Admissions

---

• Prerequisites and Getting Started
• Technical Requirements
• Applying

Prerequisites and Getting Started

To pursue the certificate in geospatial intelligence you must be admitted by 2 Penn State organizations:

1. Penn State Graduate School
2. Penn State Department of Geography
res

If you have questions throughout the admissions process, please contact our admissions counselors.

The geospatial intelligence certificate program admissions committee reviews applications based on the criteria below. Please review the certificate program deadlines for information about when applications are reviewed.

The committee ranks applications based upon the following admissions criteria, which are listed in order of importance:

1. Statement of professional experience and goals. This 1-2 page original statement should include a description of your professional experience, preferably related to the use of geography in the decision making process, as well as a clear statement of how your professional goals may be advanced through participation in the GEOINT program. The statement itself should demonstrate your communication skills.
2. Résumé. A résumé should also be submitted and should include contact information for 2 references.
3. Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended to date. Transcripts must arrive in envelopes sealed by registrar in order to qualify for consideration. International Applicants: Transcripts/records must be in the official language of the institution(s) attended, but if that language is not English you must also send official English translations.
4. Additional criteria:
   • Baccalaureate degree—In addition to these criteria, the Graduate School requires applicants to possess any baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution earned under residence and credit conditions substantially equivalent to those required by Penn State. Contact the Graduate School if unsure whether your school qualifies.
   • International applicants whose first language is not English or who have received a baccalaureate or master's degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is not English, please refer to the English Proficiency section the graduate school Web site.

Enrollments in the GEOINT program are limited. The GEOINT program admissions committee will select incoming classes of no more than 35 students per intake period. The best qualified applicants will be admitted.

Applications that are ranked highly, but not highly enough for immediate admission, may be retained for consideration in a subsequent application pool.

Technical Requirements

Review the technical requirements on the Geographic Information Systems Web site.

Applying

1. After reading through the admissions requirements above, start the application process.
2. Submit transcripts to the Geospatial Intelligence Committee by surface mail.
   
   Two official transcripts from each college or university attended to date
   
   The transcripts should be addressed to:
   
   The Pennsylvania State University
   GEOINT Program Admissions—ATTN: Sue Spaugh
   Dutton e-Education Institute
   2217 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building
   University Park PA 16802
3. International applicants must submit their TOEFL scores according to the instructions above for international applicants under "additional criteria."

For questions and further inquiries contact geoint@geog.psu.edu or call 814-863-1590.