LGBTQ+ Information for Prospective Students | Penn State Student Affairs

What makes a campus LGBTQ+ friendly? The question is a very personal one. Each undergraduate and graduate student needs to evaluate their prospective university or college with their own interests and sense of what makes LGBTQ+ campus life appealing.

Finding the Right Fit: Undergraduate or Graduate

We encourage you to review our programs and our resource pages to gain a better sense of the Penn State University LGBTQ+ community. It may also be helpful to review opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students on campus. There are multiple undergraduate and graduate LGBTQ+ groups on campus here to assist you in finding a home at Penn State.

Academically LGBTQ+

Penn State also has a number of different resources for people interested in the study of human sexuality and gender. The undergraduate minor in Sexuality and Gender Studies addresses human sexuality and gender as they have been conceptualized and investigated by diverse disciplines: humanities (including history and cultural studies), behavioral and social sciences, biological sciences, and visual and performance arts.

Courses in the minor require students to explore scholarship and research on sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender across the lifespan, across cultures, and throughout history. Courses in the minor cover theories of sexuality and gender; sexual orientation; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movements; the history of sexual norms; queer theory; gender identity; and impact of gender identities and erotic orientations on the arts; etc.

The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

Please also consider reaching out to the center staff, who can answer many of the questions you might have about LGBTQ+ life on campus. They will be able to refer you to current students, staff, and faculty with whom you may share similar values, backgrounds, and/or concerns.

If you are a first-year, change-of-campus, or transfer student, please also consider joining our First Year Queer Peers group.

If you are able to visit our University Park campus, we encourage you to stop by the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity in 101 Boucke Building in the heart of campus. The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity is equipped to provide many different services, depending on the needs of individuals.

Below is a brief list of some the programs and services we offer: