Graduate admission requirements
Graduate admission is selective and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The number of students admitted to a particular program is limited to the resources and space available in each program. All applicants for a graduate degree or certificate program must meet minimum University admission requirements as well as departmental requirements.
University requirements include:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Minimum GPA. For Regular admission, applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher. Applicants who have already earned 9 or more letter-graded graduate credits must have a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher; this GPA supersedes the undergraduate GPA. For University Conditional admission, applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA between 2.50 and 2.74.
- Copies of transcripts from every college or university attended (except PSU), including junior colleges and community colleges
- Proof of English language proficiency as demonstrated by:
- Completion of a bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctoral degree in the U.S., Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the U.K., or;
- Completion of one of the following exams:
- International Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), minimum overall score of 80; minimum subscores of 18 in reading and writing
- International English Testing Systems (IELTS) exam, minimum overall score of 6.5; minimum subscores of 6.5 in reading and writing
- Pearson Test of English-Academic (PTE), minimum score of 60 overall
- Tests more than two years old are accepted if the score exceeds the minimum requirement and the applicant has maintained continuous residency in the United States since the exam date
- $65 application fee + $2 processing fee
- Recommendation for admission from the appropriate graduate program's department
In cases when a student does not meet University admission requirements, departments may choose to submit a Graduate Admission - Special Approval Request to the Office of Graduate Studies. This process may only be initiated by a department.
International applicants must also submit:
- Copies of official degree certificates/diplomas
- Certified translation of transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas
- Financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study
Depending on the individual graduate program, additional departmental requirements may include:
- Personal essay or statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation
- Standardized test scores, e.g. GRE or GMAT
- Resume
- Writing samples
- Portfolio
Information regarding departmental requirements can only be obtained directly from the specific department.