Admissions – Master of Professional Studies in Game, Entertainment, and Media Analytics (GEM)

• Complete the UMD Graduate School application.
  • The Graduate School’s Step-by-Step guide is a helpful resource for prospective applicants.
• Pay the application fee of $75 to the UMD Graduate School.
• Upload transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate courses at each institution you have attended.
  • Unofficial transcripts may be submitted initially. Official transcripts will be required upon admission and enrollment.
  • Applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution. If you have questions, read more about this requirement.
  • Applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework. If you do not meet this, provide more detail in your Statement of Purpose.
• Provide a Statement of Purpose describing your experiences and interests that will help you succeed in our Game, Entertainment, and Media Analytics MPS program. (See Helpful Tips section below for guidance.)
• Submit the names and e-mail addresses of three academic or professional references.
• Upload a current resume or CV.
• Send TOEFL/IELTS scores to the University of Maryland (international applicants only).
• If you are a resident of the State of Maryland or believe you qualify as one, be sure to fill out the Maryland Residency section of the Graduate Application. If you have questions about Residency Classification, email resclass@umd.edu.

To begin as a student in the Fall 2025 semester:

• The application deadline for domestic and international applicants is July 15, 2025. Please note that this program is not STEM-certified and is designed to be taken fully online.

• This is an online program and is not eligible for I-20 or DS-2019 issuance by the University of Maryland.
• International applicants should direct questions about visas to UMD’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

• We do not offer pre-screens of applications.
• We will accept all qualified applicants from any given year.
• Our admissions process is holistic. As long as you are admissible to the Graduate School for full enrollment, we will read your full application before making a decision as a committee.
• When students apply to the GEM program, a committee of faculty and staff will read your application. The committee then convenes to make a decision on all applicants. Once we make a decision, we send this in the form of an admissions recommendation to the Graduate School, who will make the official decision. The Graduate School will notify you about your application’s outcome.

• Admitted students may defer enrollment once. The GEM program offers fall enrollment, so deferrals are from one fall to the subsequent fall semester (for example: Fall 2020 enrollment can only be deferred until Fall 2021).
• To defer your enrollment, you must notify the INFO College Graduate Student Services Office prior to the beginning of the original entry semester.

• The Graduate School’s Statement of Purpose
  • The Statement of Purpose should be a 1000-2000-word statement that addresses your specific interests, life experiences, and goals. Outline how joining the GEM MPS program will advance your expertise in game, entertainment, and media analytics. These goals and interests can include, but are not limited to:
    • Game analytics
    • Data science
    • Information risk management
    • Data visualization
• Selecting References
  • Recommendation letters help us estimate if you will be successful in the GEM program. It is in your best interest to request that your recommenders focus on your predilection for GEM analytics. Recommendations should be provided by faculty and/or employers who can best speak to your ability to succeed in this graduate program. Note that recommendations should not come from family, friends, or peers.
  • Individuals who know you well, especially those who have completed technical graduate programs, are best able to comment on your capacity for graduate study. If you have been out of school for a while, references with current knowledge about your strengths and skills will be more effective than professors whose knowledge is limited to your past academic performance.
• Tips for Writing your Statement of Purpose and Supplemental Application
  • The Statement of Purpose and the Supplemental Application are the primary ways of telling us about your experiences, interests, and goals, so please be open and honest.
  • Keep in mind:
    • Authentic essays help us understand you as an applicant. We are interested in learning about you and how a GEM degree can shape your future.
    • We value academic integrity, so avoid presenting us with unoriginal work (purchased, written, edited, or borrowed from other sources).
    • Express yourself clearly, concisely, and authentically, whatever that means to you. Avoid vocabulary that is meant to impress.
    • Avoid repetition. If you already said it in the Statement of Purpose, don’t repeat it in the Supplemental Application. The more new information you share, the more we have to evaluate.