Structure
The 4+1 Philosophy IUG (“Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate”) program allows students to complete a research masters degree in philosophy concurrently during the final year of their B.A./B.S. enrollment and in one further post-graduate year – and thus ideally in five years.
During their fourth and fifth years, Philosophy IUG students enroll principally in 400-level and 500-level philosophy courses, and in their fifth year they complete a culminating project. The M.A. degree is officially 30 PHIL credits, but since 6 PHIL credits may double-count for the B.A./B.S. and M.A. degree, IUG students will take 24 PHIL credits beyond their B.A./B.S. requirement. In the typical situation, students will graduate with the B.A./B.S. in their fourth year and then with their M.A. in their fifth year. A student enrolled in the IUG may withdraw from the program at any time without effect to their BA/BS graduation plan.
For any questions, please contact Christopher Moore, Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), c.moore@psu.edu.
Application period
The application, with letters of recommendation, are due to the Graduate Admissions portal by April 1 of the student’s third academic year. For exceptional circumstances, contact the DUS.
Academic requirements at time of application
- 18 credits (completed or enrolled in) toward a Philosophy major
- 3.75 GPA in PHIL-prefix courses
- 3.50 GPA overall
Preparation for application
Students are expected to discuss their interest in the IUG with their philosophy advisor and/or the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Philosophy before application. Early discussion will foster better guidance for classes to take preceding application to and enrollment in the IUG.
Application
Complete the graduate school application through the grad school portal.
With your application, please include the following:
- Statement of purpose: A letter of about 500 words addressed to the Co-Directors of the IUG, explaining why you wish to enroll in the IUG, including the areas of philosophical study to be pursued, intended faculty mentors, and possible future plans.
- Portfolio: A single PDF, with table of contents on the cover page, including three papers written for classes that satisfy the philosophy major, preferably totaling, all together, at least five thousand words of main text.
- Transcript and degree audit: An unofficial version is acceptable.
- CV: A current resume or curriculum vita.
- Reference letters: Three confidential letters of recommendation from instructors appointed in the philosophy department, one of whom must be a member of the graduate faculty. Please follow the prompts to ensure that these get uploaded directly into to the graduate application.
For any questions about the technical aspects of the application, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Ashley Cecil, aec5731@psu.edu.
Admissions
Admissions to the IUG program are decided by the full graduate faculty. Decisions will depend on the department’s judgment of the candidates’ capacity to contribute to the graduate program and to succeed in graduate-level study, which includes writing, defending, and revising a successful culminating project. These decisions will be made during the final faculty meeting of the academic year (typically in April).
Advising
Each student enrolled in the IUG will meet at the beginning of their fourth year with at least one of the Co-Directors of the IUG (the departmental undergraduate and graduate officers) to discuss their intended progress through the program. This meeting must occur during the first four weeks of the semester; the scheduling will be coordinated by the Graduate Program Coordinator. During the fourth year, each student is to decide on a faculty mentor who has agreed to direct that culminating project. (If the proposed faculty mentor does not have graduate faculty status, the Co-Directors of the IUG, in consultation with the Head of Department, will determine the feasibility of according that faculty member “Special Member” status.) In consultation with their advisor, each student must declare by the beginning of their fifth year how they intend to complete the culminating project. The declarations of advisor and culminating project are to be made on a form to be sent, by August 15, to the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Culminating Project
There are two ways to complete the culminating project:
Master’s paper
A student writes a scholarly research paper of at least 15,000 words under the direction of a faculty mentor, during the fall semester of the student’s M.A. (+1) year, while taking 3 credits of PHIL 600 thesis research. The student undergoes an oral exam of that paper before at least two faculty examiners and must revise the paper in accordance with the examiners’ recommendations before receiving credit for the paper. This exam will take place between December 1 and February 28, scheduled by the Graduate Program Coordinator. The revision will be due April 1. The student should choose the secondary faculty examiner(s) in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor; but no faculty member is required to accept an invitation to be an examiner. If the Co-Directors determine, in consultation with the faculty mentor and the student, that the student will likely not complete the master’s paper satisfactorily in the fall semester, the student may be asked to switch options and complete the “Dossier” in the spring semester. This is to ensure timely completion of the M.A. requirements.
Dossier
A student submits a collection of three previously written seminar papers, representative of their most mature philosophical writing, during either the fall or spring of the student’s MA year. The student undergoes an oral exam of that dossier before at least two faculty examiners, and must revise those papers in accordance with the examiners’ recommendations before receiving credit for the dossier. The examination of this dossier may take place between December 1 and February 28, scheduled by the Graduate Program Coordinator. The revision will be due April 1. The student should choose the secondary faculty examiner(s) in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor; but no faculty member is required to accept an invitation to be an examiner.
Course requirements
The Philosophy B.A./B.S. typically requires 9 credits of 400-level seminars (with 30 credits total of philosophy). The MA requires 30 credits of graduate-eligible PHIL courses (400-, 500-, or 600-level), with at least 18 credits (six courses) at the 500- or 600-level. Since 6 credits of 400- or 500-level credits may count simultaneously for the B.A./B.S. and M.A. requirements, the M.A. will typically require 24 credits beyond the B.A./B.S. requirements, where 18 credits are PHIL 500- or 600- level, and the remaining 6 credits are at the 400-, 500-, or 600- level. Please talk to your major advisor for details.
Tuition charges
Undergraduate tuition rates will apply as long as the student is an undergraduate, which is the time until the granting of the B.A./B.S. After that point, graduate tuition rates apply.