Prerequisites

Admission to the 18-credit certificate program assumes knowledge of basic statistics. Those without a basic graduate-level statistics course at the point of admission must plan on taking STAT 500 Applied Statistics. Other basic statistics courses may substitute for STAT 500.

There are two required courses — HI ED 801 Foundations and Fundamentals of Institutional Research and HI ED 830 Designing Institutional Research Studies; however, credit may be given for appropriate academic and research experience. All other courses are elective, and 6 of the 18 credits may be transferred from other institutions.

For the certificate program, admissions preference will be given to those holding master's and doctoral degrees. Those holding a bachelor's degree and appropriate graduate course work may also apply.

Application Materials:

• official transcript from the institution awarding your highest degree
• your résumé or employment history
• a personal statement (include career goals, background, etc.) limited to one page
• one letter of recommendation, preferably from an administrative supervisor, faculty adviser, or institutional research colleague
• International applicants whose first language is not English or who have received a baccalaureate or master's degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is not English, please refer to the international students page for more information about language proficiency.

How to Apply

Individuals seeking admission to this program must complete and submit the Penn State Graduate School online application. Be sure to read the admissions requirements carefully, as each program has unique requirements.

Check Status

Use these options for applications already in progress or to check the status of an application previously submitted.

• Continue application already in progress
• Check the status of a submitted application