The College of IST offers automatic acceptance into one of the college’s M.S. or M.P.S. degree programs and will waive the application fee for any graduate from an IST bachelor’s degree program with a 3.5 GPA or higher. This offer is good for 2 years after graduating from an IST program (any PSU campus). Eligible applicants should contact istgradprograms@psu.edu for verification and issuance of the waiver.

Application Timeline

• June 15: Graduate applications open
• March 1: Final deadline for applications, including test scores, recommendation letters and supplemental application materials.
• May-August: The Masters Recruiting Committee begins reviewing applications on a rolling basis until spaces are filled. Admission decisions are sent via email as they are made. Only those applicants with a complete application will be sent an offer.

Start Your Application

How to Apply

1. Complete the online application to The Graduate School at Penn State. All applicants must satisfy the requirements for graduate admission.
2. Upload a Statement of Interest. Please include a written personal motivational statement in your application to share information that you deem important to your candidacy. You may wish to describe aspects of your background and interests—intellectual, personal and/or professional—and how you will uniquely contribute to the IST community and/or the related profession. As a suggested length, limit your statement to one (1) or no more than two (2) pages, double-spaced. At the top of each page please indicate "STATEMENT OF INTEREST," along with your name, numbering each page.
3. Arrange for two letters of recommendation to be submitted. Using the electronic application, applicants will enter the references' contact information. The Graduate School will contact the reference with instructions on how to upload a letter of recommendation.
4. Upload a complete resume or curriculum vitae, which should include current positions and publications.
5. Upload an Original Sample of Written Expression. Please include a brief sample illustrating your writing skills, organization and clarity, critical thinking, and consistent use of citations and references. This may be extracted from a previous academic paper (e.g., class essay, dissertation, thesis, journal article, capstone project, research paper) or work-related report (e.g., white papers, policy briefs, news articles and grant applications). If part of a group report, only include the part for which you were responsible, and/or include a note explaining the document’s context your authorship. As a suggested length, limit your sample to no more than ten (10) pages, double-spaced, even if extracted from a longer piece. At the top of each page please indicate "WRITING SAMPLE," along with your name, numbering each page.
6. Upload official transcripts from each institution attended. Upon acceptance of an offer of admission, hard copies of official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution(s) attended to The Graduate School for verification. International applicants should submit transcripts in English and their native language.
7. International applicants must arrange for TOEFL iBT scores to be sent electronically from ETS to The Graduate School (institution code 2660). Please visit the Graduate School website for English proficiency exceptions. The College of IST will accept IELTS scores, but TOEFL iBT scores are preferred.

Resources

• Review the Graduate Research Assistantship Opportunities page for funding information and available opportunities.
• Reference our M.S. Frequently Asked Questions for inquiries about the admission and application process
• Check the status of your application throughout the admission process
• Contact the College of IST’s Office of Graduate Programs for assistance