The graduate program is designed to take maximum advantage of the opportunities offered by PSU's location and the mixture of academic and applied experiences offered by the location.

For admission to graduate study, a student normally should have completed the minimum preparation for an undergraduate major in geography with an overall 3.0 grade average. Students without the equivalent of an undergraduate geography major are encouraged to apply as well, and may be admitted with the stipulation that they remedy any deficiencies early in their graduate program. Students are admitted Fall term with an April 1 deadline. There is a February 15 deadline for financial assistance. The University application forms and official transcripts should be sent to the Admissions Office. The following items should be sent directly to the Geography Department: department application form, three letters of recommendation from faculty members of colleges previously attended, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (recommended minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000), a brief written statement
(1-2 pages) describing career objectives and desired specializations within the field of Geography, a copy of transcripts from all colleges attended, and a resume. Foreign students for whom English is a second language must present a score of at least 550 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination with their application for admission.

The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems provides introductory and in depth study into the design and application of geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of GIS, the certificate will consist of core introductory courses and advanced topics and applications development courses drawn from the Geography, Urban Studies and Planning, and Geology departments at PSU.