Penn State undergraduate students majoring in Asian Studies, Chinese, or Japanese can earn a master’s degree in International Affairs with only one additional year of study through the integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) degree program offered by the School of International Affairs (SIA) and the Department of Asian Studies. This five-year program includes overlapping credit requirements, such as the language requirement. Select students may be eligible for a tuition waiver and paid research position during their fifth year.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants must be currently enrolled as an Asian Studies, Chinese, or Japanese major at Penn State.
- Although the program has no fixed minimum grade point average, applicants are generally expected to have a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all coursework completed for the major.
- Applicants should have some experience in a 400-level class.
- Applicants must have approval from the Department of Asian Studies.
Application Materials
- A plan of study completed with the applicant’s academic adviser.
- One letter of recommendation from an Asian Studies Faculty member.
- Personal statement of a 1-2 page essay describing the applicant’s academic goals and career plans.
- Completed online application with a paid $65 non-refundable application fee.
- Official GRE or SAT scores.
About the School of International Affairs
The Penn State School of International Affairs offers a 42-credit interdisciplinary master’s program drawing extensively upon the intellectual resources of faculty across several academic units of Penn State. With an 8-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, SIA students receive personal attention from the school’s expert faculty, which consists of former diplomats, retired government officials, and renowned scholars.
In their first year, SIA students complete the program’s core curriculum, which provides a solid academic grounding in the institutions, traditions, and mechanisms of international exchange. Upon the completion of the core curriculum, students work with the faculty advisers to craft their own curriculum by choosing among elective courses offered by SIA and other internationally ranked graduate programs at Penn State. Students then complete a capstone experience in the form of an internship or a master’s paper.
For more information on the IUG program or to begin the application process, please inquire with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Asian Studies or email admissions@sia.psu.edu.