Admission Requirements
For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.
Applicants who are still completing their baccalaureate requirements at the time of application may be admitted to the Graduate School conditional on the awarding of the baccalaureate degree.
What You Need
Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee. Applicants who are in the military qualify for an application fee waiver. Contact us to request the military fee waiver code. You will need to upload the following items as part of your application:
Official transcripts from each institution attended, regardless of the number of credits or semesters completed. Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Penn State alumni do not need to request transcripts for credits earned at Penn State, but must list Penn State as part of your academic history. If you are admitted, you will be asked to send an additional official transcript. You will receive instructions at that time.
GPA — An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred.
GRE or GMAT test scores are NOT required.
English Proficiency — The language of instruction at Penn State is English. With some exceptions, international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum test scores and exceptions are found in the English Proficiency section on the Graduate School's "Requirements for Graduate Admission" page. Visit the TOEFL website for testing information. Penn State's institutional code is 2660.
Reference (1) — You will need to initiate the process through the online application by entering the name, email address, and mailing address of one professional reference. Upon submission of your application, an email will be sent to your reference requesting they complete a brief online recommendation regarding your readiness for graduate study and confirming you meet the requisite minimum of one year of work experience. Please inform your reference that they must submit the form in order for your application to be complete.
Program-Specific Questions/Materials
Résumé — Upload your résumé to the online application. One year of full-time work experience (or its equivalent) is preferred; however, students who meet all other requirements will be considered with less than the preferred minimum.
Short-answer Questions — Applicants will be asked to briefly respond to the following 5 questions within the graduate application. The answers to these questions will allow the admissions committee to get to know more about you, your goals, and experiences.
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals and how do you expect this program to impact those career goals?
- Discuss your strategy of how you will shape the program to support your professional aspirations.
- Tell us about your leadership style and provide a supporting example.
- Explain how you are prepared/preparing to succeed in an online graduate program. Discuss your strategies, and perceived challenges, that you may have related to time management, and plans for how you will handle unexpected changes/interruptions to your schedule.
- Give an example of a time in which you received professional constructive criticism. What was it, who did it come from, and how did you apply it going forward?
If you need clarification on any of the above questions, please reach out to the program office at [email protected]. We're here to help.
Start Your Application
You can begin your online application at any time. Your progress within the online application system will be saved as you go, allowing you to return at any point as you gather additional information and required materials.
Begin the graduate school application
- Select Enrollment Type: "Degree Admission"
- Choose "WORLD CAMPUS" as the campus
- Select "Human Resources and Employment Relations" as the major
Checking Your Status
You can check the status of your application by using the same login information established for the online application form.
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this degree program.
