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2023-2024 MPH-IUG Supplement

Penn State College of Health and Human Development has partnered with Penn State College of Medicine to offer an integrated undergraduate-graduate (IUG) accelerated Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program for students at University Park enrolled in Biobehavioral Health, Health Policy and Administration, Kinesiology or Nutritional Sciences degree programs. This accelerated degree program is often called the MPH-IUG Program.

This is a companion guide to the MPH Handbook, and it contains additional criteria specific to the MPH-IUG Program. For a comprehensive look at the MPH Program and related requirements, please consult the MPH Handbook.

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MPH-IUG Program Information

Academic Requirements - Overview Expand answer

IUG students must meet GPA requirements (see below) to be accepted into the MPH-IUG Program. The GPA requirements must be maintained throughout a student’s entire undergraduate career, including the first year of the MPH program (fourth year of undergraduate study).

BBH: 3.25 minimum cumulative GPA; 3.0 minimum GPA in major courses
HPA: 3.25 minimum cumulative GPA; 3.0 minimum GPA in major courses
Kinesiology: 3.30 minimum cumulative GPA; 3.0 minimum GPA in major courses
Nutritional Sciences: 3.25 minimum cumulative GPA; 3.0 minimum GPA in major courses

Students that do not meet the GPA requirements will be given one semester to improve their GPA. Students may be removed from the IUG program for not maintaining an adequate GPA. Please see MPH Handbook Academic Performance Policy section for further details.

Advising Expand answer

MPH-IUG students have an administrative adviser. Administrative advisers can provide a friendly ear to discuss students’ achievements and disappointments, answer questions and direct students to appropriate services. MPH-IUG students will be provided with an Administrative Adviser once they are offered admission into the MPH-IUG Program. See the MPH Handbook for further details regarding advising.

Course Registration Expand answer

For any courses for which students plan to share the credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees, they will need to use the Undergraduate to Take 500/800 Level Course form to enroll in those courses. Students need to provide their signature and the information pertaining to the course. They do not need the Instructor Signature or an Academic Adviser Signature. Once the student has signed the form, they must email it to their administrative adviser. Students must use their PSU email address to send the form. Do not register for these shared courses via LionPATH.

Students will typically need to use this form to enroll in their graduate level courses for the first two semesters in the IUG program (fall and spring semester of the fourth undergraduate year). Once students are taking only graduate level courses, this form is not needed and students will register for all courses via LionPATH. Students should contact their Administrative Adviser with any questions regarding registration.

Declaring a Concentration Expand answer

IUG students are asked to identify a preferred concentration when applying to the MPH-IUG Program. Concentration changes made after the second semester of the fourth year of undergraduate study (first year of MPH course work) may result in longer time needed to complete the MPH program. The selected concentration will dictate course sequence – the courses for which students should register and in what order – throughout the duration of the MPH program.

IUG students in the Global Health Concentration must declare their concentration in their MPH-IUG application. Since this is a World Campus program, students will not be able to change their concentration once it is selected.

Double Counting of Courses Expand answer

Biobehavioral Health and Health Policy and Administration IUG students can double-count up to 12 credits of the following Public Health Sciences courses:

  • PHS 504: Behavioral Health Intervention Strategies (3 credits)
  • PHS 520: Principles of Biostatistics (3 credits)
  • PHS 550: Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
  • PHS 571: Health Systems Organization and Delivery (3 credits)

Kinesiology IUG students can double-count up to 15 credits of the following Public Health Sciences courses:

  • PHS 504: Behavioral Health Intervention Strategies (3 credits)
  • PHS 520: Principles of Biostatistics (3 credits)
  • PHS 550: Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
  • PHS 571: Health Systems Organization and Delivery (3 credits)
  • PHS 809: Principles of Public Health (3 credits)

In addition, Kinesiology IUG students are allowed to double-count 6 of the 15 total credits with the following Kinesiology courses:

  • KINES 421: Exercise Psychology (3 credits)
  • KINES 422: Physical Activity Interventions (3 credits)
  • KINES 424: Women and Sport (3 credits)
  • KINES 425W: Physical Activity in Diverse Populations (3 credits)
  • KINES 426: Physical Activity and Public Health (3 credits)
  • KINES 429: Psychology of Sport Performance (3 credits)
  • KINES 445: Alcohol and Drug Education (3 credits)
  • KINES 454: Women’s Health and Exercise Across the Lifespan (3 credits)
  • KINES 455: Physiological Basis of Exercise as Medicine (3 credits)
  • KINES 457: Exercise Prescription and Case Studies (3 credits)
  • KINES 459: Community Engagement and Outreach in Kinesiology (3 credits)
  • KINES 481W: Scientific Basis of Exercise for Older Adults (3 credits)
  • KINES 499: Foreign Study (3 credits)
  • KINES 530: Experimental Design and Methodology in Kinesiology (3 credits)
  • KINES 588: Scientific Writing in Kinesiology (3 credits)

Nutritional Sciences IUG students need to double-count a minimum of 6 credits with the PHS courses listed below. A maximum of 12 credits can be double-counted.

Nutritional Sciences IUG students can double-count up to 12 credits of the following Public Health Sciences courses:

  • PHS 504: Behavioral Health Intervention Strategies (3 credits)
  • PHS 520: Principles of Biostatistics (3 credits)
  • PHS 550: Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
  • PHS 571: Health Systems Organization and Delivery (3 credits)
  • PHS 809: Principles of Public Health (3 credits)

In addition, Nutritional Sciences IUG students are allowed to double-count 6 of the 12 total credits with the following Nutritional Sciences courses:

  • NUTR 425: Global Nutrition Problems: Health, Science, and Ethics (3 credits)
  • NUTR 511: Maternal and Child Nutrition (3 credits)
  • NUTR 583: Nutritional Epidemiology (3 credits)

Courses that are double-counted need to be included on IUG Semester Reports. These reports will be prepared by the Department of Public Health Sciences (PHS), then sent to the student for their signature. The signed form needs to be returned to PHS in a timely manner. PHS will submit these reports to the Graduate School.

Timeline of Activities Expand answer

Spring semester before start of MPH-IUG Program (once accepted into the program)

  • Receive a Program Plan including all MPH courses from MPH Administrative Adviser
  • Complete and submit Undergraduate to Take 500/800 Level Course form to enroll in courses that will be double-counted for both undergraduate and graduate credit (see Course Registration section) in the Fall Semester.

First semester of IUG program (first semester of fourth undergraduate year)

  • Join PHASE (Public Health Association for Service and Excellence). PHASE is the Department of Public Health Sciences’ student-led public health service organization.
  • Meet with administrative adviser to discuss program plan
  • Begin planning for PHS 895 internship, typically completed during the summer between the fourth and fifth year
  • Sign and return Fall IUG Semester Report to MPH designated representative
  • Complete and submit Undergraduate to Take 500/800 Level Course form to enroll in courses that will be double-counted for both undergraduate and graduate credit (see Course Registration section) in the Spring Semester

Second semester of IUG program (second semester of fourth undergraduate year)

  • Formally declare MPH concentration
  • Meet with administrative adviser
  • Confirm internship placement for summer
  • Declare intent to graduate for undergraduate degree (coordinate with undergraduate adviser)
  • Sign and return Spring IUG Semester Report to MPH designated representative

Summer semester between fourth and fifth year

  • Complete PHS 895 internship course
  • Attend College of Medicine Graduate Student Orientation in Hershey (includes completion of CITI and Child Abuse Prevention training) except for World Campus MPH Global Health students
  • Begin planning for PHS 894 Capstone

Final semester

  • Declare intent to graduate for MPH degree
  • Conduct and complete capstone project
  • Complete Student Satisfaction Exit Survey
  • Complete Alumni Contact Form