The John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME) offers a vigorous graduate education with some of the top researchers in the nation. Thank you for considering us for your graduate education.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Completed applications with all required documentation must be submitted before the following deadlines:
Fall Semester Admissions:
Dec. 15 – All applications seeking fellowship or assistantship support are due
Mar. 5 – All applications seeking admission as self-funded students are due (i.e. students who have their own or who have external sponsor funding)
Spring Semester Admissions:
Sept. 5 – All applications are due
These deadlines apply to international students, U.S. citizens, and U.S. permanent residents. The best-qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students. Applications received after these deadlines may be reviewed but will not be considered eligible for graduate awards or funding opportunities through departmental assistantships. Please note that international students seeking to pursue careers in energy who are citizens of countries subject to U.S. sanctions and U.S. visa restrictions may not be eligible for admission into the Energy and Mineral Engineering graduate program.
GRE AND TOEFL/IELTS SCORES
We encourage applicants to provide any Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from the last 5 years, if available. Submitting GRE scores is recommended, but not required. The department uses a holistic evaluation method for admissions decisions. If you choose to submit GRE scores, please inform ETS to send official score reports to Institution Code 2660.
All international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an approved institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) examination (these scores are required before review of an application can proceed). A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test, a score of 213 on the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 on the Internet test is required for admission. On the Internet version, a minimum score of 19 is required on the speaking portion. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.
International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if they have received a baccalaureate or a graduate degree from an institution in one of the following nations: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean, British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United States, Uganda, and Wales.
HOW WE EVALUATE YOUR APPLICATION
The EME department uses a holistic evaluation process to make recommendations on admissions for all received applications. Then, individual EME faculty may endorse specific applicants for admission. Most of these endorsements at the PhD-level and some at the MS-level come with an offer of financial support. The number of available positions or “slots” for graduate students in the department is dependent on external research funding received by department faculty. Applicants who are offered admission must therefore meet the department’s criteria and also appeal to and fit the needs of one or more of the faculty research groups with available positions.
Evaluation Criteria:
Applications are evaluated on the quality of evidence presented that speaks to an applicant’s ability to succeed in graduate coursework and in the research environment. Other aspects of the review include evidence for persevering through challenges and working well in team environments.
Statement of Purpose:
The statement of purpose should be a 2–3-page single-spaced document with 1-inch margins and 11- or 12-point font. The objective of this document is to explain why you want to pursue a graduate degree in Energy and Mineral Engineering and why you believe you will be successful.
Applicants should consider answering the following questions in the statement of purpose.
- How has your work, research, educational or other life experiences have prepared you for graduate study in this program? What qualities in yourself do you feel are most responsible for your past academic success and your current preparation for graduate school?
- What specific research is of interest to you and how would our program enable you to pursue your goals?
- What are your goals after you complete your degree, and how will our graduate program help you achieve your immediate and longer-term career objectives?
- What mentoring or teaching experiences have you had? What groups or teams have you been engaged in and had a change to lead (extracurricular, occupational, research, etc.)? What were those leadership experiences, and how have those experiences impacted your professional development and career plans?
Resume or CV (Curriculum Vitae):
This single document should outline the applicant’s professional and educational experience. This document should generally be no more than 2-3 pages long. Longer CVs should only be provided when the applicant has extensive research and publication experience.
Applicants should ensure that experience relevant to academic success, technical expertise, research efforts and achievements, along with mentorship, teaching, or leadership success are described in this document.
Letters of Recommendation:
All applicants must provide three (3) letters of recommendation. These letters should be submitted by the application deadline. Failure to receive the letters in time may delay the consideration of your application.
Letters must be uploaded by each of your referees via the GRADS electronic portal. Reference letters can come from a mix of letters from individuals in academia and/or industry who can elaborate on your potential to be successful in the EME academic and research environment.
Academic Transcripts:
Applicants are required to electronically 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).
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE TO THE PENN STATE GRADUATE SCHOOL
All applications must be submitted online to The Penn State Graduate School.
The Graduate School reviews all official documents and ensures that all university-level requirements are met. You may review The Graduate School requirements here.
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.
All application materials and the application fee must be received before a review of an application can begin.
OTHER MATERIALS YOU MAY SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION
When applicable, please upload copies of proof of financial support (corporate, government or personal sponsorship or scholarship) along with your statement of purpose (as a single PDF file).
CONTACT THE EME GRADUATE OFFICE
If you have questions, please email gradprogram@eme.psu.edu or call (814) 863-0373.