With its administrative and research hub at the University Park campus, Penn State comprises of 11 colleges at Penn State University Park and 6 others throughout Pennsylvania.   The University Park Campus offers comfort and safety in a traditional university town with beautiful wooded mountains nearby. Penn State's University Park Campus is ranked 11th best among public national universities.

Semester 1: Late August to Mid December
Semester 2: Early January to Early May

English.

College of Agricultural Sciences College of Arts and Architecture Smeal College of Business College of Communications Penn State Dickinson School of Law College of Earth and Mineral Sciences College of Education College of Engineering Penn State College of Health and Human Development College of Information Sciences and Technology College of the Liberal Arts Eberly College of Science Graduate School Schreyer Honors College College of Medicine

There are rigid enrolment restrictions in:

	College of Arts and Architecture (especially Architecture and Landscape Architecture studio courses); College of Communications (especially studio and production courses); Smeal College of Business Administration (especially accounting, finance, management and marketing courses); College of Information Sciences and Technology; College of Education; Music; Dance; Kinesiology; and Exercise Science.

Most business courses are controlled or unavailable to other students not majoring in business, especially in the areas of marketing, finance, and international business.

The College of the liberal Arts: Courses in Political Science and history fill up quickly. Because of the amount of work involved. It is not advisable to schedule more than two 400 level courses in Political Science (PL SC). You should not select writing intensive (‘W’) courses in PL SC, Psychology- Exchange Students are unable to take graduate level courses in Psychology.

Please refer to the Other Links section for relevant links to course information.  

Please check with SEP Administrator in the Dean’s Office for actual dates.

On-campus Housing:

Exchange applicants planning to apply to live in University housing must create a Friends of Penn State Account (FPS) https://fps.psu.edu/ to receive a special e-mail address connection that will facilitate communication from the Housing Assignments Office. The exchange application materials include an Intent to Live in On-Campus Housing Form from International Student Services (ISS) on which applicants must write the FPS e-mail account. Once all of the exchange application materials have been approved, applicants would be sent an on-line housing contract, a legally binding agreement.  

Off-campus housing:

Students must apply for the J-1 visa. The Certificate of Non-Immigrant Eligibility for J status is the DS-2019. This is also a non-immigrant visa status. The rules for the J-1 are similar to the F-1. However, there are two important differences. Those in J-1 status may be subject to what is referred to as the "two-year home residency requirement" or subject to 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The other difference is that dependents may apply for work permission. The two-year home residency requirement means that those individuals must return home for two years before applying for the H, L, or permanent residency visas. In addition, those subject to the two-year home residency requirement cannot change status to another within the U.S. A J-1 becomes subject to 212(e) by coming from a country and studying a field on the skills list, being sponsored by the U.S. government or the home country government, or studying in a program for graduate medical education.

All international students are required to have health insurance that meets the Penn State guidelines. You must either come prepared to purchase health insurance upon arrival to the University or apply in advance to be considered for a waiver. Those applying for a waiver must also provide a copy of their insurance policy. The policy must meet all of the Penn State guidelines. You must be prepared to purchase health insurance deemed acceptable by Penn State if your alternative policy is not approved. The waiver request, accompanied by the alternative health insurance policy, must be sent to:

Health Insurance Manager, klk25@psu.edu
Student Insurance Office
302 Student Health Center
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 U S A
Phone: 814 865-7467
Fax: 814 863-1390

Information about the mandatory insurance policy requirements, waiver standards, and the health insurance coverage and exclusions can be found at: Click Here.

Breakdown of Costs	USD $
Accommodation	1,500
Food	200
Transport	150
Others (Entertainment, clothes)	200
Monthly Estimate	2,100

Please refer to the Other Links Section for the relevant links to the estimated costs of living.

Universal Currency Converter:

	http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Accommodation:

	http://www.hfs.psu.edu/

Cost of Living:

	http://www.global.psu.edu/international_students/ea_financial_guarantee_fall.cfm#sin

Course Information:

	http://bulletins.psu.edu/undergrad/

International Students Guide:

	http://www.global.psu.edu/international_students/pre_arrival_guide.cfm