Prospective Students

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 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.

ComMedia serves as a showcase site and portal to student work on TV, radio, multimedia, print and more.

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. Also, we provide information and support about internships and career services, another key to your success.

A limited number of scholarships exist for incoming students. For information, please read the scholarship guidelines.

First-Year Engagement Plan

Opportunities for first-year students to get acclimated to life at the University.

Opportunities for High School Students

Summer communications 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.