Why Quantitative Ability is Important to your MCIT Online Application

The MCIT Online program is designed for students with little to no experience in computer science. But you do need to have strong quantitative abilities – and your application should reflect that.

Why does quantitative aptitude matter?

Quantitative skills such as linear algebra, number theory, probability and statistics help computer scientists use computational thinking and abstract language, work with algorithms, and accurately model real-world solutions. The graduate-level courses of the MCIT Online program move through this content quickly, and don’t cover the basics of writing proofs or mathematical logic so making sure you have a proven ability to tackle these topics is important to success as a student.

Doing well in undergraduate math, science, or engineering courses is one way to demonstrate those skills. But if you haven’t taken those types of courses – or if you didn’t do well in them – there are plenty of other ways to showcase your abilities. Here’s how.

Submit your scores from an entrance exam.

We don’t require GRE or GMAT scores for admission to MCIT Online, but a good score will strengthen your application. We recommend that you take an exam if any of the following applies to you:

• You didn’t take any quantitative courses (such as math or physics) in college
• Your undergraduate grades are lower than you would like them to be, and they don’t reflect your current abilities
• You received your undergraduate degree 15 or more years ago

Take a class or two.

A good grade in a recent course can help offset poor performance in the past. Taking a few college-level math or computer science classes from an accredited institute can help confirm that you’re up to the challenge of the MCIT Online program. It’s also a good way to make sure CS is the right direction for you.

If you just want to dive into the subject area, and make sure you’re making the right choice, we recommend Penn Engineering’s on-demand courses, particularly Computational Thinking for Problem Solving and Introduction to Programming with Python and Java. Many additional options are also available through Penn and other institutions.

We’d love to tell you more about Penn Engineering’s MCIT Online program. Contact us, view one of our on-demand webinars, or sign up for an advising session with an admissions counselor. We look forward to hearing from you!