Nuclear Engineering - Graduate Level Distance Education

What is it?
Distance education involves the linking of teacher(s) and student(s), through technology rather than face-to-face interaction. Distance education serves the educational needs of people who cannot come to a Penn State campus due to job, family, time, distance, economic, or other constraints.

Penn State’s first distance education courses, developed over one hundred years ago, used the U.S. mail to link students and teachers. Today, we employ various technologies, including: the Internet, CDs, DVDs, interactive video conferencing, live or on-demand streaming media, videotapes, fax, and e-mail to deliver and facilitate the interaction between learners and teachers. The tremendous technological advances in recent years in computing power, storage technology, and communication links have set the stage for marvelous advances in the quantity and quality of distance education. Penn State faculty and staff are working to bring you new and exciting learning opportunities through distance education.

How do I get started?

It is very important that you follow the steps in this order.

1. Create a “Friends of Penn State” (FPS) computer account. There is no charge for this but you will need this account to apply to the graduate school and to register for a course.

When you go to the link below, click on “Create an Account.” After you have completed the information (make sure you write down your password!) and hit submit, you will instantly receive an ID.

You will need this ID to complete Step 2.

>> Friends of Penn State

2. Apply as a part-time non-degree graduate student. You must do this before you register for a course or you will NOT receive graduate credit. There are fees and specific instructions you must follow when completing your application. It is a lengthy process and will take at least 15 minutes to complete. After you go to the site below, carefully read all the directions.

>> The Graduate School Application Instructions

You will be permitted to take up to 12 credits as a part time non-degree graduate student. When you reach 15 credits, you will be asked to reapply as a degree seeking graduate student if you meet the program requirements.

>> The Graduate School Admissions Portal

Use your FPS ID and Password to enter this site.
You can also get to this online applcation from a link within the instructions.

It is important that you correctly fill out the Campus / Major / Degree / Semester Information page.
(see sample below)

Click on image for larger view.

3. Next you must notify the Office of Continuing & Distance Education in the College of Engineering of your FPS ID and that you have submitted your part time non-degree graduate application. To do this please complete the form below:

>> Student Pre-Registration Form

This fill-in-the-blank form can be submitted online as an email attachment or printed, then faxed or mailed.

4. Go to the Course Schedule and click on the course you wish to take.

This will give you the course registration form, textbook information, and a Penn State Computer Access Account (CAC) application. You are required to apply for a full student computer account when you register for a course. Your FPS account will not allow you to access all Penn State information.

Mail, fax or send both the registration form and the CAC form to:

Deb Zimmerman
Penn State University
Room 301-A Engr Unit C
University Park, PA 16802

fax (814) 865-3969
email dlz1@psu.edu

5. Order your textbook from the vendor of your choice. Textbook information is on the course site.