Application Process

  1. Select the program

  2. Determine the supporting materials your program requires, as listed under Program Requirements for Admission.
     
  3. Review this page fully as well as the Graduate School's Requirements for Graduate Admission before completing your application online,
     

    Apply to the Graduate School

  4. Once the online application is complete, send the following to Penn State Harrisburg:

    • supporting materials that were not uploaded in the online application
      See below for how to handle standardized test results
    • application fee (if not paid online)

    Mail to:

    Penn State Harrisburg
    Graduate Admissions
    Swatara Building
    777 West Harrisburg Pike
    Middletown, PA 17057

    Or email to:  [email protected] 

Application Notes

  • A copy of an official transcript from each college or university attended (with the exception of Penn State University) must be submitted as part of your online application. If you are offered admission and accept, you will be required to have official transcripts sent from each of these institutions.
     
  • Educational certification and endorsement applicants: in the online application, after selecting "Harrisburg" as the Campus, select "Teaching and Curriculum" as the Major. Next, select "Pennsylvania Educators Level I Certification" from the Degree dropdown. Finally, indicate the type of certification or endorsement (English, social studies, reading specialist, etc. ) in the Special Notes box.

Military veterans, reservists and active duty service members are now able to apply to the Graduate School with a discounted application fee! The newly discounted rate of $40 —a significant savings from the standard $65 fee — will be automatically applied in the application and is effective for Spring 2023 admissions.

Application Deadlines

The Graduate School does not have a deadline for processing applications. (Exception: International applicants must submit materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester for which they are applying.) Applicants should ascertain application deadlines by contacting the individual graduate program. Applications should be submitted as early as possible.

Prerequisites

Master's Programs

  • 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. Applicants who are still completing their baccalaureate requirements at the time of application may be admitted to the Graduate School conditional on the awarding of the baccalaureate degree.

  • 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.

Doctoral Programs

  • Applicants to the doctoral program must have received a master's degree from an accredited college or university prior to starting the doctoral program. Some programs require specific fields of study for this master's degree; see each progam's page for details.

Additional International Student Requirements

  1. International applicants must submit materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester for which they are applying.

  2. Complete an application for Visa Document.

  3. International applicants must scan and upload copies of all official attested transcripts and attested diplomas in both English and the language of original, official documents.

  4. Carefully review TOEFL score information and follow the Graduate School's requirements regarding English proficiency.
    Important Note: Penn State Harrisburg requires a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT). Provisional admission, as described on Graduate School website, is not available at Penn State Harrisburg; we do not currently offer remedial English courses ESL 114G or ESL 116G.
    For more information, please contact Graduate Admissions at: [email protected]

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.

Instructions for submitting standardized test results

Many standardized test results can be submitted electronically and directly from the testing agency by using the codes shown in the table below. For test results where only a hard copy is available, please request that the testing agency mail the results to:


The Pennsylvania State University
Graduate Enrollment Services
114 Kern Building
University Park, PA 16802

 

Test name Test abbreviation Code
Graduate Record Examination GRE 2660
Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT BN6F487
Miller Analogies Test MAT 2609
Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEFL 2660