Penn State School of International Affairs

How to Apply

The School of International Affairs [SIA] will begin reviewing applications in November for the 2010-2011 academic year. With a rolling admissions cycle, SIA will continue to admit qualified applicants until all seats in the program are filled. Currently, the School of International Affairs only admits students during fall semesters.

All applicants will need to complete/submit the following, in order to be considered for admission into the School of International Affairs:

The Graduate School's online application
Two letters of recommendation
Current Resume or CV
Two official transcripts from all previous institutions
Official GRE Score report (LSAT acceptable for law student applicants)
GMAT scores will be accepted in place of GRE scores, under special circumstances
A Statement of Purpose that details:
- the applicant’s academic/vocational background and goals
- any international/intercultural interests, experiences, or training
- an area or areas of interest on which the applicant wishes to focus while in the program
- any type of internship and job placement the applicant hopes to achieve during and after enrollment in the program
- the applicant’s specialized skills (language proficiency, research, etc….)
- the applicant as a person/student and why they are a good candidate for admission to the School of International Affairs

Please note: International applicants who have not earned a degree from an institution where English is the language of instruction must also submit the following items:

Proof of English proficiency through one of the following tests —
1. A minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS
  OR
2. A minimum TOEFL score of —
  - 550 from the Paper-based test, or
  - 213 from the Computer-based test, or
  - 80 from the Internet-based test (applicants with a score of 19 or higher on the speaking sub-section will be considered for admission, though a score of 23 or higher is desirable)
Two official English versions of your transcripts along with two official transcripts in your native language
Any official certificates of completion or graduation (not the diploma itself), if such documents are normally issued by universities in your country

Letters of Recommendation, Resumes, and Statements of Purpose are uploaded via The Graduate School’s online application. Anyone writing a letter of recommendation who does not have access to e-mail may instead send letters by post to the address listed below. GRE, TOEFL, or IELTS scores are sent directly to Penn State by supplying the testing agency with Penn State’s institutional code number: 2660. No secondary departmental code is necessary for submitted test scores to reach the School of International Affairs' admissions committee.

Please send all official transcripts to:
Stewart Combs
Director of Admissions
School of International Affairs
Pennsylvania State University
122C Katz Building
University Park, PA 16802

Please direct any admissions or application questions to: jsc7@psu.edu.

You will find information regarding application fees and detailed How To Apply information on the Graduate School Web site.