Course Information

• Acoustics Engineering
• Homeland Security
• Geographic Information Systems
• Geospatial Intelligence
• Bioterrorism Preparedness
• Disaster Preparedness
• Supply Chain and Information Systems
• Nuclear Engineering

Please choose your topic of interest:

• Tuition and Fees
• Time Commitment
• Types of Courses
• Student Forms
• Registering for a Course
• Types of Students
• Payment Options
• Financial Aid
• Graduation
• Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course
• Deferred Grades
• Course Registration Limits

Tuition and Fees

Your education costs will differ depending on:

• the type of course(s) you're taking
• your eligibility for financial aid, scholarships, or other types of aid, such as employer reimbursement
• the materials/software required
• any additional actions you might take (e.g., dropping a course; ordering transcripts)
• level of courses taken

The following is a general list of the types of costs you might encounter as a student. The information is for planning purposes only — for the most up-to-date costs associated with your program or course of interest, please contact us.

Tuition and Fees	Amount	Payment Due
Application Fee	$45 to $50	Varies by program. (one-time, nonrefundable costs due when you apply for admission to a degree program)
Acoustics Engineering Tuition	$730 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Master's in Engineering in Systems Engineering	$825 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Master's in Homeland Security Tuition	$730 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Master's in Geographic Information Systems Tuition	$581 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Postbacc. Certificate in Geographic Information Systems Tuition	$581 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Postbacc. Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence Tuition	$650 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Grad. Certificate in Bioterrorism Preparedness Tuition	$730 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Grad. Certificate in Disaster Preparedness Tuition	$730 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Master's in Supply Chain Management	$730 per credit*	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Grad. Certificate in Supply Chain and Information Systems	$730 per credit*	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Nuclear Engineering Tuition	$650 per credit	Tuition due at the time of registration.
Information Technology Fee	$110 per year	Due at first course registration each year
Course Materials	$150 (estimated)	Be sure to register for your course before purchasing your course materials.
Contact us with questions about your course options.

*Tuition and fees for the 2008–2009 academic year will be set by the University Board of Trustees in late spring to early summer 2008. For planning purposes, use $900 per credit.

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*Please see our course materials policy page for important course materials information.

Additional (Potential) Fees

• Course Late Drop Fee: $6 per course (nonrefundable)
• Exam Proctor Fee: not all proctors charge, but some do
• Late Registration Fee: $250 (nonrefundable)
• Returned Check Fee: $10 per check (nonrefundable)
• Transcript Fee: $6 (requested through eLion or the University Registrar's office)

Invest in your Future

Time Commitment

All of your course activities, assignments, and exams must be completed by your course ending date. The typical length of a course depends on the type of course:

• Online Group Courses — Typically 12 to 15 weeks
• Online Individual: One-Semester Courses — Typically 12 to 15 weeks

How much time should I spend per week on my course(s)?

World Campus courses are designed with your busy schedule in mind, providing the flexibility you need to study at the time most convenient to you. Many of our students have found success spending 2 to 4 hours per credit per week on their courses; using a 3-credit undergraduate course as an example, this means studying 6 to 12 hours per week. Upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate-level courses will likely require more time per week.

How long will it take me to finish my program?

Unfortunately, this is not an easy question to answer. There are many factors (e.g., transfer credits, course load per semester) that influence program completion time. Some students are able to complete 12 credits every year — others more than 20 credits. You should work at a manageable pace that best fits your schedule and your life circumstances.

Types of Courses

Penn State World Campus distance education courses offer a variety of delivery methods that will determine how your course(s) work. In all cases, you will be given information about how to contact your instructor and submit your lessons.

Student Forms

• Access Account Acceptance and Authorization Statement
• Course Registration Form
• Online Placement Testing Request Form
• Proctor Information Form
• Undergraduate Nondegree Application

Registering for a Course

1. Fill out the Registration Form.
2. Mail, phone, or fax the course registration forms to:
   
   World Campus
   The Pennsylvania State University
   128 Outreach Building
   University Park  PA 16802  USA
   
   Phone: 800-252-3592 (toll-free within the United States), 814-865-5403 (international calls)
   Fax: 814-865-3290
3. Pay for your course with a credit card, check, money order, or authorization invoice. You can do this by phone or mail.
4. Notification
   1. Once all of the materials are processed, we will mail you a welcome packet with course material and instructor information within 48 hours. If you haven't received the welcome packet within 7 to 10 business days after your registration date, please contact us immediately.
   2. If we have questions about your registration we will contact you within 3 to 5 business days by e-mail or by phone.

Types of Students

Penn State Student at Other Campus Location
If you are a Penn State degree student at another Penn State campus, you will need to talk with your academic adviser before registering for a World Campus course to ensure that the course(s) you want to take will meet your degree requirements.

World Campus courses apply in the same way as on-campus courses toward your semester and cumulative GPAs, your transcripts, and your semester enrollment credits.

• You do not need to change your campus location to register for World Campus courses.
• You do not need to enroll in a World Campus program to take a World Campus course.
• You may enroll in World Campus courses while on a leave of absence from the University depending upon your situation. Please call your academic adviser if you have questions.

If you are a current Penn State student at another campus location (other than World Campus) and would like to register for a World Campus course, please see the registration section of this page.


Former Penn State Student Who Did Not Graduate
Students who left Penn State at one time or another for academic or personal reasons are welcome to enroll in World Campus courses and/or apply for a World Campus degree program. Contact us for more information, as your individual situation will determine the appropriate steps required to admit you into one of our degree programs or enroll you in our courses.

Payment Options

There are several payment options available to you:

1. Personal Payment: You may pay by check, money order, or credit card. We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
2. Authorization to Bill Employer: If your employer has a program or budget for employee education, you may be able to pay for your education this way. To do so, a formal, written authorization to bill your employer must be submitted prior to registration. Your employer must then pay your tuition bill within 60 days.
3. Military Options: A wide variety of educational funding programs is offered by the U.S. armed forces. To discuss which programs are suitable for your specific situation, contact Penn State's Office of Veterans Programs.

For detailed information about how to pay for your online courses, contact Student Services.

Financial Aid

Payment Plans
Your World Campus course tuition and fees must be paid in full when you register for your course(s). Important: If you are a Penn State on-campus student, the tuition is not included as part of standard University tuition, so you will need to pay for your World Campus distance education courses at the time you register for them.

Financial Aid
Penn State World Campus degree students who are taking at least 6 credits per semester, and who meet all other federal eligibility requirements, may be eligible to receive federal student aid. Visit the World Campus page of the Penn State Office of Student Aid for more information.

Once there, select "Contact Us" in the orange toolbar at the top of the page to contact a student aid counselor. A Web form will appear that asks you to "choose the subject that best describes your question." Select "World Campus" from the pull-down menu.

• Scholarships
• Other types of aid

Graduation

To graduate, you must satisfy all the University, college, and major requirements that were in effect at the time of your most recent admission, or re-enrollment, as a degree candidate to the University.

Process:

1. It is your responsibility to notify the University of your intent to graduate (policy 86-00).
2. Confirm the activation period on the Academic Calendar for the dates when you can activate your intent to graduate.
3. Using the "Graduating this Semester" application on eLion, you can set or remove your intent.
4. After the activation period expires you must contact the appropriate college office or Graduate Enrollment Services to activate or remove your intent to graduate.

If you are planning to graduate, you should communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. If you have a proctored final exam, you should plan to have your proctor send the final exam express or priority mail, at your expense, to ensure the instructor has sufficient time to assign a final course grade.

Some colleges require that all course work be completed four weeks prior to graduation. Please check with your dean's office for more details.

Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course

Registration is a continuous process at Penn State. While exceptional circumstances may necessitate the need to process schedule changes after classes begin, students are encouraged to finalize all schedule changes prior to the first day of the semester. Once the semester begins, the process of changing the student's course schedule is referred to as dropping/adding courses (policy 34-89). There are financial issues to consider when dropping courses. Before making any registration changes, consult with your academic adviser.

Dropping a Course During Regular Drop/Add Period

The drop/add period is the period of time at the start of each course when dropping and adding a course can be made without penalty. Dropping and adding a course during this time means that:

• Length of drop/add period is ten days during fall/spring full-semester courses and is a calculated proportional length for all other courses
• No fee

See also: Refund Policy, Tuition Adjustment Policy

Late Dropping a Course

Students dropping a course after the regular drop/add period and before the end of late drop date (policy 34-89) can drop a course with certain restrictions and requirements. They are:

• $6 fee for each transaction
• Courses are recorded on the student record
• Late drop credit limitations during academic career:
  • baccalaureate degree — 16 credits
  • associate degree — 10 credits
  • nondegree — 10 credits

See also: Refund Policy, Tuition Adjustment Policy

Deferred Grades

If as a Penn State student you are prevented, for reasons beyond your control, from completing a course within the prescribed time frame, you have the option of requesting a deferred grade from your instructor.

You will need to work directly with your instructor to obtain an extension.

If your request is approved, you will be granted a 60-day extension to your course ending date.

When you complete your course, your instructor will assign your grade. If, however, you do not complete your course and the final grade is not assigned within the given time period, the office of the University Registrar will assign a grade of F to your academic record.
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Course Registration Limits

For most working adults, learning at a distance is a new academic learning environment. We recommend that first-time distance education students generally take no more than 6 credits at one time. This helps most of our students have a successful learning experience. Once you've completed your first course(s), you should consult with your academic adviser if you would like to take more than 6 credits in any given semester.