Administrator

The department makes every effort to secure graduate teaching or research assistantship (TA/RA) funding for each admitted student. That funding covers the cost of tuition and also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses. There are also a limited number of University and college fellowships, which provide tuition and stipend benefits but do not require half-time work in a teaching or research assistant role. Generally speaking, the department does not admit students it cannot fund via assistantships or fellowships. In a typical year, the department faculty make a collaborative decision to fund a new cohort of 10–20 students from a pool of 100–150 applicants.

In some circumstances, prospective students who already have tuition and stipend support from their employer, agency, government, or other organization are admitted to the program. If you think this might apply to you, please contact us to discuss your specific situation before you apply.

Students in the 2-year M.S., 4-year Ph.D, and 5-year M.S. + Ph.D programs are funded for each year of study, assuming satisfactory progress toward their degree.

Additional information on stipend rates and insurance benefits for assistantships is provided by the Graduate School. NOTE: funding is for resident graduate students.

Deadlines for TA/RA funding

Funding is limited to two years M.S. students, to four years for Ph.D. students, and to five years for five-year Ph.D. students. Graduate assistantships consist of either teaching assistantships (TAs) or research assistantships (RAs). During the fall and spring semesters, the assistantships are 18 weeks in length each semester, with duties beginning one week before classes begin and concluding one week after the last day of class. TAs and RAs work 20 hours per week on average. Read more about graduate assistantships and funding in the Graduate Student Handbook.

To be considered for a university or college fellowship, or a teaching or research assistantship, your application is due by: December 1, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. ET.

The faculty and staff in the Department of Geography at Penn State thank you for your interest in our graduate programs. Should you decide to apply, we are confident that you will find a department committed to student success and to providing you the resources, expertise, and guidance to fulfill your career goals.

Two things distinguish our department:  

1. Commitment to excellence in a full range of geographic skills
2. Outstanding faculty who work closely with students to help you reach your full intellectual and professional potential

Prospective students are encouraged to reach out to those faculty with whom they might be interested in working to begin a conversation about the possibility of graduate work in the program before submitting an application. 

How to Apply

• Visit How to Apply to our Resident Graduate Programs to learn more.
• We also offer 3 online graduate programs. Please visit our Online Geospatial Education Program Office to learn how to apply to our online programs.

Graduate Funding

The department makes every effort to secure graduate teaching or research assistantship (TA/RA) funding for each admitted student. 

Visit the Graduate Funding webpage for more information.

What do Amnesty International, Boeing, National Geographic, and Esri have in common? Penn State geographers are there, hard at work every day. Our students and alumni are behind the maps you use daily, as well as the policies that shape our cities and the analysis that sustains our environment.

With a degree in geography, you'll have  the tools to work for respected companies, for universities, for non-profits, and in public service for local, state, or national governments, in fact the U.S. Bureau of Labor shows that the demand for these skills is expanding rapidly to meet new technological environmental and social needs.