How to Apply

Application Deadline is January 15^st!

The Graduate School Application must be submitted electronically.

• Electronic Application

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the following required forms. If you do not currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click on the icon which will take you to the Adobe site to obtain the free software.

Important: The following documents must be completed in addition to the official graduate school application. Please download the additional documents which may be in PDF.

• View and Print or Type On and Print Transcript Request Form
• View and Print Mathematics Course List

Once you have completed the graduate school application process, follow the instructions below:

Mail the following to:

Graduate Enrollment Services
The Pennsylvania State University
114 Kern Building
University Park, PA 16802

• Non-refundable application fee.
  (Applications without fees cannot be processed.)
  • Make check payable to The Pennsylvania State University.
  • International money order or a check must be drawn on a U.S. bank.
  • Cancelled check serves as your receipt.
  • Do not send cash.
  • Please attach generated Fee Form if you filed your application electronically, and you did not pay by credit card.

Mail the following to:

Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Mathematics
Penn State University
104D McAllister Building
University Park, PA 16802-6401

• Two official transcripts from all institutions of higher institutions attended, both undergraduate and graduate.
  • International applicants must submit official or attested university records, with certified translations if the records are not in English.
  • Notarized copies are not sufficient.
  • Choose a Transcript Request Form link from above for a transcript request form.
• Scores from the Graduate Record Examination, both the general examination and the advanced mathematics subject test are required.
  • Penn State code: 2660
  • Mathematics Department code: 0703
  http://www.ets.org/
• *Scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are required of all non-native English speakers.
  This is a Graduate School requirement, and the minimum scores are:
  TOEFL: 550 (paper test)
  213 (computer-based test)
  80-19 on the speaking section (internet-based test)
  Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires an institutional test of English proficiency upon first enrollment and, if necessary, remedial course work.
  IELTS: 6.5
  It is highly suggested that applicants who completed their undergraduate degrees in countries where English is not the language of instruction take the Test of Spoken English (TSE).

The following documents may now be uploaded to the Graduate School Electronic Application and do not need to be sent to the Mathematics Department separately.

• At least three letters of recommendation from persons who are familiar with the applicant's qualifications to study graduate mathematics. We do not require / supply forms for letters of recommendation. We request plain text letters from recommenders. On the Graduate School application, letters are requested to be uploaded electronically. The individuals that you list will receive an email from the Graduate School with the necessary information for them to upload the documents. If you would like to add additional references, you may email all the required information to gradstudies@math.psu.edu and the reference information will be added and the additional reference will receive the notification from the Graduate School.
• Personal statement of purpose.
• A brief description of the junior, senior and graduate level mathematics courses which the applicant will have completed upon entering graduate school. The description should include the course name, subject matter covered, text(s), instructor and the grade received.
• Resume/CV
• Research document/papers. This is OPTIONAL. This is provided for those applicants who have written research documents and/or papers and would like to include them with their application packet.

Note: Please do not submit information with your application that cannot be used in the admission decision process, e.g., Individual Education Plans (IEPs), medical records, statements from physicians or psychologists, or legal documents. Such information will be returned by your intended program of study.

*TOEFL Information: The language of instruction at Penn State is English. 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), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires an institutional test of English proficiency upon first enrollment and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.

International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a masters 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.

Information about the TOEFL can be obtained by writing to the Educational Testing Service, Box 6155, Princeton, NJ 08541-6155 or visiting their web site at www.toefl.org. Local administration at University Park campus of the TOEFL is handled by the IECP. Information about the IELTS can be obtained by contacting IELTS International, 100 East Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103 or visiting its Web site at www.ielts.org .