Community and Economic Development

Students with a 3.00 average (on a 4.00 scale) for the most recent two years of college/university education, or with an advanced degree, and with appropriate course and experiential backgrounds will be considered for admission. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 grade-point average may be made for students with special backgrounds, experience, abilities, and interests. The best-qualified applicants will be accepted to the graduate program.

Admission requirements include the following:

• 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\xc2\x92s 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.

• Statement of purpose describing professional experiences and education, career goals, and how the MPS program will enable the applicant to meet their objectives

• Current resume

• Three letters of recommendation

• Two sets of official transcripts from educational institutions attended for undergraduate or graduate degree work

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, if applicable. The language of instruction at Penn State is English. 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), with the exceptions listed below The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-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 completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Purposes) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. 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 graduate 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.