Integrated Undergraduate & Graduate Degree Programs

What is an IUG Program?

Penn State offers many integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) degree programs, which combine a bachelor's degree with a master's degree as a continuous program of study. Because some credits earned as an undergraduate may be applied to both degree programs, the time required for completion of integrated undergraduate/graduate studies is normally less than that required to complete separate degree programs.

IUG programs approved by the University for all qualified Penn State students
Schreyer Honors College IUG programs, which are customized by the Scholar and dependent on Graduate School approval

Costs and Tuition for an IUG Program

Both types of IUG programs can have a significant impact on your financial aid. Schreyer cannot extend the Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) for the fifth year of study if a student is planning to complete an Integrated Undergraduate / Graduate (IUG) degree.

Consult with the Office of the Bursar as well as the Office of Student Aid to review costs and aid information before applying.

How to Apply for an IUG Program

Application for IUG Programs Approved by the University

These applications are handled through your honors adviser and the Graduate School. You should start by making an appointment to discuss it with your honors adviser. While Schreyer Honors College is not involved in these applications, we encourage you to make an appointment with the Coordinator of Student Records and Advising Services once your application is accepted to understand the thesis and honors credit implications.

Application for Schreyer Honors College IUG Programs

When evaluating applications for IUG program, we seek Scholars who have outstanding academic records, ambition in honors study and scholarships, a balance of accelerated specialization and enriched general education, and well-defined academic and career plans that include graduate study.

Before Applying

Before applying, consider all your options to make sure that the IUG program is the right choice for you. This consideration should be undertaken with your honors adviser and the graduate program coordinator of the program in which you want to enroll.

Your IUG application should underscore the educational advantages you will derive from IUG status. You should be able to clearly communicate:

Why an IUG program is an appropriate plan of study for you
A sense of purpose beyond acceleration to a professional certificate
Advantages you will derive beyond your major
Whether you plan to pursue doctoral work, and if you will seek admission to other institutions

You should use the IUG Plan of Study form below to plan your courses leading to the graduate degree, undergraduate degree, and those that are counted on both transcripts.

IUG Plan of Study

When to Apply

Application materials may be filed during your fourth, fifth, or sixth semester of study. IUG applications must be completed by 5 p.m. on the fifth Friday of the fall or spring semester. Application materials completed after this date will be considered at the beginning of the following semester. We do not review IUG applications in the summer.

Application Materials Checklist

All application materials should be emailed as a PDF to SHCAcademics@psu.edu by 5 p.m. on the fifth Friday of the fall or spring semester.

All applications require a letter or email of approval from the honors adviser and the head of the appropriate graduate program. If you indicate on the Plan of Study that you intend to complete a single thesis at the master’s level, you also need a letter or email of support from your research mentor, confirming that you can pursue a thesis at the master’s level under their supervision. If you indicate that you will be doing two separate theses or that your master’s program does not require a thesis, the third letter is not required.

The personal statement should demonstrate your mature scholarly ability, communication skills, and potential for success in graduate study in the chosen field. Your statement should be divided into four categories and address the following required elements:

Include your name, undergraduate major(s), current cumulative grade point average, and intended master's degree program.

Summarize important aspects of your academic experiences.

Describe your long-term goals and how an IUG complements those goals.

Describe your research area.

The IUG Plan of Study shows a list of courses leading to the undergraduate degree, graduate degree, and those that are counted on both transcripts.

Your honors adviser must approve the undergraduate plan of study. The graduate program coordinator must approve the graduate plan of study.

You must complete at least three credits of undergraduate honors work (000 through 400 level) for your upper division honors credits.

You may apply up to 12 academic credits to both undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

At least 50 percent of the courses proposed to count for both degrees must be at the 500 level.

Thesis credits may not be applied to both degree programs.

Please consult your honors adviser and graduate program coordinator regarding specifics of the thesis submission.

You must prepare a curriculum vitae to be submitted as part of the application.

Schreyer Honors College IUG applicants must also complete the Graduate School online application. Include a screenshot of the general information page of your graduate school application.

Approval Process

If your application is approved by the Honors College, it is then sent to the Graduate School for approval. If you are approved for IUG status at all three levels (program department/college, Honors College, and Graduate School), you will receive a letter of notification from the director of graduate enrollment services.

After your Schreyer Honors College IUG application is approved, we encourage you to make an appointment with the Coordinator of Student Records and Advising Services to review the thesis and honors credit implications.

Key IUG Information

Awards & Fellowships

In your graduate program year — typically the fifth year — you may be eligible for National Science Foundation awards and other research grants through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Mentoring (URFM). Make an appointment with the office as soon as your IUG is approved to discuss possible awards and fellowships.

IUG Semester Report

Each semester, an IUG Scholar must complete the IUG Semester Report and submit it to the Graduate School by the appropriate deadline. This form is required by the Graduate School to properly process courses taken by an undergraduate student so they can be counted toward the graduate degree or toward both the graduate and undergraduate degrees. Failure to submit these semester reports will result in no graduate-level transcript.

Schreyer Honors College and IUG Status

A student may retain IUG status for as long as they remain in the Schreyer Honors College. If Schreyer Honors College status or IUG status is terminated, the provision allowing courses to count for both graduate and undergraduate programs ceases to apply, even for courses already completed. The Graduate School reserves the right to remove any student from a Schreyer Honors College IUG who withdraws or is dismissed from the Schreyer Honors College.

In IUGs where the master’s thesis is approved to satisfy the undergraduate honors thesis requirement, it must follow all Schreyer thesis requirements.