Master's in Data Science Programs in Pennsylvania

Studying Data Science in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry's 2024–2034 long-term occupational projections show statewide employment growing 2.8% over the decade, while Computer and Mathematical Occupations are projected to grow 8.1%, nearly three times the statewide rate. Within that group, the state's own data show Data Scientists as the fastest-growing detailed occupation in the entire mathematical science group, projected to grow 32.1% from 6,950 workers in 2024 to 9,180 by 2034. That momentum lines up with where Pennsylvania's economic output is actually coming from: according to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data compiled by USAFacts, professional and business services generated more GDP than any other industry in the state in 2025 and grew faster than any other major sector over the previous decade, reaching roughly 1.4 times its 2015 level. For data science students, the practical takeaway is that computing and mathematical occupations, layered onto Pennsylvania's already-large financial services and health care base, are where the fastest-growing demand for data skills is concentrated, not a single flashy new tech sector.

• Philadelphia and the Southeast. Philadelphia is anchored by financial and health care giants that run large in-house data and AI teams: Comcast, headquartered at the Comcast Technology Center, runs machine learning teams for recommendation systems and network optimization; Vanguard, based in nearby Malvern, manages trillions of dollars in assets and hires heavily for fintech and AI roles; and Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Jefferson Health apply data science to clinical decision support and drug discovery. Much of this activity clusters around Pennovation Works, the University of Pennsylvania's 23-acre research and innovation park in West Philadelphia, which houses more than 70 startups and corporate research tenants, including a Comcast-sponsored innovation partnership and Qualcomm's Philadelphia research lab. Technical.ly Philly covers the local tech scene, including the civic-tech hackathon group Code for Philly. Data work here spans healthcare analytics, fintech, and applied AI research.
• Pittsburgh and the Southwest. Pittsburgh's data science economy grew directly out of Carnegie Mellon University's machine learning and robotics research. Duolingo, headquartered in Pittsburgh, runs a large behavioral data science team that uses experimentation at scale to shape its language-learning product, and autonomous vehicle companies such as Aurora Innovation hire data scientists for perception and safety analytics. UPMC, one of the largest health systems in the country, applies predictive analytics to clinical operations and diagnostics, and PNC uses fintech AI for fraud detection and risk assessment. The University of Pittsburgh's Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership (HAIL) connects university research to regional employers. Data work here spans autonomous systems, healthcare AI, and financial technology.
• Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton). The Lehigh Valley has built a life sciences and advanced manufacturing base around companies such as B. Braun, a medical device manufacturer with U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, alongside Olympus, OraSure Technologies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific; the region's life sciences employment has grown roughly 50% over the past decade, according to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. The region is also a major logistics and warehousing hub along I-78/I-81. Data work connected to this region includes manufacturing and quality analytics, life sciences data management, and supply chain analytics.
• Harrisburg and South Central Pennsylvania. As the state capital, Harrisburg concentrates government and insurance-sector data processing. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, based downtown, anchors the region's analytics training and research, running a School of Analytics & Computational Sciences with a Healthcare Analytics concentration built in partnership with Capital Blue Cross and internship pipelines into Comcast. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Office of Administration (OA-Information Technology) oversees IT and data systems across state agencies, one of the region's largest sources of data-related employment. Data work here spans government data systems, insurance analytics, and health data reporting.
• State College and Central Pennsylvania. Home to Penn State University's main University Park campus, this region concentrates the university's own research and data infrastructure, including its College of Information Sciences and Technology. Innovation Park at Penn State connects that research to commercial technology transfer, and two of its notable outgrowths are headquartered locally: AccuWeather, the global weather forecasting and data company, and KCF Technologies, a Penn State-founded industrial IoT company whose AI-driven predictive maintenance platform monitors machine health data for manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, and Goodyear. Data work here spans large-scale weather and forecasting data, industrial IoT and machine learning, and university research computing.

Online Data Science Master's Degrees in Pennsylvania

Online programs may suit Pennsylvania students who want graduate-level training without relocating near Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, or who are already working full-time.

How to Compare Online Data Science Master's Degrees

When comparing online programs, there is a lot to consider. To start, cover the basics by understanding the following 5 key factors:

• Can you enroll as a Pennsylvania resident? Is the school authorized to enroll students from your area, and does it hold institutional accreditation?
• What does the curriculum cover? Are there any specialties you're interested in? Look for statistics, programming, machine learning, databases, visualization, ethics, and applied projects.
• What prerequisites are required? This might include prior coursework in programming, statistics, calculus, linear algebra, or computer science.
• How are classes delivered? Synchronous, asynchronous, or a blend of both? Does the schedule work with your lifestyle and other obligations?
• What support is available to online students? Does this include career services, faculty access, technical resources, and networking opportunities?

Online Pennsylvania Graduate Data Science Programs

Pennsylvania participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which serves as the state's SARA portal entity. In practice, this means a Pennsylvania resident can enroll in most accredited online master's programs based in other SARA-member states without encountering state-authorization barriers. Pennsylvania is unusual among states in that several of its own major research universities, not just smaller regional schools, offer genuinely large-scale, fully online data science degrees. Students should still confirm current program modality, admissions requirements, tuition, and state availability directly with each school before applying.

• Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College: Master of Science in Information Technology – Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (MSIT-BIDA) - Pittsburgh, PA. This 144-unit program can be completed entirely online, delivered primarily through an asynchronous "anytime, anywhere" model (though some faculty incorporate live sessions), or as a hybrid with on-campus evening classes for students near Pittsburgh. It covers data mining, data warehousing, and business intelligence tools and is designed for working professionals who want a Carnegie Mellon credential without relocating.
• University of Pennsylvania, Penn Engineering Online: Master of Science in Engineering in Data Science (MSE-DS Online) - Philadelphia, PA. This fully online, asynchronous program with no required log-in sessions requires an undergraduate degree in computer science, an undergraduate degree plus at least four for-credit computer science courses, or an undergraduate degree in a highly quantitative field plus two years of relevant work experience. It covers big data analytics, applied machine learning, and statistics, with electives in areas such as computer vision and natural language processing.
• University of Pittsburgh, School of Computing and Information: Master of Data Science (MDS) - Pittsburgh, PA. Delivered fully online and asynchronously through Coursera, this 30-credit, 10-course program was designed to remove traditional admissions barriers: no resume, transcripts, essays, or letters of recommendation are required, only verification of an earned bachelor's degree.
• Drexel University, College of Computing & Informatics: Master of Science in Data Science - Philadelphia, PA. This 45-credit online program does not require GRE scores and covers machine learning, data-intensive computing, and applied cloud computing; graduates reported a median salary of $106,000 one year after completion in Drexel's most recent outcomes survey. The same degree is also available on campus for students who prefer in-person instruction.
• Penn State World Campus: Master of Data Analytics (MDAAN) - University Park, PA. This 30-credit, 100% online program requires no campus visits and offers a core curriculum plus options in Business Analytics and Big Data Systems; GRE/GMAT scores are not required.
• Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest): Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics - Global Online. This 33-credit, fully online program is offered through Pennsylvania's public state university system, covering data warehousing, machine learning, and big data analytics, and includes capstone coursework that prepares students for the SAS Programming Specialist certification exam.
• Saint Joseph's University, Haub School of Business: Master of Science in Business Intelligence & Analytics - Philadelphia, PA. Unlike the other programs in this list, MSBIA isn't a dedicated distance-learning track — it's a single 30-credit, STEM-designated program that students can complete entirely online, entirely on campus, or through any mix of both, taking one to three courses per term at their own pace. Students choose a career-focused track (Cyber Analytics, Data Analytics, Managerial, or Data Science) and all graduates earn a SAS-certified Business Intelligence Certificate alongside the degree.
• Villanova University, Villanova School of Business: Master of Science in Business Analytics and AI (MSBAi) - Villanova, PA. This 30-credit, 100% online, STEM-designated program can be completed in as few as 16 months and integrates AI tools, including GenAI and agentic frameworks, into its analytics curriculum. Unlike most other online programs in this list, MSBAi classes are held synchronously in the evenings with live weekly instruction. Note that because it's delivered fully online, it is not eligible for STEM OPT extensions for international students.

Learn more about what to look for in an online master's in data science program in our guide.

In-State Data Science Master's Programs and Related Degrees in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's hybrid and in-person options are concentrated at its major research universities and require at least some on-campus presence. The programs below are verified options, not a ranked list.

• Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA. Carnegie Mellon offers multiple on-campus data-focused master's degrees: the Master of Science in Applied Data Science (MADS) through the Dietrich College's Department of Statistics & Data Science, a 9-month program built around a small, in-person cohort of 25–35 students; the Master of Computational Data Science (MCDS) through the School of Computer Science's Language Technologies Institute, a 16- to 20-month, in-person program with concentrations in Systems, Analytics, and Human-Centered Data Science and a required summer internship; and the Master of Information Systems Management (MISM), a 16-month, in-person program with a required internship that includes a distinct Business Intelligence and Data Analytics pathway through Heinz College.
• University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science: Master of Science in Engineering in Data Science - Philadelphia, PA. This on-campus program can typically be completed in 1.5 to 2 years across ten courses and blends core coursework in machine learning, big data analytics, and statistics with electives and a domain specialization.
• Drexel University, College of Computing & Informatics: Master of Science in Data Science - Philadelphia, PA. In its on-campus format, this 45-credit program can be completed in as little as 1.5 years full-time and offers a graduate co-op option for full-time students who want paid, structured work experience integrated into their degree.
• Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies: Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDAAN) - Malvern, PA. This research-oriented, in-residence, thesis-based program focuses on applying predictive and prescriptive analytics to problems across domains and is STEM-designated. It is a distinct, more academically oriented degree from the online Master of Data Analytics (MDAAN) offered through Penn State World Campus.
• University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business: Master of Science in Business Analytics - Pittsburgh, PA. This on-campus, STEM-designated program lets students tailor a concentration in Finance, Management, Marketing Science, or Supply Chain, layering business analytics skills such as data programming and data mining onto a chosen business specialty.
• Misericordia University: Master of Science in Health Care Informatics - Dallas, PA. Geared toward mid-career healthcare professionals, this 39-credit program is delivered in a blended format, primarily online, with three weekend sessions on campus over two years.

Data Science Programs in Pennsylvania

Programs included in this table were last reviewed in July 2026.

Data Science Certificates, Bootcamps, and Courses

A master's degree is not the only path into data science. Graduate certificates, bootcamps, and individual courses offer more targeted training for students who want to quickly develop specific skills or test the field before committing to a full degree. These options vary widely in cost, format, and rigor, so students should compare carefully and confirm directly with each school whether certificate credits can apply toward a future master's degree.

Online Pennsylvania Graduate Certificate Programs in Data Science and Related Fields

Pennsylvania's certificate options span technical data science credentials, business analytics, and healthcare-specific informatics training, offered by both its major research universities and its public state system. Students should confirm current course delivery, admissions requirements, tuition, and credit transferability directly with the school.

• Carnegie Mellon University: Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning & Data Science Foundations and Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Data Science. CMU offers two distinct online certificates aimed at different starting points: Machine Learning & Data Science Foundations (Language Technologies Institute, School of Computer Science) is a technical, five-course, 100% online program for applicants with a STEM background and prior coursework in calculus, linear algebra, and statistics; Foundations of Data Science (Dietrich College's Department of Statistics & Data Science) is designed for non-technical working professionals with no assumed math or programming background. Neither certificate is eligible for federal financial aid, though CMU alumni receive a tuition discount on both.
• Penn State World Campus: Stackable Graduate Certificates in Data Analytics. Penn State World Campus offers a family of 9-credit, 100% online certificates that each stack directly into a related master's degree: the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics (offered with the Smeal College of Business, stacks into the Business Analytics Option of the Master of Data Analytics), the Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Data Science, the Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics, and the Graduate Certificate in Data Engineering for Analytics — the latter three all embedded within the base Master of Data Analytics program. Students pay no additional application fee when moving from a certificate into the associated master's.
• University of Pennsylvania, Penn Engineering Online: Online Graduate Certificate in Data Science. Unlike the other certificates in this list, this one is not open to the general public — it's a four-course, for-credit add-on credential available only to alumni (or final-semester students) of Penn Engineering Online's degree programs, such as MAS-CS Online or MSE-DS Online. It's worth knowing about primarily for students already considering one of Penn's online master's programs.
• University of Pittsburgh: Graduate Certificate in Health Data Analytics. Offered through the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences' Department of Health Information Management, this 12-credit certificate is available online with a curriculum identical to the on-campus version, covering Python programming, database design, and machine learning applied to health data.
• Drexel University: Certificate in Healthcare Informatics. This fully online certificate is designed for information professionals, clinical personnel, and healthcare support staff who want to build health IT and healthcare informatics management skills. Note that, unlike Drexel's degree programs, this certificate is not eligible for federal financial aid.
• Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest): Data Science, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate. This 15-credit, fully online certificate from Pennsylvania's public state university system includes a required capstone project and prepares graduates to sit for SAS Big Data Professional certification exams at a discount.

Data Science Bootcamps in Pennsylvania

A bootcamp is another option for entering data analytics or data science. Data science and data analytics bootcamps are intensive, non-degree programs designed to build applied skills more quickly than a full master's degree. Bootcamps in Pennsylvania may be offered through university continuing education divisions or third-party education partners, so students should confirm the credentials awarded, tuition, schedule, refund policies, and career support before enrolling. Note that the university-branded bootcamp market has contracted sharply in the past two years: 2U, the company behind most university-branded coding bootcamps nationally (including a former University of Pennsylvania data science bootcamp), filed for bankruptcy in mid-2024 and shut down its entire bootcamp division that December, so students should verify that any university bootcamp they're considering is still actively enrolling.

University Affiliated Bootcamps in Pennsylvania

• Community College of Philadelphia: Data Analytics and Visualization Boot Camp. This 6-month, fully online bootcamp prepares students for the Microsoft PL-300 (Power BI) certification.
• Community College of Philadelphia: AI Machine Learning Boot Camp. This 6-month, self-paced online program includes over 300 hours of training in Python and machine learning models, preparing students for the Microsoft Azure AI-102 certification.
• Delaware County Community College: Data Analytics Bootcamp. Delivered in partnership with Upright Education, this 16-week, live online bootcamp covers Python, SQL, Excel, and Tableau, with roughly half of the program time spent in live sessions with industry practitioners.

Private Data Science Bootcamps in Pennsylvania

Private bootcamp options in Pennsylvania are concentrated in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Tech Elevator runs in-person campuses in both cities, offering a 14-week full-time or longer part-time immersive program with strong employer pipelines to companies like Vanguard, Comcast, and JPMorgan Chase in Philadelphia; note that its core curriculum is full-stack software development (Java, JavaScript, SQL) rather than data science specifically. General Assembly offers a national Data Science Bootcamp and a separate, more beginner-level Data Analytics Bootcamp, both delivered remotely with a dedicated Pittsburgh market page; coursework covers Python, statistical and machine learning modeling, and portfolio-building projects. Because private bootcamps vary widely and market conditions in this sector have shifted quickly, students should confirm all program details and current enrollment status directly with the provider.

Learn more about data science bootcamps and how they differ from graduate programs. See also our dedicated guides to data science bootcamps and data analytics bootcamps.

Data Science Courses in Pennsylvania

Individual online courses can help students build specific skills before committing to a certificate or master's program. Pennsylvania's community colleges and continuing education providers offer standalone data analytics training outside of a full bootcamp commitment.

• Community College of Philadelphia: Data Analytics Certificate (non-credit)

Learn more about individual course options in our guide to online data science courses.

Data Science Scholarships in Pennsylvania

The list below is not exhaustive. Students should also check each school's graduate studies office, financial aid page, and department-specific funding pages for opportunities not listed here.

Carnegie Mellon University

• Heinz College MISM Scholarships and Heinz College MSIT Scholarships: Heinz College offers merit-based scholarships to admitted students in both the in-person MISM program (including its BIDA pathway) and the online MSIT program (including its BIDA pathway), which are awarded automatically upon admission for students who opt in.
• Tepper School of Business Tuition and Scholarships: Tepper offers merit-based scholarships to all admitted MBA students, as well as targeted awards such as the Swartz Leadership Scholarship. Worth noting: Tepper also offers a standalone MS in Business Analytics (separate from Heinz College's BIDA programs), so business analytics students at CMU should compare the offerings of both schools.

University of Pennsylvania

• Penn Engineering Graduate Scholarship: This merit-based scholarship is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents applying to any Penn Engineering Online master's program, including MSE-DS; the scholarship application is embedded in the admissions application and must be completed before the scholarship deadline, before a decision is made.

Drexel University

• Graduate Financial Aid: Drexel offers general graduate scholarships, assistantships, and the Drexel Grad Grant (for Drexel undergraduate alumni) to students in its data science and computing programs. Note that Drexel's merit-based Dean's Scholarship is restricted to on-campus students; students in Drexel's online MS in Data Science or MS in Health Informatics should instead look to assistantships, the Grad Grant, and federal aid.

University of Pittsburgh

• Katz Graduate School of Business: Master Your Path Scholarship: A distinctive option worth highlighting — Pitt undergraduate alumni enrolling full-time in the MS in Business Analytics (or other Katz MS programs) pay only undergraduate business tuition rates, cutting the cost of the degree by nearly half for in-state alumni.
• School of Computing and Information Scholarships: SCI lists named, donor-funded scholarships across its degree programs. Most named awards target other SCI degrees rather than the Master of Data Science specifically; the MDS program's main affordability feature is its own flat, pay-as-you-go $15,000 total tuition structure rather than competitive scholarships.

Pennsylvania State University

• Fox Graduate School Scholarships: Penn State World Campus students in the Master of Data Analytics program are eligible for scholarships administered by the Fox Graduate School, though World Campus itself does not currently offer graduate-specific scholarships. Students enrolled in residence at Penn State Great Valley have additional access to the Admission Scholarship and the Chancellor's Scholarship, both specific to the Data Analytics program there.

Villanova University

• Graduate Business Financial Assistance: Villanova School of Business outlines tuition, financial aid, and payment options for its Master of Science in Business Analytics and AI program.

Service-for-Tuition Programs

• Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology: CyberCorps/CyberAI Scholarship for Service, a federally funded program that received a $1.5 million NSF grant in 2025 to train students at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, covers full tuition, a stipend, books, and a laptop in exchange for a post-graduation work commitment with a federal, state, local, or tribal government agency. Given how much of Pennsylvania's data-related hiring flows through government agencies in Harrisburg and defense-adjacent employers in Pittsburgh, this kind of scholarship-for-service structure is worth knowing about for students with a background in computing or data science.

Statewide Resources

• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) administers the state's primary financial aid programs, but it's worth knowing that PHEAA's flagship PA State Grant and Grow PA Scholarship Grant programs are both restricted to undergraduate associate's and bachelor's degree students; neither extends to graduate-level data science students, who should instead focus on institutional aid, federal loans, and the school-specific funding listed above.
• NC-SARA can help students understand state authorization for distance education programs based outside of Pennsylvania.

Data Science Events in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's two major metro areas each support active, verified data science and AI communities, with Pittsburgh's scene in particular having seen a wave of relaunches and new groups since 2025.

Data Science Meetups and Communities in Pennsylvania

• DataPhilly is a long-running, community-run Philadelphia meetup for data scientists, engineers, and analysts, covering predictive analytics, applied machine learning, and big data; it served as a featured Philly Tech Week 2026 presenter with a sports analytics panel featuring data leaders from the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers.
• PGH.AI is a Pittsburgh AI community that was relaunched in February 2025 after its organizer conducted a year of interviews with former community stakeholders; it now runs a monthly "nexus" event with talks, workshops, and networking, plus a weekly Thursday morning networking meetup.
• Steel City AI Innovators is a free, monthly Pittsburgh meetup hosted at the Pittsburgh Technology Council, bringing together AI practitioners from beginners to enterprise architects, with meetups capped at 20–30 people to keep discussions substantive.

Data Science Conferences and Workshops in Pennsylvania

• The DataSci+AI Forum, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership, ran its 2026 edition in March at the William Pitt Union and Heinz History Center, convening students, faculty, regional employers, and government leaders around data and AI in the Pittsburgh region.
• The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Think!AI Summit (formerly "Beyond Big Data"), now in its 12th year, returns February 12, 2026, at The Westin Pittsburgh, focusing specifically on applied and generative AI, data analytics, and machine learning through real-world case studies.
• Philly Tech Week, hosted annually by 1Philadelphia, returns May 4–8, 2026, for its 16th year, with more than 80 independently hosted events across the city, including AI and data-focused sessions.

Data Science Jobs in Pennsylvania

Data science roles can involve collecting, cleaning, analyzing, modeling, visualizing, and communicating data. In Pennsylvania, these roles appear across health care, financial services, insurance, government, life sciences, and autonomous systems, often at large in-state employers rather than a single dominant tech industry. A master's degree may help students build advanced skills, but it does not guarantee employment, a specific salary, or the title of data scientist. Prior experience, technical projects, internships, networking, portfolio work, and interview preparation can also affect job opportunities. Explore related paths in our data science careers and data scientist career guide.

Data Scientist Salaries in Pennsylvania

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, data scientists in Pennsylvania earned a median annual wage of $106,850 in May 2025, with the lowest 10% earning $63,340 or less and the highest 10% earning $162,290 or more.

Students may also want to compare related occupations. Salary data can vary by location, industry, experience, education, and employer. The figures below are occupational wage figures, not guarantees of outcomes for graduates.

The table below uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for Pennsylvania.

Interested in STEM Careers?

If you're looking for information on career paths that involve data science, analytics, technology, and related STEM fields, see our guides below.

Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Careers

• Computer Engineer
• Computer Scientist
• Information Security Analyst
• Computer and Information Research Scientist
• Computer Systems Analyst

Marketing and User Research Careers

• Marketing Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Digital Marketer
• UX Designer

Compare Careers and STEM Fields

• Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist
• Data Analytics vs. Business Analytics
• Data Science vs. Machine Learning
• Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering
• Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science

Related Graduate STEM Degrees

Related Undergraduate STEM Degrees

• Online Bachelor's in Data Science
• Online Bachelor's in Computer Science

Pennsylvania Data Science, Tech, and Career Resources

• Pennsylvania Department of Education, Postsecondary and Adult Education: State higher education agency and SARA portal entity for institutional authorization and distance-education student complaints.
• Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Center for Workforce Information & Analysis: State labor-market and industry data source, including long-term occupational employment projections.
• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA): State financial aid portal for grants, loans, and special funding programs.
• PA Open Data Portal: Public state agency datasets useful for portfolio projects and civic data exploration.
• Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA): Pennsylvania's official public geospatial data clearinghouse, useful for GIS-related analytics projects.
• Philadelphia Alliance for Capital & Technologies (PACT): Philadelphia-region trade association connecting entrepreneurs, tech companies, and investors.
• Pittsburgh Technology Council: Regional technology association supporting Pittsburgh's tech and startup community through events and workforce programs.
• NC-SARA: National source for understanding state authorization reciprocity for distance education.