A view from the Pattee mall facing Schwab Auditorium and Old Main
How to Apply
Requirements for Degree and Nondegree Admission
All applicants must have received from a regionally accredited institution a baccalaureate degree earned under residence and credit conditions substantially equivalent to those required by Penn State. International applicants must hold the equivalent of an American four-year baccalaureate degree.
English Proficiency - The language of instruction at Penn State is English. All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires an institutional test of English proficiency upon first enrollment and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.
International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a master's degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.
Please note that specific graduate programs may require all international applicants to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score, regardless of their academic background and country of origin.
Degree Admission
Admission is granted jointly by the Graduate School and the program in which the applicant plans to study. Because the admissions process is decentralized, an applicant must apply for admission to a particular program of study.
Applicants may apply to only one graduate program and campus at a time. The Graduate School will not consider concurrent applications for admission to more than one program and does not act upon an application without a program's recommendation. Holders of a doctorate are not encouraged to apply for a second doctoral degree.
To apply to a graduate degree program at Penn State, check the instructions on each program's individual Web site. Programs' sites can be located through our list of Graduate Programs of Study.
The graduate degree application fee is $65, non-refundable. This fee is in effect for all degree applications submitted beginning October 1, 2008, regardless of the intended date of enrollment.
Nondegree Admission
If you do not intend to pursue a graduate degree at this time, but want to take graduate-level courses for personal enrichment, professional development, instructional II public education certification, a graduate certificate, or later want to apply for degree status, you can seek admission as a nondegree student. In general, nondegree applicants are not required to submit transcripts, however, under certain circumstances and depending on which campus location you choose, you may be asked to submit them.
Changing from graduate nondegree status to regular status requires a new admission application. If you choose to enter Penn State as a graduate nondegree student, you must realize that no more than 15 credits of course work accumulated in nondegree status can count toward a graduate degree. However, admission as a nondegree student does not guarantee admission to a graduate degree or certificate program. You should also be aware that nondegree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships and preference for courses is given to degree students. Programs control access to some courses.
Apply now for nondegree admission for all campuses.