Applicants for admission to Penn State who have earned at least 18 credits from another
institution after graduating from high school are considered as advanced-standing or transfer applicants.
Relevant information for applicants in this category is available from the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Applicants who had at any time been admitted to degree
status and taken courses at Penn State and wish to return to Penn State after an absence in which they may have
taken courses elsewhere must apply for re-enrollment and consult with the Office of the University Registrar about the process.
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DEADLINES FOR APPLICANTS
For applicants wishing to begin in fall semester, applications with complete
credentials must be filed by June 15. For a spring semester start, December 1 is the deadline and
for a summer session start, April 15 is the deadline.
Applications with complete credentials must be filed with the Undergraduate Admissions Office by the deadline.
The applications of those who qualify and who have filed on time will be forwarded to the office
of the Assistant Dean for Student Services for admission consideration.
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QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION AS A TRANSFER STUDENT (WITH ADVANCED STANDING)
Academic performance in all baccalaureate-level courses (even those that were
repeated) will be used to determine whether an offer of admission will be made. The minimum grade
point average for consideration for admission will be determined annually and will depend on the
number of attempted and completed credits, the eligibility of the applicant for a major in the
College, and the major being requested.
In order to be considered for admission directly into
an available major in the College of Engineering,
applicants must have completed approximately two years
of relevant baccalaureate-level courses. In addition,
a minimum grade of "C" must be earned in at
least 8 credits of calculus (Calculus I and II), a 4-credit
calculus-based physics (mechanics) course (including
a lab), and a 3-credit general chemistry course. For
students wishing to qualify for computer science,
an intermediate programming course with a minimum grade
of "C"
is required instead of the chemistry course, in addition
to the calculus and physics credits.
Applicants who are not eligible for a major and/or have less than two years
of relevant baccalaureate-level course work should apply for the common year category, ENGR.
Applicants admitted as transfer students to the common year category are offered admission to a
location other than University Park. For information about admission to a major from the
common year category, please refer to that section described in Student Actions. Applicants offered
admission directly to a major at University Park are expected to come there.
Offers of transfer admission to the pre-major or common year status (ENGR) are
generally made only for summer session and fall semester. Spring admission is not available to
students who have completed sufficient course work to be eligible for a major at the completion
of that spring semester.
Applicants for associate degree or technology baccalaureate programs should
consult the School of Engineering Design,
Technology, and Professional Programs SEDTAPP).
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MAJORS UNDER ENROLLMENT CONTROL
With some exceptions, qualified students will be considered for admission with advanced standing
directly to a College of Engineering major. There are, however, some majors that are under enrollment
control. These are the majors that have an enrollment limit so that only a certain number of students
are admitted to the major each year. Unfortunately, not all Penn State students who wish these majors
may be accommodated. Therefore, no transfer applicants are admitted to the majors under enrollment
control with some exceptions for students from institutions that have a 3-2 agreement with the
College of Engineering. The majors that are under enrollment control and therefore do not accept
direct transfer applicants are: Aerospace Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Bioengineering,
Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Students admitted directly to other majors in the
College of Engineering or to any other College at Penn State will not, at
any time, be able to change to a major under enrollment control.
Architectural Engineering is not available at any time
to students admitted as transfer to the pre-major status (ENGR). Qualified students who were
admitted to ENGR status and who request Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, Civil Engineering,
or Mechanical Engineering during the entrance-to-major process will be considered for those majors
based on their GPA after completing at least two semesters at Penn State as ENGR students.
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TRANSFER CREDITS
Credits for all transferable courses taken at accredited institutions in which a minimum grade of "C"
(2.00 grade points on a 4.00 scale) was earned will be transferred to a student's Penn State academic
record. However, only the credits transfer, not the grades, once an offer of admission has been accepted.
Credits for transferred courses will appear in one of two ways. If a course taken at another institution
is sufficiently similar to a Penn State course, it will transfer as the Penn State course and will appear
as such on the student's transcript. If not, it will appear as general credits in the subject matter.
The use of transferred credits, be they for Penn State numbered courses or general credit, depends on
each student's academic program at Penn State. Not all or any of the transfer credits may be useful to
meet a student's degree requirements. Each student, therefore, must work with his or her adviser to
determine if and how any of the transfer credits may be used to meet the degree requirements for their
major. It is the student's responsibility to arrange such a discussion with his or her adviser as soon
as possible after accepting the offer of admission. Students admitted to a major with a high number
of transfer credits should go to Transferring a High Number of Credits for
the relevant policy on the use of such credits.
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ADVISING & SCHEDULING
Transfer students admitted to the pre-major status (ENGR) should contact the College of Engineering
faculty representative at their campus location and
arrange a meeting. Students should discuss the use of their transfer credits and schedule relevant courses
for their first semester at Penn State accordingly. A copy of the Undergraduate Programs Guide should
also be requested. ENGR students starting at University Park should contact the
Engineering Advising Center to do the same thing with an
adviser there.
Students admitted directly into a major should contact their major department to inquire about their
assigned faculty adviser. They should request an appointment with their adviser, as soon as possible,
to discuss the use of transfer credits to meet their degree requirements and to schedule for their
first semester at Penn State. Transfer students should also request their department's student handbook,
which describes the degree requirements for their major.
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ON-CAMPUS HOUSING AT UNIVERSITY PARK
Please visit Housing, Food Services & Residence
Life for information about availabilities of on-campus housing at University Park and about the
application process. Go to Special Housing Options for information about
on-campus living options associated with the College of Engineering.
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