Penn State College of the Liberal Arts Department of Applied Linquistics

Graduate Admissions

PhD Admission Requirements

In our admissions process, we attend to the entire picture generated by an applicant's record of achievements, statement of purpose, writing samples, letters of recommendation, GPA and GRE scores. Successful applicants to our program have at the minimum:

  • Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning
  • 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
  • Master's degree in a related field
  • 3.5 graduate GPA
  • Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
  • 3 strong letters of recommendation from academic and professional references
  • A well-written statement of purpose that outlines the applicant's scholarly and professional interests in pursuing a PhD in Applied Linguists
  • 2 well-written samples of academic writing

International applicants without an undergraduate degree from a U.S. institution also have:

  • a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (internet-based), with a minimum score of 23 on the speaking section, or an IELTS score of 7.0.