We appreciate your interest in continuing your education through the Community and Economic Development (CEDEV) Graduate Certificate program.
To apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program in Community and Economic Development, applicants must have received, from a regionally accredited institution, a bachelor's degree with requirements substantially equivalent to those at Penn State. A 2.50 grade point average (GPA) for the most recent two years of college/university education, or with an advanced degree from an accredited institution, is preferred for admission. International applicants must have a tertiary (post secondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a 4-year bachelor's degree to apply for admission. Applicants to the graduate certificate in CEDEV are preferred to have completed 3 credits in economics.
Applications are accepted for each academic semester and are reviewed by the program's faculty committee upon submission; the priority application submission deadlines are as follows:
- July 1 for fall semester admission
- November 1 for spring semester admission
- April 1 for summer semester admission
When applying, all application materials are required by the deadline & applications cannot be reviewed until all application materials have been submitted by the applicant and received by the CEDEV program. An application is not complete until ALL materials have been submitted. Please review the entire application process, and proceed accordingly.
Applicants will be promptly notified of admission when their application materials have been fully reviewed and confirmed by the CEDEV Graduate Committee.
Application Process
Individuals seeking admission to the Graduate Certificate program in CEDEV must complete and submit electronically an application online through The Graduate School at Penn State's online admissions portal at the Graduate School Portal . Within the online application, applicants will need to provide the following items:
- 1 set of unofficial or official transcripts from institutions of conferred degree(s) (undergraduate and/or graduate degree); Upload your transcripts when submitting your application through the online admissions portal at the Graduate School Portal .
- Current résumé
- Short statement of interest: The online application contains an area to write this statement, which may address your reasons for pursuing the certificate program, why you feel you are a good candidate for the program, and any information you would like the admissions committee to know about you personally/professionally.
- $65 (USD) nonrefundable application fee (Payable via secure online payment processing system.)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, if applicable. TOEFL scores must be submitted by all international applicants unless otherwise specified. Please visit the Language Proficiency section of the International Students page of the Graduate School website for graduate program requirements, or contact The Graduate School for more information.
To begin your application to the Graduate Certificate in Community and Economic Development, visit The Graduate School's admission portal online at the Graduate School Portal. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the CEDEV Graduate Program at cedevinfo@psu.edu or (814) 865-6223.
