Visiting Scholars Program

To foster intellectual exchange and collaboration in research and teaching, the Department of RPTM at Penn State University hosts a small number of Visiting Scholars on a regular basis. Visiting Scholars may be university professors, active professionals, post-doctoral students, or senior-level doctoral students. Visiting Scholars are not funded by Penn State University but may be funded via competitive grant programs in their home country, competitive U.S. grant programs (e.g., Fulbright Program), or grants from private organizations.

Applying for Visiting Scholar status

Application: Application for Visiting Scholars Program

Decisions about acceptance are based on:

applicant’s academic and professional experience, areas of expertise, and research interests
availability of a Penn State RPTM faculty member who agrees to serve as the Visiting Scholar’s designated host
geographic diversity
space availability

Before applying for a Visiting Scholar position

Please note the following limitations:

Penn State does not provide financial support for Visiting Scholars.
Visiting Scholars who wish to enroll in courses will be required to pay standard graduate student tuition rates.
Submitting a Visiting Scholar application does not guarantee acceptance.
Being accepted as a Visiting Scholar does not imply acceptance into the RPTM graduate program

If accepted, Visiting Scholars can expect to be provided with:

desk space in a shared office
access to Penn State’s computer network and libraries
numerous formal and informal opportunities to interact with Penn State faculty and graduate students