Financial Assistance

Applications and Financial Assistance

Applications for admission to the graduate program in computer science and engineering will be accepted year-round. Most students begin their studies in the fall semester. Applicants may indicate on their forms that they intend to seek a Ph.D. degree; it is not necessary to have a master's degree first. Applicants applying to the master's program may later switch to the Ph.D. program. Preference for financial support is given to those applying for the Ph.D. program. Furthermore, students applying for and gaining admittance to the Ph.D. program will not be permitted to switch to the master's program at a later date, except under extenuating circumstances.

Applications for admission to graduate studies and applications for financial assistance must be filed separately as described below. Please read and follow these instructions carefully; submission of applications and/or forms to the proper office is essential. Information sent to the wrong address could result in missed deadlines and undue delay in processing your application.

The application forms for admission to graduate studies at Penn State can be obtained from the department's website:

The application can be submitted as follows:

• Electronic Application - This format is the ONLY way to apply. Applying electronically (online) reduces the processing time and receipt of your application is assured.
  

All application fees must be submitted to the following address: 

Graduate Enrollment Services
The Pennsylvania State University
114 Kern Building
University Park, PA 16802-3391

ONLY mail official transcripts and Visa documentation to the CSE graduate office in 342 Information Sciences and Technology Building, University Park, PA 16802.

Those students seeking an assistantship in Computer Science and Engineering ARE REQUIRED to submit an American English Oral Communicative Proficiency Test (AEOCPT) or TOEFL iBT. A score of 26 on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT is equivalent to passing the AEOCPT. A lower score would require remedial English as a Second Language courses. For score reporting for TOEFL and AEOCPT, our institution code is 2660 and our department code is 78.

English Proficiency--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, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Specific graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.

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.

Specific graduate programs may require all international applicants to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score, regardless of their academic background and country of origin.

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.

Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) are REQUIRED for all applicants (including those applying for assistantships) prior to admission; a copy must be sent directly to the Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Office in 342 Information Sciences and Technology Building. As stated earlier, the subject test GRE is not required but is strongly recommended. Applicants are expected to have strong GRE scores and an undergraduate junior-senior grade-point average comfortably above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Application forms for departmental teaching and research assistantships must be obtained from, completed, and submitted by the electronic application.

About sixty percent of the graduate students in the department now receive financial assistance of some sort. The projected starting salary for half-time assistants is $15,120 for fall and spring semesters, and it increases to a maximum of $16,245 (based on experience and duties). Tuition fees, the computer fee, the College of Engineering surcharge, and 80% of health insurance coverage is included with a teaching and/or research assistantship. A half-time assistant is expected to work approximately twenty hours per week and must schedule 9 to 12 credits per semester. Only a few summer assistantships are available to qualified students.