Master Programme
One-Year MBA
Smeal's One-Year MBA is a STEM-designated, full-time residential MBA at University Park, aimed at recent graduates and early-career professionals from any major. The fall semester builds a cohort-based foundation in finance, marketing, operations, strategy, analytics and leadership; the spring adds advanced coursework and experiential learning, with graduation in May. The Graduate Bulletin's MBA requirements include quantitative analysis, managerial economics, accounting, business statistics, supply chain and operations, ethical leadership, negotiation, communication, global business with an immersion, and a strategic management capstone.
University
Pennsylvania State University
Country
United States
Level
Master
Field
Business
Duration
9 months full-time (fall and spring semesters; at least 35 credits)
Language
English
Campus
University Park
Degree
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Intake
Fall semester (graduation the following May)
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 cohort, with decisions made on a rolling basis: Round 1 closes 1 October 2026, Round 2 on 1 December 2026, Round 3 on 1 February 2027 (the priority deadline for international applicants) and Round 4 on 1 April 2027. All parts of the application must be in by the round deadline. Apply through the Fox Graduate School online application; the international application fee is US$85; choose the "1 Year Resident MBA (University Park/full-time in-person)" format
Tuition Information
2026-27 (fall 2026 and spring 2027): University Park lists non-Pennsylvania tuition for the one-year MBA of US$55,806 for the academic year (US$27,903 a semester); international students pay the non-resident rate. The Student Initiated Fee adds US$320 a semester. Penn State's 2026-27 cost-of-attendance elements for University Park add, per semester on campus, US$3,290 for food, US$4,638 for housing, US$645 for books and supplies, US$1,122 for transportation and US$1,556 for miscellaneous costs (US$22,502 for fall and spring), for a budget of roughly US$78,950 (our total of the official figures). The approved 2027-28 rate, which applies to the fall 2027 cohort, is US$58,038
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in any field, with transcripts from all post-secondary institutions. No GMAT or GRE is required, and scores are not accepted. Applicants without a quantitative background may be asked to take preparatory coursework first
- Application materials: resume, program-specific questions and contact details for three professional or academic references (no letters are requested), followed by a recorded one-way video interview and a timed written essay on Kira Talent, due within seven business days of submitting the Graduate School application
- English proficiency (Fox Graduate School minimum, programs may ask for more): TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with 3.5+ in speaking on the scale used from 21 January 2026 (80 overall with 19+ speaking for earlier tests) or IELTS Academic 6.5. Duolingo is not accepted. Applicants with slightly lower scores may be offered provisional admission with English coursework in the first semester. You are exempt if your bachelor's or graduate degree is from a listed country where English is the predominant language and the language of instruction (for example the UK, Ireland, Canada outside Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana or South Africa). Scores are valid for two years