Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission.

Only those students who anticipate a doctoral degree will be admitted. Students are selected within the limitations of program facilities. Priority is given to applicants with work experience with children.

An undergraduate major emphasizing work in psychology and/or education is preferred, but students with fewer than 20 upper-division credits in psychology, educational psychology, or special education may be admitted with limited deficiencies to be fulfilled concurrently with their graduate work. Requirements for admission include:

a minimum of one-third of graduate credits of A quality,
undergraduate GPA of B or higher,
satisfactory recommendations from two or more professors, preferably psychologists, and
a score of 1000 or higher on the two general sections or a score of 1500 or higher, including the analytical or an advanced test, of the Graduate Record Examination.
For international students: All international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or a score of 213 on the computer-based test is required for admission. Beginning in August 2015, applicants are to send the TOEFL test scores electronically to Penn State University. Toefl total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisaaional admission, enrollment, and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Revised TOEFL PBT July 2017 and later 60