The College of Communications at Penn State is the largest nationally accredited communications program in the country. As such, it is obligated to provide its students with a blend of applied and conceptual courses within its various majors. It is also obligated to maintain small student-to-teacher ratios in its hands-on, major-specific courses and to see that its students receive a broad-based education rooted in the liberal arts and sciences.

We urge you to become completely familiar with the information and support available from our academic advisers and curriculum guide, which provides you with a road map from which you can plot your coursework. The nation's Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications mandates that students in accredited programs complete at least 90 semester hours outside of the College, with at least 65 of those hours being in the traditional liberal arts and sciences. Incoming students also participate in the First-Year Seminars Program. The University provides valuable information regarding admissions for all students who plan to apply to or attend Penn State. In addition, the College offers a limited number of scholarships for incoming students. No application is required.
 
We take our obligation seriously to provide students with a curriculum that prepares them to enter media-related positions and to become engaged, contributing members of society in a variety of capacities. We urge you to work closely with the College's faculty and academic advising staff as you plan your courses each semester. By doing so, your chances for success are enhanced significantly.

We also recommend strongly that you make maximum use of the opportunities the College and University provide. Naturally, the centerpiece of your efforts will be the courses you take. But, your education should consist of more than merely taking coursework. As a student of the College of Communications, you will be able to take advantage of a multi-prong approach to preparation for life after college. We encourage you to participate in on-campus, discipline-related activities (for example, by working at the daily newspaper or for a television or radio station), student organizations, and to seek off-campus internships, which we will help facilitate.

Most of all, we don't want you to be passive learners. We want you to be engaged fully in the intellectual life of the campus while taking full advantage of our demanding courses and cocurricular opportunities. We urge you to be proactive from the beginning. Acquaint yourself completely with the curricular requirements; work closely with your academic adviser and faculty members; and be productive participants in cocurricular activities that will position you for post-graduation success.

Opportunities for High School, Prospective Students
Communications Summer Institutes provide hands-on, on-campus opportunities for students in grades 9 through 12 interested in broadcast journalism, filmmaking, journalism (print and photojournalism) and sports journalism. Admission to the summer institutes (a variety of popular summer camps focusing on those particular areas) does not guarantee admission to Penn State. For more information, click here.

Admissions Information

College Video
A look at the College, its
programs and its people.