  Waiver / exemption: Instead of a test: be a citizen of a country where English is the official language and the language of instruction in higher education; or have successfully (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher) completed at least one year of full-time study in a degree program at a regionally accredited four-year US based college or university. Applies to all non-US citizen applicants (non-resident aliens and permanent residents).

• PTE Academic (not listed)If your degree wasn't taught in EnglishNot accepted

  Not listed: the Graduate School's English proficiency requirements list TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo as the accepted tests.

• Admissions interview (applicants under consideration, by invitation)Required

  An interview with the admissions team is required for all applicants under consideration. About 30 minutes, in person at the Institute or virtually through Zoom; a behavioral interview with usually 3-4 institute faculty, staff and/or alumni. Invited applicants also complete a 30-minute remote-proctored online technical screening: 12 questions (five multiple choice on your preferred coding language - Python, R or SAS; six multiple choice on fundamental statistics concepts; one free-response coding question in any language).

Who can apply

• Bachelor's degreeRequired

  Hold a bachelor's degree, or be in your final year of undergraduate study.

• Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0Required

  NC State's Graduate School requires an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Below 3.0, you need to provide evidence of your ability to succeed in an accelerated master's program, such as strong performance in recent coursework directly related to the MSA curriculum.

• Coding proficiencyRequired

  The ability to write code from scratch (an intermediate level of proficiency) in one or more languages, especially those most relevant to data science (e.g., Python, R, SQL).

• College-level statistics courseworkRequired

  At least one, but ideally two or more college-level statistics courses, including substantive coursework covering regression analysis. Prerequisites may be completed concurrent with your application.

• Essay 1 · Required · Recommended: about 2 pagesA brief (1-2 pages in length) personal statement addressing how the MSA fits into your near-term and long-term professional career goals

  A brief (1-2 pages in length) personal statement addressing how the MSA fits into your near-term and long-term professional career goals