Hi there,

I'm considering applying for the MCIT (MAS-CS) program. This program expects students to have a certain level of quantitative capability. Can you help take look at these courses I took and let me know if they meet the admission requirement? These courses were taken at Boston University. Thank you!

METCS546 Introduction to Probability and Statistics 

METCS669 Database Design and Implementation for Business 

METCS544 Foundations of Analytics with R 

METCS688 Web Analytics and Mining 

METCS555 Data Analysis and Visualization with R

Hey everyone,
I'm considering taking the waiver exam for 593.
My knowledge in this area is still a bit shallow, so I know my chances of actually passing and waiving the class is 0%. However, my logic is that waiver exams usually focus on the core principles and essential concepts of a course rather than tiny details.
In a way, preparing for and taking the exam feels like a great opportunity to get a high-level preview of what the course actually values.
Has anyone ever done this just to front-load their learning and see what to expect? Do you think it’s a good strategy for course prep, or is it a waste of time/energy if I’m not fully ready? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Hi everyone,

I received already the results and I was conditionally offered an admission through the Computer Science Graduate Certificate pathway for Fall 2027 cohort.

I’m a little confused about how the certificate-entry route works compared with being directly admitted to the master’s program. I’m hoping current students or others who entered through the same pathway can share their experience.

A few questions:

1. Course support: Do certificate-pathway students receive the same level of support from professors, teaching assistants, academic advisers, and student services?
2. Community access: Do students in the certificate pathway have access to the same student community, networking opportunities, discussion groups, career resources, events, and channels for asking questions?
3. Transition to the MAS-CS: How difficult is it to meet the requirements to formally transition into the master’s program? Are there common challenges or courses that students should prepare for?
4. Student status and experience: Are certificate-pathway students generally treated the same as directly admitted MAS-CS students, or are there meaningful differences in access, registration priority, or the overall student experience?
5. Career and alumni resources: At what point do students gain access to Penn’s career services, alumni network, and other university-wide resources?

I would appreciate any honest feedback, both positive and negative. I’m trying to understand whether this is primarily an alternative admissions pathway or whether the experience is substantially different from direct admission.

Thank you!

URL to the program site: MSE-TI Online - Penn Engineering OnlinePenn Engineering Online

I majored in biomedical engineering from NUS with a GPA of 2.6/4.0. I have done an introductory course to programming (D) and 1 or 2 quantitative math courses where I scored a B. How can I improve my chances of getting into the program? Should I do GRE to make up for my GPA or complete the MOOCs? Or both? I only have about 2.5 months left.

Also, I’m currently working as an AI Engineer working on training multilingual LLMs with a few publications. I have working experience of about 5 years. Hopefully this might help?

Any honest opinion is welcome! :)

Hi all, im hoping to waive the 5910 class since i have some coding background, but i have no idea what to expect on the exam. I’ve learned Java before in college, but it’s been a while since i used it. What are some helpful resources to use for preparation?

Did anyone start or complete the required onboarding course for this fall semester? I’m still waiting for the slack email.

Applying to Penn M&T this Fall.  I think I have a competitive application that exemplifies the rigor, leadership that is ideally situated for this major.  Also,  validated by a third party resource. But, I am missing the higher level physics and maybe math the program seeks.  I am in a IB diploma program so transitioning in my curriculum to meet these attributes isn’t possible as they are set for your last 2 years in my program. And only learned of this preference in the last 6 months. And, seeking additional rigor isn’t wise as the rigor I am taking my Sr. is beyond most.  

I assume I will be denied where my application will be moved to either Wharton School or the Computer Science program for admission, which ever I choose. 

I am told choosing Wharton is the better route and if accepted I can take some prerequisites the first year and try to gain admittance to the M&T program, with some risk, or seek a dual degree outside the program.  

I am curious with those that have experience with these programs, if they have advice or recommendations?  

And, if denied by M&T program, why would I choose this risk in my programming if I gained acceptance from other dual degree programs? 

The second timed exam is coming up and I'm staring at the practice exam packet and it looks like a foreign language to me.

50% of the semester has been me decoding what the prof is saying in lecture.

20% going "where was this in the lecture?" When homework questions are four levels of complicated ahead of the material.

The last 30% was and is wondering how, even with pretty decent homework grades, the first exam knocked me (and others) down twenty points, grade-wise.

I talk to the TAs, I watch recitations; I even did the first practice exam through and still am getting my butt handed to me. I'm basically resigning this next exam to be a bust and I've barely starting reviewing. 🙃

Alright, complaining over.

Hey everyone! I was recently admitted to Penn’s MCIT Online program for Fall 2026 and had a few questions about the career resources.

I’ll actually be living near Philadelphia while I’m in the program, so I’m hoping to take advantage of both the online and on-campus career opportunities whenever possible.

For current students or alumni:
- How helpful have you found MCIT’s career services overall?
- What kinds of interview prep are offered (mock interviews, resume reviews, technical interview prep, behavioral coaching, etc.)?
- Are there career fairs, employer showcases, networking events, or recruiting events that MCIT students can attend?
- What types of companies have you seen recruiting through the program or posting on the internal job board? (Big Tech, startups, finance, consulting, defense, healthcare, local Philly companies, etc.) and if you’ve attended any employer showcases, what were they like? Did they actually lead to interviews or meaningful networking opportunities?
Since I’ll be close to campus, are there any in-person events or Penn career resources you’d especially recommend taking advantage of?

For context, I’m already working in tech so I’m less concerned about landing my first job and more interested in expanding my network, exploring future opportunities, and making the most of the Penn ecosystem while I’m enrolled.

I’d love to hear what experiences, good or bad you’ve had. Thanks!

Hi Everyone, I am finishing up BS IT MANAGEMENT from WGU. Is there any student that got into the program from wgu? If yes, how did you do it? And what are my chances of getting in?

I’m currently in Georgia Tech’s OMSCS and wondering if any of my completed courses could transfer if I switch programs.

If you’ve done it, I’d love to hear:

• Which courses transferred?
• How many were accepted?
• Did they count toward core requirements or just electives?

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I'm thinking about applying to UPenn's MCIT/MAS CS Online and wanted to get some honest opinions.

I did a BSc in Nursing in India and graduated with 65%. I never studied computer science in university and never took the gre.

A year ago I switched into tech and I want to switch to software engineering roles as opposed to a tool based role as a saleforce developer. I did some Salesforce courses online (apex and javascript) and got a job as a Salesforce developer. I've been doing that for about 1.2 years now. I mostly work with Apex and some JavaScript. I'm still pretty new, I rely a lot on AI for writing code. I'm much better at reading, understanding code, pretty good at debugging than writing code. My math is basically non existent. I also don't have any computer science courses or personal coding projects outside of work.

I've been reading about MCIT and I know it's for people without a cs degree, but when I look at people who've been admitted, a lot of them seem to have engineering, math, physics or some other technical background. A lot of them also mention gre scores, internships and research, so I'm not sure where I stand.

Do I actually have a realistic chance of getting in. If yes, what would you do if you were in my position. Should I take math first, and if so which courses. Is there anything else I need to do?

If anyone got in from a non CS background, especially healthcare, please provide your experience, what you did to help your application? I'd appreciate advice from anyone who's been through the application process.

I already know I'm missing a lot compared to most applicants. I'm set on going into computer science/coding and I really want to get into UPenn. So, I'd like to focus on what you'd work on if you were me over the next 1.5 years.

Thank you kindly.

Hi lovely people,

I will be starting the program in Fall 2026 and I wonder whether it is doable to take (and not just pass but to actually remember something) CIT 5910 and CIT 5920 together. Since this is highly subjective I am asking about judgement based on your experience.

Context:

- I have some background in Python & Java (nothing super fancy)

- While I am no math wiz with olympiads behind my belt, I wouldn't say I am lost either (passed Calc 1 & 2 + Probability and Statistics + Econometrics courses)

- I can imagine giving the program approx. 25 hours of my time per week

- Yes, I checked the workloads at https://mymcit.org/ ;)

Thank you for your time!

I understand that the Penn MSE-AI program allows transfer credits from a previously completed degree. I just finished Gatech OMSCS with HCI specilization.

If a course from my Georgia Tech OMSCS program does not have a direct equivalent at Penn, can it still be transferred as an elective or receive transfer credit?

Got admitted for the Fall 2026 semester.

Looking for advice on things that you wish you would've known before starting:

* Any specific supplies for courses? I've got a laptop, good internet, paper, pencil, and a scanner.

* Can someone go into (legal) details on honor lock? I have a few wall decorations. I saw you can just put sheets on stuff not easily moved, but is there anything else to know?

* I saw on this sub that coursera courses can help if you're struggling, but are there any absolute meat grinders? Are there any courses that pair well?

Anything else you'd recommend?

I recently got admitted to the fall cohort. I got my decision letter last Friday and submitted my official transcript, pay the fees, etc earlier this week. I got my Penn key and stuff but was wondering when do class sign up begin?

Got in recently for fall 2027. I have a bachelor in a physical science math up to linear algebra and differential equations. Minor coding experience in python r and sql. Would it be smart for me to take 591 and 592 first sem? I work full time too, but heard 591 is one of the easiest courses.

I recently completed Penn's MCIT on-campus program and will work full time in enterprise AI deployment and product. I'm interested in more advanced AI coursework and have been admitted to Penn's MSE-AI online program.

Should I pursue MSE-AI, or should I take a few courses in Stanford AI Graduate Certificate through the NDO option which leaves doors open to Stanford MSCS (HCP pathway) in future? Here are my considerations:

• Level of difficulty: Should be similar? From on-campus MCIT coursework, I found the exams of CIS courses to be quite challenging
• Intensity of learning: Stanford's 10-week quarter is more condensed than Penn's 16-week semester
• Branding and networking: Stanford has an edge if I'm eventually admitted to MSCS after the NDO coursework, given I already have a Penn degree. However, admissions to MSCS is not guaranteed
• Alternatively, I could learn towards applying AI in personal projects and work, without taking formal coursework, as extra coursework while working full time could potentially reduce work performance (not sure, appreciate thoughts)

Would appreciate the community's thoughts, thanks!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I’m losing my mind waiting. That’s it. That’s the whole post.

ETA: got in!

Rejected from MAS-CS

Profile:

School: Econ + MBA at UChicago

Professional: Consulting (MBB) >> transitioned to Data Science in Big Tech

SOP: Seeking to expand technical knowledge and build comprehensive CS foundation to be eligible for roles in ML systems and AI engineering

Did not submit official test scores, but I did mention high math percentile in GMAT (scores expire)

LOR: I assumed were strong and aligned toward expanding technical capabilities

>> A bit surprised about the outcome, unsure if rejection is due to complacency (no official test scores), overqualified (I did mention my daily work involves ML pipelines using python and distributed compute for prediction; I argued my CS knowledge has gaps and that there are things I didn’t know i didn’t know since I never took a structured & comprehensive CS curriculum), or something else.

I’m trying to remain humble and composed, but I’m still figuring out what to do. I don’t know if I have a shot at a MS-CS that’s not tailored for people with no CS degree but apparently profile also not aligned with MAS-CS. Appreciate any thoughts you may have.

Just sharing to provide others with perspectives and to vent a bit. Thanks for reading and congrats to all who got admitted!

What is UPenn's new MSE-SSC program really about?

I'm interested in UPenn's new MSE-SSC (Master of Science in Engineering in Software Systems and Cybersecurity).

Since this is a new program, I'm hoping to hear from current students, admitted students, faculty, or anyone familiar with Penn Engineering.

A few questions:

• What is the program really focused on?
• Is it more software engineering, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, or cybersecurity?
• How technical and rigorous is it compared to a traditional MSCS?
• What kinds of roles do graduates typically pursue?
• Would you recommend it for someone interested in large-scale systems, fintech, cloud platforms, or leadership roles?
• Any thoughts on the curriculum, faculty, or overall value of the degree?
• How does it compare to MSE-AI and MSE-DS in terms of career opportunities?
• How does it compare to Harvard Extension School's Systems Engineering program?
• Which program would be more useful for career growth in software engineering, systems architecture, cloud infrastructure, fintech, or technology leadership?
• Which degree is likely to carry more prestige and recognition among employers?

I'd appreciate any insights from anyone who has researched the program, attended information sessions, or spoken with faculty. Thanks!

I'm applying to the MAS-CS Online program for Spring 2027, and I'm starting to work on my personal statement. For anyone who has been admitted, is currently in the program, or has already graduated, I'd really appreciate any advice.

Is there anything you think really helped your application stand out?

Hi! I graduated from a domestic tier 1 university studying geography and minoring in data science and statistics. I have a lot of quantitative projects done during my undergrad and had a 3.91/4.0 GPA. I have been looking at MSCS programs (though I am late in the application cycle) and the MCIT (MAS-CS) has really caught my attention.

My background has included a lot of research, but I haven't taken many prerequisites that other MSCS programs have. My options are to:

1. Take the prerequisite courses (especially need calc3, linear algebra, structures, and maybe diff eq) over the course of the next several months and apply for normal MSCS fall '27 programs, or
   
2. Apply for a bridge program like MCIT

I am attracted to this program because it is:
- Full-time
- Applied focus
- Coursework track
- In-person or online options

I have also looked at Northeastern ALIGN, NYU Tandon, GT OMSCS, Columbia Post-Bach CS Certficate, UC San Francisco, UChicago, and USC MSCS for scientists/engineers.

It is my understanding that most of these programs have already finished their acceptance for Fall 2026 (with a few exceptions that are still rolling) and few do a Spring 2027 start.

I would really prefer to be in an in-person program since I learn a lot better that way. UPenn's program is at the top of the list for me, but I am having a dilemma. I don't love the idea of waiting until Fall 2027 to go back to school since I have already been out for a few months, but I would also really prefer an in-person program.

Should I apply for UPenn MAS-CS Online for Spring 2027 (one of few programs that start in the spring that I have found), or would it be better to just be taking the prerequisite courses over the next year (which I could do while applying for UPenn) and apply for in-person programs for Fall 2027?

All opinions would be greatly appreciated :)