High school preparation:

  • English: 4 units (including composition/literature) 

  • Social Studies / Arts / Humanities: 3 units 

  • Science: 3 units 

  • Mathematics: 3 units (algebra/trigonometry, etc.) 

  • World Language: at least 2 units 

Admission to the university as a whole (freshman) also requires satisfying Penn State’s general first-year admission criteria. 

Entrance to Major (ETM) / declaring a Smeal major:

  • Students admitted initially as “pre-major” in Smeal or via Penn State’s Division of Undergraduate Studies can apply for entrance to a Smeal major once they have between 36 and 59 cumulative credits at Penn State. 

  • Required that certain “Entrance to Major” courses be completed or in progress, with a grade of “C” or better. These courses include: ENGL composition, Microeconomics, Calculus, Statistics, Accounting (ACCTG 211), Management (MGMT 301), Marketing (MKTG 301), and Finance (FIN 301). 

  • For many majors, a minimum cumulative GPA is required. For example:

  • Most majors: 3.20 overall GPA and 3.20 in entrance courses 

  • Finance major: 3.50 GPA required 

Transfer or external courses:

  • For the core ETM courses (Accounting 211, MGMT 301, MKTG 301, FIN 301), those must be taken at a Penn State campus, and transfer equivalents often do not count for those courses in the ETM process. 

New “Smeal Direct” pathway (starting Summer / Fall 2026):

  • Students admitted to Penn State under Smeal Direct will be guaranteed access to Smeal resources and assured a Smeal major given appropriate academic progress.