Pennstate Viewbook.Pdf
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2015 Penn State admissions.psu.edu admissions.psu.edu Welcome to Penn State 2 In the know 26 Penn State majors Academics 30 Academic paths 10 Finding your place 32 Penn State’s campuses Our multicampus system 44 Frequently asked questions 14 Get involved Student life 46 Admission, costs, and student financial aid 20 What it’s worth to you The value of a 48 Varsity, club, and intramural sports Penn State degree 49 Student clubs and organizations ACADEMICS acadIn the know emics Finding the program that fits you best YOU HAVE SO MANY THINGS ON YOUR MIND. Which college should you choose? What should you major in once you’re there? Is it okay to change your mind? Whether you know where you want to end up after graduation or still need some time to sort it out, it’s likely that Penn State has an academic program for you. No matter which path you choose, you will earn a high-quality education and a degree that employers respect. 2 I wanted a school where I could have my independence. —TRACEY EDOUARD Laura Brown Tracey Edouard acad BEING BIG HAS ITS ADVANTAGES. WITH MORE THAN 160 MAJORS AND 500 SPECIALIZED OPTIONS ACROSS TWENTY CAMPUSES, PENN STATE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR GOALS. What should I study? receive credit for playing the violin Not sure what to major in at Penn in the Sinfonietta orchestra, and ex- State? Not a problem. The Division of plore classes in several other aca- demic areas. Undergraduate Studies (DUS) is for students who haven’t decided which Tracey formed a close relationship field to study. You can try out differ- with her DUS adviser, Laura Brown. emics ent courses and majors to determine “She was really like a second mom to The Multicultural Engineering me,” she says. “She helped me pick Program provides networking, which one fits you best. To help you research opportunities, scholarships, on this journey, you have an aca- majors and minors and was always and mentoring to more than 400 there to answer any other questions I engineering students of color. demic adviser who will help guide you had. It seemed like she always knew through the exploration process. exactly what I wanted; it’s amazing six-hour dance marathon on film last TRACEY EDOUARD knew she how quickly she got to know me.” year. “I was looking for a school where wanted to attend Penn State but Tracey, who is from Long Island, I could have my independence,” she wasn’t sure how she would combine New York, eventually decided on the says. “I liked Penn State because it’s her interests in communications and Advertising/Public Relations major. close enough to home, but I can be on the arts. Tracey entered DUS and be- She’s part of the Great Show Squad, a my own and be around other people gan to explore classes and extracur- group of students who do on-field pro- who are excited to be here, too.” ricular activities in these areas. In motions at Penn State football games, her first year at Penn State, she got to and helped capture Penn State’s forty- observe actors in a Theatre 100 class, 3 ACADEMICS t Mohamed Raouda The importance of advisers Advisers played a key role in MOHAMED RAOUDA’S college experience. Mohamed (“Mo” for short) started his Penn State experi- ence at Penn State Altoona. While there, he worked closely with advisers to help transition to college life after moving to the United States from Beirut, Lebanon. “Coming from a different country, I wanted to integrate into the culture at a small campus,” he says. “The student services were great and I felt very quickly like I was part of a community.” Once he arrived at University Park, Transitioning from high The summer before her first year, Mo, who majored in International school to college ERICA FOLEY, who majored in Politics, began studying Middle East New Student Orientation helps first- Biology, came to Penn State for New history. He found an academic men- year students evaluate their educa- Student Orientation not knowing tor in Arthur Goldschmidt, a professor tional plans before they register for what to expect: “I figured that, with emeritus in the field. Although he’s their first-semester classes. The ori- thousands of students there, personal retired from Penn State, Arthur still entation is the first stage in prepar- attention and help with making my teaches one class per semester and of- ing for your academic future at Penn schedule was unlikely. But that’s ex- ten meets with students, including Mo, State. Once you accept your offer of actly what I received.” A professor to discuss projects and future plans. admission, you will receive informa- from her intended major talked with her about classes she would enjoy, and “Art loves this field so much and tion about taking an online placement several students offered their insight wants to teach about it. He invited test and coming to campus to meet on classes, student life, and things to us to dinner at his home and to view with academic advisers and schedule do off campus. the collection in his library. He’s very classes. All course scheduling is done well respected in the field and it online, so making changes is easy if was an honor for me to learn from you want to add, drop, or change him,” Mo says. a course. With 70,108 undergraduate students enrolled at our 20 campuses, 70,000+ Penn State continues to educate more students than any UNDERGRADS university in the northeastern United States. AT 20 CAMPUSES 4 Study abroad Kecianne Shick believes it is important to experience other cultures. Here she visits Milan’s Duomo Cathedral. A Penn State Altoona student spends time at a community school and orphanage in the Dominican Republic. Matea Dujmusic visited the Parliament in Athens, Greece, as part of her junior year study abroad experience. If you’re interested in studying the educational systems in the three home at first, so it was a good fit for abroad, Penn State can help you get countries, which she says was a very me.” Following Matea’s example, her there. Thousands of students study enlightening experience. “In Europe, younger sister is now a student at the abroad every year in more than fifty- the cultures are much more mixed Greater Allegheny campus and plans four countries throughout Africa, together than they are here, so we to transition to University Park for her Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the learned how to avoid bringing our junior and senior years. Middle East, as well as Australia and cultural biases into the classroom,” Penn State also supports service- New Zealand. she says. “It was also interesting to oriented trips that allow students to see how much Sweden is focused on These programs contribute to the help make a difference in the lives of teaching democracy in the classroom, global expansion of Penn State’s class- those less fortunate. While other stu- compared to the schools here.” room walls. MATEA DUJMUSIC, who dents were kicking back at the beach majored in Secondary Education with Matea is no stranger to life abroad. during spring break, a group of twenty an English/Communication Teaching She was born in Bosnia and lived in Penn State Altoona students and option, spent her junior year studying Austria and Germany before moving their faculty chaperones spent a week abroad in Sweden and England as part to the United States at age 11. She volunteering at a community school of the Consortium for Intercultural started her Penn State experience at and orphanage in the Dominican Reflective Teachers (CIRT) program, the Greater Allegheny campus be- Republic. They played with the young which takes a student cohort to each cause of its proximity to her home in students, taught them English, and country. The group, whom Matea calls Pittsburgh. “I was going through the made hundreds of candles for a fund- her “second family,” spent a year at application process and visited the raiser at the school. Penn State after a year in Europe. Greater Allegheny campus. It was very While abroad, Matea and her class- welcoming and I felt at home,” she mates studied the differences among says. “I wanted to stay close to 5 Lauren Perrotti Research for undergraduates Research is not just for science majors. LAUREN PERROTTI, majoring in both Italian and Spanish, explored the use of e-readers in academic settings and worked with a German professor to study how people read in German. “Penn State is one of the few places where you can do everything. I wanted to be able to do research and study abroad. I can do that here and there’s such a great support system.” I see a huge potential for growth. “Penn State is giving me research opportunities at a level that is amazing for an undergraduate. To be working at a university known globally as a research leader helps me imagine my own potential for growth, along with the fields I’m studying. “As an undergraduate Bioengineering major, I feel very fortunate to be an involved with research in the emerging field of tissue engineering. One RESEARCH FOR of my projects involves creating artificial tissue that can mimic live human UNDERGRADUATES tissue. Someday, artificial tissue can be used in surgical procedures.” 6 HOW DOES STUDYING IN A SUBMARINE in the Gulf of Mexico with a world leader in animal ecology sound? For a number of Biology students, this opportunity was a dream come true.