International Applicants

Students from outside the United States make up about 35 percent of each Penn State Smeal MBA class, infusing the Smeal experience with a global perspective.

Non-U.S. countries with citizens currently in the program include Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Italy, Korea, Kosovo, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, Uganda, and Vietnam.

International applicants face additional requirements as part of the admissions process. Visit Application and Requirements to learn more about:

TOEFL/IELTS
International Credentials
Visa Application Documents

Historically, the following aspects of the Smeal experience have been of particular interest to international applicants.

Small Classes with World Class Faculty

Dealing with the cultural and language differences between your home and your MBA environment can create significant challenges. With a class size projected at approximately 100 students and a projected student to faculty ratio of less than 4:1, Smeal will provide the support for you to meet these challenges. The Smeal faculty ranks among the top twenty for research excellence across all disciplines.

Job Placement

In 2006, 94 percent of international graduates accepted a position within 90 days of graduation. This group reported an average annual salary in excess of $78,000 and an additional signing bonus averaging over $14,000. Firms that have hired our international students in the past two years include Alcoa, Avaya, Bank of America, Chevron, Chinatrust Commercial Bank, Citigroup, Dell, Deloitte Touche, Dupont, FMC, Holcim, ICG Commerce, Intel China, Johnson&Johnson International, KPMG, Lehman Brothers, Praxair, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Solectron, TOTALogistix Inc., and Tyco.

Financial Aid

Finding a way to finance your education can be challenging. Smeal invests significant resources to attract outstanding talent from around the globe. Over 85 percent of the international students who enrolled in August of 2006 received financial support which included assistantships and scholarships.

Getting Involved

Many Smeal MBA students participate in associations that they organize and manage around their professional, vocational, athletic, and social interests. Some of these are MBA specific groups. Additionally, there are more than 50 international/multicultural student organizations at Penn State. These include the African Students Association, the Chinese Friendship Association, the Indian Graduate Student Association, and the European Student Club. For more information on the student organizations at Penn State, please visit: www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/search.asp

Student Blogs

The student perspective can provide outstanding insight into life as an MBA student and to the overall Smeal MBA experience. You can get this perspective by visiting our student blogs.