Graduate Application Info

• Our program requires that applicants have an RPTM Graduate Faculty member that agrees to serve as an Academic Advisor before they can be accepted (see https://hhd.psu.edu/rptm/graduate/faculty-and-research). We recommend that applicants reach-out to RPTM Graduate Faculty to schedule conversations to gauge aligning interests.
• A minimum of a 3.0 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the junior and senior years of undergraduate study
• (International Students): A Recent TOEFL (IDT) 80, speaking component must be 19 or higher score. We do accept IELTS: 6.5 or higher. Please feel free to visit TOEFL for some helpful resources. Penn State's institution code is 2660 and the department code for RPTM is 0111
• A phone interview or in person interview with a member of the graduate faculty. Faculty will contact applicant to set up interview
• The Penn State RPTM Master’s and PhD programs are mentor based. We only admit students who a faculty member agrees to advise. To increase the probability of being admitted, applicants should identify faculty members who share similar research interests and contact them to determine if there might be a good adviser-advisee fit. Faculty information can be found here: RPTM Faculty Information

• Secure a faculty member who is willing to serve as your advisor
   
• Complete the online graduate school application and upload all related documents Graduate School's Application Portal
   
• As part of the application process, you will need to upload:
  • Copies of transcripts (or equivalent documents for institutions outside the U.S., e.g., degree/study certificates, diplomas, etc.) from all post-secondary institutions attended, in the language of instruction (and copies of an official English translation if English is not the language of instruction)
  • Names and contact information for 3 three individuals who will provide letters of reference for you
  • Resume
  • Professional statement (see Special Application for Graduate Admission for details)
  • Completed Special Application for Graduate Admission 
     
• Applicants recommended for admission who accept an offer through the online graduate admission system will be notified by the Graduate School that official/original transcripts/documents must be sent from the originating institutions in the official language of the institution(s) attended (and if the language of instruction is not English, an official English translation must also be sent). 
  
  The Graduate School will review all official documents to finalize the offer of admission. An offer of admission will be revoked if official/original documents are not received by the Graduate School within specified deadlines, or if official/original documents differ from the copies uploaded by the applicant prior to the offer of admission. For applicants whose degree conferral is in progress at the time of uploading copies, the deadline specified for receipt of official/original documents will allow for the passage of the reported date of degree conferral, and that conferral must be confirmed on the official/original documents received by the Graduate School, in order for the offer of admission to be finalized.

Several forms of financial support are available for graduate students in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management. These include assistantships, fellowships, student loans, grants-in-aid, and wage payroll. Graduate assistantships are funded both through the university and from faculty research grants. A small number of wage payroll opportunities are available.