Application Process

Students interested in participating in a semester or summer education abroad program must submit an online application through Penn State Education Abroad by the appropriate deadline. Students already accepted into a program wishing to extend for an extra semester are required to submit another application for the new term by the appropriate deadline. For most programs, the entire application process is online, though some programs may require submission of hardcopy documents. To assist students with the process, we have detailed application instructions and an explanation of how to request an electronic recommendation.

Please note: If you are interested in an embedded program, deadlines and instructions listed on this page do not apply to you. Please contact the faculty leader of your program for more information.

Application Timeline

Education abroad applications are opened well in advance of the deadlines and exceptions will not be made for missing them. Should a program meet its capacity before the final deadline, the application for that program will close and no further applications will be accepted. Students with questions about our application timeline or deadlines for specific programs should contact their Education Abroad adviser.

Application Deadlines, Notifications, and Commitments

Term Penn State Application Deadline Penn State Application Decision Penn State Commitment Deadline
Summer January 24 February 7 February 26
Fall and Academic Year March 1* March 12 March 24
Spring (Priority Deadline 1) May 1** June 1 October 1
Spring (Priority Deadline 2) July 15*** July 27 October 1
Spring (Final Deadline) September 10 September 21 October 1

Applications for summer, fall, and academic year programs typically open in early October. Applications for spring programs typically open in late January.

Fall and Academic Year Deadline Exceptions

*The following programs have an early application deadline of January 24 for the fall and academic year terms due to early partner application deadlines:

  • Dept ENGR & EMS: Sendai, Tohoku University
  • IES: Nagoya, Nanzan University
  • IES: Oxford, St. Catherine's College
    • The January 20 deadline for the IES Oxford program is for the fall, academic year, and spring terms
  • Mito: Ibaraki University

Spring Term Deadline Exceptions

Students applying for spring term programs are highly encouraged to apply for one of the priority deadline dates to ensure their best chance of acceptance into their first-choice program.

**Students interested in applying for spring term programs that are competitive in nature should submit their applications by the May 1 deadline. If you are unsure whether or not your program is considered competitive, please consult with the appropriate education abroad adviser.

***Students interested in applying for the following spring term programs should submit their applications by the July 15 deadline due to early partner application deadlines:

  • IES: Amsterdam
  • IES: London, University College London
  • IES: Nagoya, Nanzan University
  • SFS: Australia
  • SFS: Bhutan
  • SFS: Costa Rica
  • SFS: Panama