Pennsylvania State University

Penn State, founded in 1855 as an agricultural college, admitted its first class in 1859. The Pennsylvania legislature designated Penn State as the Commonwealth's sole land-grant institution in 1863, which eventually broadened the University?s mission to include teaching, research, and public service in many academic disciplines. Penn State has awarded more than a half-million degrees, and has been Pennsylvania's largest source of baccalaureate degrees at least since the 1930s. Although the University is privately chartered by the Commonwealth, it was from the outset considered an instrumentality of the state, that is, it carries out many of the functions of a public institution and promotes the general welfare of the citizenry. The Governor and other representatives of the Commonwealth have held seats on Penn State's Board of Trustees since the University's founding, and the legislature has made regular appropriations in support of the University's mission since 1887. Today Penn State is one of four state-related universities (along with the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Lincoln University), institutions that are not state-owned and -operated but that have the character of public universities and receive substantial state appropriations. With its administrative and research hub at the University Park campus, Penn State has 23 additional locations across Pennsylvania and Penn State World Campus, which provides on-line degree offerings. While some of the these locations, such as the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, have specialized academic roles, they all adhere to a common overall mission and set of core values and strategic goals.

The Graduate School at Penn State is one of the largest in the nation with more than 14,000 graduate students enrolled at the University Park and Harrisburg campuses and at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Penn State Great Valley; College of Medicine at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Certain professional degree programs (M.Eng., M.Agr., M.Ed., etc.) are also offered off-campus and through the Penn State World Campus.

We take pride in being one of the largest graduate schools in the nation. In fact, the Graduate School has awarded 129,809 graduate degrees to date. In addition, we are proud of our exemplary faculty and high-quality degree programs, many of which are nationally ranked.

The Graduate School is committed to ensuring that all individuals regardless of ethnicity, gender, or other personal characteristics are afforded the opportunity to achieve their full potential as scholars and professionals. Our international enrollment has increased to an all-time high with more than 3,132 students from China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Japan, Canada, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Germany and a host of other countries. Furthermore, we are particularly proud of our efforts directed toward increasing the enrollment of underrepresented graduate students. http://gradschool.psu.edu/about-us/