Skip to main content
  • Strategic Plan
  • Life at Penn State
  • Alumni
  • Travel Safety Network
  • About
  • News
  • Alerts
Penn State Mark Penn State Mark
  • Global Support
    • Travel Safety Network
    • Operations Abroad
    • Safety and Security
    • Travel Grants/ Scholarships
    • Agreements
    • Health
  • International Students & Scholars
    • International Students
    • International Scholars
    • International Faculty
    • Faculty and Staff Resources
    • Life at Penn State
  • Education Abroad
    • Students
    • Faculty and Advisers
    • Parents and Family
    • Returnees and Alumni
    • Health and Safety
  • Global Engagement
    • Global Engagement Network
    • EDGE
    • Global Impact
    • Giving
    • Health & Safety
  • Get Involved
    • Across the Commonwealth
    • Programming & Events
    • Featured Article
    • Upcoming Events
  • Strategic Plan
  • Life at Penn State
  • Alumni
  • Travel Safety Network
  • About
  • News
  • Alerts

Notable

  • Events
  • LCA Postings
  • List of all content by category
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Academics
  • Across the Commonwealth
  • Active Agreements/Partnerships
    Explore the list of active agreements between Penn State and our international partners.
  • Additional Considerations for Certain Travelers
  • Admissions

    Penn State Global is not involved in the academic portion of the admissions process.  Here is some information regarding admission:

    Students may be admitted to Penn State as undergraduates, graduate students, or professional students.  After an admission offer has been accepted, International Student and Scholar Advising (ISSA) contacts the student to gather materials required for issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 or J-1 visa, (Forms I-20 or DS-2019).  Requested materials may include biographical information, financial guarantee, or documentation of current visa status.

    For complete Admissions information, visit Penn State Admissions.

  • Advising Students Interested in Education Abroad
  • Africa

    Strategic Partnerships, Collaborative Centers, and Initiatives in Africa

  • Agreements
  • Alerts

    For the University’s most current position on Coronavirus, please visit sites.psu.edu/virusinfo.

  • Application Process

    Students who have completed the Steps to Study Abroad and are ready to open a Penn State application for their selected education abroad program, must follow the instructions and process outlined on this page. All students are required to submit an online application through the online Penn State application portal by the appropriate deadline for the term they are applying to (see "Application Timeline" on this page). To assist students with the process, we have detailed application instructions and an explanation of how to request an electronic academic 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 selected embedded program for more information.

  • Approval and Signing Process

    Global Collaborations has established a 5-step review and approval protocol that guides the development of the most common types of agreements, from inception to signing. The purpose of the approval process is to ensure that all interested stakeholders have been provided an opportunity to review, modify, and approve an agreement prior to the signing phase.

  • Asia

    Penn State has over 100 active agreements with a plethora of universities in Asia as of Spring 2023. The objective of Asia partnerships is to develop a portfolio that includes a limited number of high-impact institutional partner universities with broad engagement across Penn State and transformational outcomes across teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and service/outreach. Any questions regarding Asia Partnerships, please contact Dr. Anna Marshall, Associate Director for Asia Partnerships, at awm15@psu.edu.

    Key Activities 

    • December 2024: Taipei Tech Offering Ten Scholarships for Penn State Graduate Students to Conduct Research at Taipei Tech Annually
    • December 2024: Penn State & Tohoku University Expanding Research Collaboration
    • October 2024: Six Steps for Building Multidisciplinary University Linkages
    • September 2024: Penn State and IISc Award Joint Research Seed Grants
    • May 2024: Penn State hosts delegation from Al-Farabi University in Kazakhstan
    • April 2024: Penn State, IISc announce seed grant fund program
    • April 2024: Penn State hosts delegation from Narxoz University
    • March 2024: Taipei Tech, Penn State expand partnership
    • February 2024: Penn State hosts delegation from Satbayev University
    • December 2023: Q&A: Joining India and the U.S. in higher education
    • November 2023: Penn State and NTNU partner for Mandarin program
    • September 2023: Penn State Global staff participate in an exchange program
    • June 2023: Penn State hosts delegation from Ualikhanov University
    • May 2023: Penn State Global Staff Participate in Exchange Program with Partners
    • March 2023: Penn State Global’s Delegation Attending Conferences in Asia
    • February 2023: From Across the Globe: Penn State Hosts International Scholars for Research and Outreach
    • December 2022: Moving Forward Together: Penn State Hosts National Taiwan Normal University Delegation
    • November 2022: Penn State and Taipei Tech Set the Stage for Innovative Partnership
    • September 2022: Penn State, KIST, and KU Collaborate to Advance Transparent Electronics
  • Australia and New Zealand

    Strategic Partnerships, Collaborative Centers, and Initiatives in Australia and New Zealand region.

  • Awards

    Penn State Global celebrates and honors global engagement of students, faculty, and staff through several annual awards programs.

  • Calendar Events
  • Campus Contacts

    Penn State Global provides support services to students across the Commonwealth in Education Abroad, International Student Advising, and programming. If you are a student on a Commonwealth Campus and need help or information in any of these areas, find your campus below and contact the appropriate representative.

  • Careers
  • Choosing a Program/Study Experience
  • Costs and Funding
  • Costs and Funding
  • Course Equivalency for Faculty & Advisers
  • Current/Potential Sponsored Students

    International sponsored students must adhere to the requirements of their academic program(s), immigration regulations, and sponsoring organization. The following are common requirements/requests sponsored students encounter before, during, and after their time at Penn State University. For more information, please contact the Sponsored Relations office.

    Sponsored Relations does not provide financial aid for international students or refer international students to potential sponsors.

  • Current/Potential Sponsors

    Penn State University is a top tier research institution, consistently ranked among the top 100 universities globally, and receiving over $800 million annually for research. Penn State prepares international students to become leaders in their fields on a global scale. Our graduates join an extensive network of 700,000 alumni which stretches to all corners of the globe. Penn State University has been a top destination for international sponsored students for several decades.

    Sponsored Relations assists sponsors with the development, placement, advising, and general support of international sponsored student programs. We provide highly personalized services, with a focus on accuracy and efficiency, while addressing the needs of our sponsoring organizations. These services include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Dependents (Spouse & Children)
    Only spouses and children (under 21) may come as dependents of the F-1 or J-1 visa holder. Health insurance is mandatory for accompanying dependents. The B-2 (visitor) visa is applicable for parents, siblings, domestic partners, and other family members who wish to visit you. ISSA cannot issue documents for B-2 visitor visas or advise on B-2 issues.
  • Develop a New Faculty-Led Freestanding Program

    A faculty-led freestanding program is a single course or compilation of courses related to a theme or topic, where the Penn State faculty leaders deliver all or nearly all academic content during the course of the international experience.  Such programs almost always occur during summer since the length of the education abroad experience typically lasts 2-8 weeks.

    A faculty-led freestanding program can enhance the international offerings within a particular academic department, can support internationalization strategic goals of a college, and can allow for students from a variety of disciplines and majors to study engaging topics together in an international context.  The faculty leader assumes a great deal of responsibility for the development, proposal, implementation, and execution of the program - including the academic content, travel logistics, international site visits and activities, budgeting and record keeping, and the health and safety of program participants.  This may seem like an overwhelming list of responsibilities, but there are a number of support resources to help the faculty leader throughout the entire process.

    There are many important steps to developing a new faculty-led freestanding program, and the process and official proposal procedures are outlined for review.

  • Develop a New Faculty-Led Program
  • Developing and Proposing a Program
  • Diversity and Study Abroad
  • Education Abroad
  • Education Abroad Newsletter
  • Education Abroad Photo & Writing Contests
  • Employment

    Employment for F-1 and J-1 students is limited, and working without permission is a violation of status and a deportable offense. F-1 and J-1 students may not work off campus without written permission from International Student and Scholar Advising (ISSA). On-campus employment is permitted with certain restrictions. J-1 students must request permission for on-campus employment via iStart. A Social Security number is required for anyone receiving payment. ISSA can assist you with this process.

    ISSA offers workshops every semester that explain the different types of off-campus work permission available to F-1 and J-1 students.

  • Establishing Operations Abroad
  • Europe
  • Faculty and Advisers
  • Faculty/Staff Resources
  • Featured Events
  • Financial
  • First-Time Travelers
  • Forms

    Login to iStart to access forms below or click on the form you need to go directly to the form.

    • If you have a active PSU email, use the "login button."
    • If you do not have an active PSU email,, login through "Limited Services Access" with your University ID, date of birth, and PIN.
  • Fulbright
  • Get Involved on Campus
  • Global Alumni
  • Global Careers Institute

    APPLY HERE: https://linktr.ee/gopsu

    Global Careers Institute (GCI) a professional development program designed to prepare Penn State students for career success in the global marketplace. Penn State Global, with support from partners around the University is working to expand on the successes of past GCI events. 

    Participation in the Institute is competitive and by application only. Students from all campuses are considered and lodging and transportation is offered for students from outside of the region. All students invited to participate in the GCI weekend are required to complete online modules prior to attending the March conference.

    The Global Careers Institute includes a suite of online courses comprised of five modules. All participants will be required to take these three online learning modules:

    • Global Careers Institute Orientation
    • Career Resources and Opportunities
    • Resumes and Employment Communications

    International students will be required to complete two additional modules:

    • Optional Practical Training (OPT)
    • Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

    Reach out to the Global Outreach team at globaloutreach@psu.edu with questions.

  • Global Engagement Network
  • Global Impact
  • Global Programs Travel Grants
  • Health
  • Health and Safety
  • Health Insurance
  • Health Preparation
  • Hiring Department Information and Resources
  • How to Add a New Person in iStart (H1B, TN, E3, O1)
  • I’m Approved…What’s Next?
  • Immigration

    Prospective and current international students can learn about visa requirements, pre-advising, financials, health insurance, academic advising, employment, and volunteer opportunities.

  • Incoming Exchange Students
  • Life Abroad
  • Penn State Global Staff Directory
  • Before You Arrive

    In this section prospective international students will find information about requesting or refusing an I-20 or DS-2019, insurance and financial requirements, and other essential pre-arrival information.

    Our goal is to assist and advise incoming international students on U.S. immigration related issues and regulations.  We also help direct students to finding answers to many questions about the transition to Penn State as a newly admitted student.

    For Frequently Asked Questions, visit the Pre-Arrival FAQs page.

  • Develop or Renew a Faculty-Led Embedded Program
  • Global Safety
  • Global Support
  • International Faculty
  • International Health Insurance
  • International J-1 Scholars
  • International Student Welcome (ISW)
  • International Students
  • International Students and Scholars
  • Leading an Education Abroad Program
  • LGBTQA Considerations
  • Life at Penn State
  • Meet with a Peer Adviser
  • Non-Immigrant Employment Visa Types
  • On-Campus Cost Comparable Education Abroad Programs
  • Operations Abroad
  • Other Travel Grants
  • Overview and Breakdown of eForms
  • Parent and Family FAQs
  • Parent and Family Guide
  • Parents and Family
  • Penn State Education Abroad Programs
  • Penn State Education Abroad Scholarships
    The following scholarships are offered through the Education Abroad Office for students studying on approved Penn State programs. Penn State students participating in officially sponsored Education Abroad programs are eligible.
  • Penn State Global
  • Penn State Global - Strategic Plan 2020-2025
  • Penn State Global Statistics
  • Perreault Fellows Program
  • Placeholder
  • Pre-Arrival FAQs
  • Pre-Contract Planning
  • Pre-Departure Orientation Process
  • Program Monitoring/Risk Management
  • Program Options
  • Programming
  • Promoting Education Abroad
  • Remaining Healthy while Traveling
  • Resources
  • Returnee Events
  • Returnees and Alumni
  • Safety and Security
  • Scholarships
  • Share Your Experience
  • South America
  • Sponsored Students
  • Staff Resources
  • Steps to Funding Study Abroad
  • Steps to Study Abroad
  • Strategic Partners
  • Students
  • Study Abroad Scholarships
  • Taxes
  • Travel
  • Travel Grants & Scholarships
  • Travel Logistics
  • Travelers with Disabilities
  • Types of Collaborations
  • Understanding Your Legal Requirements

    This section contains information about maintaining your F-1 and J-1 immigration status. While Penn State’s international student advisers can assist you in understanding the benefits, requirements, and limitations of your status, it is ultimately your responsibility to maintain your immigration status. Please read the information in this section carefully.

  • Women Travelers
  • Working with International Students
It doesn't matter which facet of university life you have—research, teaching, service—it is enriched by international experience.
black and white penn state mark

The Pennsylvania State University © 2024
410 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Ethics and Compliance Hotlines
  • Email Us
  • Call Us (814) 865-7681