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QS Rank:

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16

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Cornell University

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New York

United States

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Program Rank

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8

MPS program in Data Science and Applied Statistics readies students for careers in fields where modern data analysis skills are highly coveted. Built on the three curriculum components of core courses, an in-depth data science project, and elective coursework, the program offers students the option to focus their graduate education in one of two areas: techniques of applied statistical analysis or data science, which includes high performance computing, databases and scripting.

Equipped with the essential and foundational understanding of statistical processes and data science, our students join in a tradition of success, working in global industries in diverse fields ranging from finance to artificial intellegence to biomedical research.


The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Statistics is for those who are interested in professional careers in business, industry, government or scientific research. Our MPS program provides rigorous training in modern data analytical skills that are sought after in almost any field. Currently, Cornell is the only Ivy League University that provides such a program. This program is recognized as a Professional Science Master's (PSM) program, approved by the Council of Graduate Schools.

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Total Tuition Fees

$65,204

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Duration

12 Months

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Median Salary

$1,10,000

Ranking

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#17

US World and News Report

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#20

The World University Rankings

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#16

QS World University Rankings

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Intake

Fall ( Sept - Nov )

Class Profile

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Class Size

50

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Average Age

19

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Average Work Experience

2 Years

Diversity

California:

15%

Illinois:

5%

Texas:

10%

Florida:

4%

New York:

20%

Others:

46%

Career Outcomes

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Median Earnings After Graduation

$1,10,000 / year

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Graduation Rate

93%

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Job Placement

67%

Prospective Job Roles

Statistician

Product Manager

Technology Analyst

Data Visualization Specialist

Software Engineer

Software Developer

Data Scientist

Business Analyst

Big Data Engineer

IT Project Manager

Data analyst

Vital Statistics Specialist

Vital Statistics Registrar

Statistical Programmer

Health Care Statistician

Cancer Statistician

Top recruiters

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Eligibility Criteria

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At least 3 / 4 undergraduate GPA is expected.

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At least 16 years of bachelor degree.

English Proficiency Tests

  • TOEFL

    100

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  • DUOLINGO

    120

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  • IELTS

    7

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Application Requirements

Here's everything you need to know to ensure a complete and competitive application—covering the key documents and criteria for a successful submission.

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Application Fee: 105

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    Transcript

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    Statement of Purpose

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    Professional LOR

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    Academic LOR

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    Academic LOR

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    TOEFL

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    Resume

Application Deadlines

Standard Deadline
FallFeb 1, 2025

Fees and Funding

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Tuition Fees

$65,204 / year

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Overall Cost

$80,000 / year

Funding Options

Department Funding

FAQs

  • First-round admission decisions will be made in early April. Admissions decisions may not be finalized until late May or early June.

  • The deadline for Fall admissions is February 1. A limited number of Spring term admissions are available for currently enrolled Cornell undergraduates and for a small number of exceptional non-Cornell applicants. Students who enter in the Spring generally take three semesters to complete the MPS degree. The deadline for Spring admissions is October 1. If you wish to apply for the Spring semester, you should send an email to the program director, indicating that your application is for the Spring term. For questions, contact the Director of the MPS program, Dr. Xiaolong Yang, or Allen Ward.

  • Your Personal Statement should provide the admissions committee with a sense of you as a whole person, and you should use it to describe how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, it should provide insights into your potential to contribute to Cornell University’s core value to provide a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. Within your Personal Statement, you may also share details on lessons learned from any of your lived experiences including but not limited to being a first-generation college student or graduate (no parent/guardian completed a baccalaureate degree) racial, ethnic, and/or cultural background(s) managing a disability or chronic health condition experiencing housing, food, economic, and/or other forms of significant insecurity being a solo parent gender identity and/or sexual orientation having served in the military holding DACA, refugee, TPS, or asylee status Your Personal Statement provides you with an opportunity to share experiences that provide insights on how your personal, academic, and/or professional experiences demonstrate your ability to be both persistent and resilient, especially when navigating challenging circumstances. It also gives you an opportunity to provide examples of how you engage with others and have facilitated and/or participated in productive collaborative endeavors. Additionally, it is a place, where if necessary, you can (and should) address any blemishes, gaps, or weaknesses in your academic record. In these situations, you will want to be honest, but brief. It is best to turn negatives into positives by focusing on how you overcame obstacles, remained persistent in the pursuit of your goals, and showed resilience. Share what you learned from the particular experience, and how it led you to become a better researcher/scholar/person, etc. Content in the Personal Statement should complement rather than duplicate the content contained within the Academic Statement of Purpose, which should focus explicitly on your academic interests, previous research and/or relevant professional experience, and intended area of academic focus during your graduate studies.

  • The MPS is intended for persons who want a short-term (1 year) Master's degree so as to go into business, industry, or government statistical work. At Cornell, if you want to go on for a PhD after the MPS you must apply as a new student to the PhD program; you would be considered as part of the pool of PhD applicants and, if admitted, you might be able to apply some of your MPS coursework but there is no guarantee. The PhD program in Statistics at Cornell enrolls about 4-6 students per year; the MPS, about 60-70 students per year. The target time for completion of the PhD program is between 3 and 5 years; the actual time to completion varies by student

  • The Department of Statistical Science does not have cut-offs for GRE scores, even though they are still required. Your application is made up of many other parts (recommendations, transcript, etc.) that are reviewed before a decision is made. We advise you to concentrate on making the whole application as strong as possible rather than concentrating on just one part of it.

  • As an international student, you would be required to have studied full-time for at least 2 academic years at an English-speaking University during the last five years. More information for exemptions to the TOEFL can be found on the Graduate School website.

  • Up to 3 letters of recommendation may be uploaded with the application; 2 of which are required and must be academic. The third, optional letter of recommendation can be academic or professional. All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted online.

  • In order to ensure that we reserve our limited space for serious applicants, we collect a deposit when you accept the admission offer from the MPS program in Applied Statistics at Cornell. At the time of accepting our admission offer, you must pay a deposit of $800. The deposit will be paid back to you after you come to Cornell and attend our MPS program, at the beginning of your graduate study. For those who do not come, the deposit is not refundable

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