Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Berks

As a campus of the Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Berks provides the rich opportunities of a world-class research university in a small and supportive college environment. Our talented and award-winning faculty pride themselves on their commitment to students and the teaching of their discipline. Berks faculty are also dedicated researchers who seek creative ways of integrating their scholarship with their teaching and service to the profession and community.

Because we are a small and close-knit college community, at Penn State Berks students are known by name and enjoy a multitude of opportunities to hone their leadership skills, artistic and creative talents, and athletic interests.

Students also have many academic opportunities and choices at Penn State Berks where they can choose amongst 23 four- and two-year degrees that can be completed at the college, or select amongst the 160 Penn State majors that can be started here and finished at another Penn State campus.

Many scholars believe that the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 was one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of our country.

In 1863 Penn State became one of the nation's first and Pennsylvania's only land-grant institution. The Morrill Act gave Penn State a three-part mission of teaching, research and service. Today, universities continue to honor the legacy and the historical significance of the Morrill Act nearly 150 years later during a Penn State land-grant conference. Scholars from across the country gathered to dissect the history of land-grants and look to the future during a time of economic uncertainty.

As a student at Penn State Berks, you can enroll in one of our 20 baccalaureate degrees or in one of our 4 associate degree programs. You also have the opportunity to complete the first two years of more than 250+ baccalaureate degree programs offered by Penn State.

The Career Services Office is a full service resource for students and alumni of Penn State Berks. The office provides online career resources, counseling, and assistance in all facets of career planning and development.

First-year students are those who have earned high school diplomas or the equivalent by the time they enroll at Penn State. These applicants include high school graduates attending other regionally accredited colleges or universities who have attempted fewer than 18 semester hours and individuals who have enrolled in other institutions before graduating from high school, regardless of the number of credits attempted. High school students who have attended Penn State on a non-degree basis are considered first-year applicants.

A transfer student is a student who has earned a high school diploma or the equivalent and has attempted at least 18 credits at another regionally accredited college or university before enrolling at Penn State. A student who has completed less than 18 semester credits should apply to Penn State as a first-year student.

Penn State Berks has just under 3000 students, is a residential undergraduate campus with two different residence halls, outstanding facilities, faculty, and support services specifically for our International students to help ensure their success.

At Penn State Berks we are happy to offer a number of different scholarships to our current Berks students and to new incoming students. Paying for college is one of the biggest purchases a family will make in its lifetime. Students at Penn State are considered for all federal financial aid programs, including grants, loans and work-study programs.

The mission of the Campus Life Office is to provide services and programs that support and challenge students to achieve their educational, career, and personal goals. This mission is accomplished by providing an environment that enhances the academic mission of Penn State Berks.

Penn State Berks' Continuing Education programs cover a variety of needs, from middle and high school summer camps to evening classes that enable working professionals and adult students reach their educational, professional and personal goals.

From its beginnings as Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to becoming part of the Penn State system in 1958, the Berks campus has experienced many changes. WPI occupied the original Sacred Heart Church building on Hill Road, where the McDonald's Restaurant now stands, from 1930 to 1958 when its facilities were offered to Penn State to establish Penn State Wyomissing Center, now Penn State Berks campus. It moved to its present Spring Township location in 1972.

With the addition of the residence halls in 1990, Berks became a residential and commuter campus. In 1997 Penn State Berks was granted "college" status and began offering a variety of four-year baccalaureate degree programs. Today Penn State Berks includes 30 buildings on 258 acres of land, and there are 231 full-time and adjunct faculty members.

Residence halls provide housing for 805 students. The college celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. Several unique projects documented our history at this time. Penn State University and Berks County share a long and productive relationship, dating back to 1914, when the University first offered agricultural extension courses to county residents. As Berks County evolved, so did its relationship with the University.