The Penn State World Campus network spans the globe, with students and alumni originating from all seven continents — including Antarctica. That means your Penn State education will be recognized worldwide. If you are an international student, please review the following information to determine what documentation you will need to apply. If you have additional questions after reviewing the information, please contact us.

Language Proficiency

All Penn State business, including course instruction, is conducted in English; a proficiency in English is required for all students.

Undergraduate programs: International students whose native language is not English must submit proof of English language proficiency. Please refer to the "English Language Proficiency" section of the Undergraduate Admissions International Requirements page to learn more.

Graduate programs: All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). See the English Proficiency section of the Graduate School’s How to Apply page to learn more about acceptable scores and exceptions to this requirement.

Academic Records

Undergraduate programs: All documentation should be submitted in the original language. Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified, line-by-line, literal English translation. Please refer to the Academic Records section of the Undergraduate Admissions International Requirements page to learn more.

Graduate programs: The requirements for degree and certificate programs vary:

• All degree applicants are required to submit official transcripts and diplomas for each postsecondary institution attended. These records and any other requirements must be mailed directly to your graduate program. Find your program on the admissions requirements page to find the mailing address. International applicants must submit official or attested university records, with certified translations if those records are not in English. Notarized copies are not sufficient.
• Certificate applicants may be required to submit documentation in order to be considered for admission. Check the admission requirements for your certificate program to view specific requirements. If documentation is required, it must be mailed to the graduate certificate program using the mailing address found on the certificate program Admissions page. If university records are required for admission, international students must submit official or attested university records, with certified translations if those records are not in English. Notarized copies are not sufficient.

Applying to a Program

Undergraduate programs: Admissions requirements (including evaluation of transcripts and transfer credits) for undergraduate degree programs are available on the Undergraduate Admissions web page for International Applicants.

Graduate programs: For admission to the Graduate School, international applicants must have a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. Information about admissions requirements for graduate programs can be found on the "Admissions" page within each degree or certificate program pages.

Important: Some of our graduate-level business programs (e.g., iMBA and Project Management) require travel to the United States to fulfill particular degree requirements.

Tuition and Fees Payment

Payments from students living outside the United States must be in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank.