Getting Started
To help you manage the application process, our online application management system will provide you with complete details for the requirements of your application portfolio—and will even help you track your progress. To begin the application process, visit the application page.
The application portfolio includes the following items submitted online:
- application form (completed and submitted online)
- $45 application fee (which can be submitted through a secure credit card payment)
- Official GRE test scores will be considered if submitted, but are not required. GRE scores can be submitted using System's Engineering code — 2723
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score, if required; submit your official score using Penn State's institutional code — 2660.
and the following items submitted via mail:
- statement of intent
- résumé
- recommendation letter
- 2 official transcripts from each undergraduate institution attended (Penn State even has a convenient transcripts request form. Penn State alumni do not need to request transcripts for credits earned at Penn State.)
Your materials can be submitted to:
Penn State Great Valley Admissions Office
Main Building
30 E. Swedesford Road
Malvern PA 19355
Phone: 610-648-3282
Fax: 610-725-5296
E-mail: sysenonline@psu.edu
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 was not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with exceptions noted in the next paragraph. The TOEFL is offered in different formats depending on your location. A score of at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL or 213 on the computer-based TOEFL must be attained. A total score of 80 and a score of 20 on the speaking portion are required for the Internet-based test (iBT). Scores must be sent directly to Penn State (code 2660). You can find out more about the exam by visiting the TOEFL Web site or by calling 609-771-7100.
Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a master's degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.
Prerequisites
Applicants to the program must have a 4-year bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, or a related discipline and must have successfully completed at least 2 semesters of calculus.
Technical Requirements
Applicants should also possess a working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and should have reliable access to a computer and the Internet to successfully complete the degree.
