Admission Requirements for Entrance Into The ABE Graduate Program
Penn State's ABE program offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering major. Nearly 60% of our graduate students are pursuing Ph.D. degrees and about half of our students are of international origin. We offer a diverse cultural community that is of benefit to all.
Requirements for entrance to our major, as listed here, are in addition to the general Graduate School requirements for admission as stated in the "General Information" section of the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin.
GREs
All students must submit scores from the General Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) prior to admission. There is no minimum GRE score required for admission, as this is only one of several qualifications considered in the admission review process. However, financial assistance is often influenced by GRE scores and grade point averages (GPAs).
TOEFL
International students must obtain a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the paper-based test for admission into the Graduate School. The TOEFL exam must be taken within three years of the application date.
Entrance to Master of Science Program
Completion of an undergraduate degree in an engineering program is required for direct admission into our Graduate Program. Students need at least a 2.50 (4.00 base) junior-senior grade point average to be considered for admission.
A student with an undergraduate degree in a non-engineering field can be admitted to the M.S. program on a provisional basis, which continues until completing the engineering undergraduate requirements in mathematics, physics, engineering sciences (thermodynamics, statics, dynamics, strength of materials, fluid-mechanics and electrical circuitry), and six credits of 400-level Agricultural and Biological Engineering courses. Upon completion of these preparatory courses with a minimum grade point average of 2.75, the student will be granted full admission to the graduate program.
Entrance to Doctor of Philosophy Program
The requirement for direct acceptance is an M.S. degree with a research thesis in an engineering or science discipline and a B.S. degree from an engineering program. Only very highly qualified students will be accepted into the Ph.D. program directly from a B.S. engineering program.
A student with an undergraduate degree in a non-engineering field can be admitted to the Ph.D. program on a provisional basis, which continues until completing the engineering undergraduate requirements in mathematics, physics, engineering sciences (thermodynamics, statics, dynamics, strength of materials, fluid mechanics and electrical circuitry), and six credits of 400-level Agricultural and Biological Engineering courses.
Admission into the ABE Graduate Program is based upon a thorough review of all applicant qualifications, and the best-qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of students for which Department resources are available. The number of students entering our program vary from semester to semester.
To apply for admission into the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department Graduate Program, go to "How to Apply."