Frequently Asked Questions

Current Penn Engineering students may begin the Graduate Certificate application process in the final term of their degree program.

MCIT Online welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Admittance to MCIT Online is competitive. However, no background in computer science is required, the only qualification to apply is a bachelor’s degree in any field. While cohort sizes are limited, if you have a strong interest in computing and have an aptitude for quantitative subjects (particularly in math!), then you are qualified to apply to MCIT Online!

No, MCIT Online students are not required to write a thesis.

It’s possible to go on to a PhD program, but you would likely need to supplement your studies with research to be prepared for a PhD program.

The MCIT Online curriculum includes Python, Java (including data structures), C and C++.

You will also learn fundamental concepts that allow you to quickly learn many other languages – including Rust, Go, JavaScript, etc. – even though they are not explicitly taught in our curriculum.

Specific course options may vary, but MCIT Online electives are comparable to the on-campus version. Course topics reflect the most popular areas of interest. 

No, they are different credentials but graduates have very similar outcomes.

The Master of Information and Computer Technology (MCIT) curriculum begins with a strong CS foundation and goes on to graduate-level electives that are exactly the same as those taken by students in a traditional MS in CS degree program.

MCIT graduates’ career outcomes are extremely comparable to those of Penn’s MS in CS degree in terms of the type of companies, starting salary, and other compensation. See Penn’s most recent Career Services reports for details.

Graduates of MCIT go on to rewarding careers in aerospace, consulting, education, finance, healthcare, and technology, to name a few. For details, see our Outcomes page. 

No, the program is specifically designed for students with minimal or no prior computer science experience.

MCIT Online is intended for students with little or no recent CS experience. If you would be able to test out of more than three of our core courses, you are probably overqualified. In this case, we recommend exploring our online Master of Science in Engineering in Data Science which requires a Bachelors degree in computer science or a minor (4 courses) in computer science as a prerequisite – OR – our online Master of Science in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence degree program which requires a bachelor’s in computer science as a prerequisite.

Yes. MCIT Online students are eligible for VA education benefits.

You can check the status of your application through the applicant portal. If your application is complete, the app status will read “Under Review.” If your application is missing required materials, you can view the missing materials listed in the checklist.

Your references can leave a section blank or approach the questions through a broad lens. For example, your recommender can respond to “How many students do you supervise?” by writing about your role in supervising employees.

To make changes to your recommenders, log in to the application portal and follow the link to the recommenders page of your application. You can then edit the recommender’s information or exclude the recommender and add a new one by clicking the “edit” button.

You can see the status of your letters of recommendation by reviewing your application portal. You can even send your recommender a reminder by following the link to the recommenders page of your application and clicking “edit.”

Admission to MCIT Online is very competitive. We look for applicants who are likely to succeed in, benefit from, and contribute to the program. For tips on how to strengthen your application, read “5 Tips to Strengthen Your MCIT Online Application from the Program Director.”

Please contact the Penn Engineering Online Admissions team at online-admissions@seas.upenn.edu.

In addition to the online application, you’ll need to submit a personal statement, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a resume, along with offical English Language Proficiency scores (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo) if you’re an international applicant or a non-U.S. citizen/permanent resident for whom English is not their first language. For details, see the MCIT Online Admissions page. 

No, there are not any prerequisite courses. At a minimum, you need to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school or university. In addition, ideal candidates will have a strong mathematical or otherwise quantitative aptitude.

If your undergraduate degree is not in a quantitative subject, or if you did not take or do well in many quantitative courses, we recommend taking a for-credit math course (e.g., algebra or calculus) or the GRE. If you don’t have experience with online learning, we recommend taking one of our introductory CS courses, such as Computational Thinking for Problem Solving or Introduction to Python & Java.

All international applicants who are not US Citizens or US Permanent Residents, for whom English is not their native language, must submit official test scores from one of the following test providers:

• IELTS: International English Language Testing System
• TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language
• DET: Duolingo English Test

Test results are valid for two years and must be valid at the time you submit your application. Test scores must be received directly from the Testing Center by the application deadline.

This requirement can be waived if the candidate has completed a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree where the medium of instruction at the institution is English. The degree must be completed before matriculation into the Penn Engineering Online program. For applicants that meet this qualification, the English Proficiency requirement will automatically be waived upon submission of the application. Waived requirements will show a grey checkmark on the applicant checklist in the application portal.