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Admission Requirements for Graduate Programs

View our list of graduate programs here.

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant 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. Ordinarily, entering students must have completed in a satisfactory manner, a minimum of course work in designated areas, the specific courses and amount of work depending upon the intended field of advanced study. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test may be required, depending on the program.

Application Procedures for Graduate Students

Applicants should complete and submit a Graduate School Application with the application fee to the Enrollment Services Office at Penn State Harrisburg. An application for admission can be obtained here. Two official transcripts from each institution attended, including an explanation of the grading system used, should be submitted. Some programs will require letters of recommendation and/or statements of purpose. Consult the individual program in the on-line catalog for details.

Applicants should determine application deadlines by contacting the individual graduate program. Applications should be submitted as early as possible. International applicants must submit materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester for which they are applying.

International Graduate Students

International applicants must hold the equivalent of an American four-year baccalaureate degree and must plan to apply at least four months prior to the beginning of the semester or summer session in which they intend to begin graduate studies. All international transcripts must be submitted to Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) for a course-by-course academic evaluation. ECE is the only professional evaluation that will be accepted and used for the official admissions evaluation.

English Proficiency--The language of instruction at Penn State is English. 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). 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 20 on the speaking section for the internet-based test. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Specific graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.

Application materials must be submitted by the following deadlines. Applications received after the deadlines will be processed for the following semester:

Please note: Each graduate program reserves the right to set earlier deadlines than those noted above.

Non-degree Graduate Students

Students who do not intend to pursue a graduate degree, but want to take graduate-level courses for personal enrichment, professional development, or permanent certification, can seek admission as non-degree students. Appropriate application forms can be obtained from the Enrollment Services Office or here.

A maximum of 15 credits earned as a non-degree student may be applied to a degree program, with departmental approval. The credits must have been earned within five years preceding entry into the degree program. This is not an application for enrollment in a degree program.

Certificate Students

A certificate student is one who is engaged in a program of study leading to a certificate or equivalent recognition of accomplishment rather than a graduate degree program at Penn State Harrisburg. Certificate students have the same privileges and responsibilities as graduate degree students.