Collaborative International Graduate Degrees

All collaborative international graduate degree programs must be approved by Graduate Council before Glbobal Programs will draft an agreement. Guidelines and process for collaborative degree agreements are established by the Graduate School.

Concurrent doctorate degrees are not allowed under current Penn State policies. Academic units have the following two (2) options in developing collaborative graduate programs between Penn State and institutions outside the U.S.:

OPTION 1: Collaborative International – Concurrent Graduate Degree Programs (CI-CGDP): Students are enrolled concurrently in any of the following programs where specified courses may be applicable to both degrees (i.e. “double-counted”):

• a master’s degree program at Penn State and a master’s degree program at the collaborating institution; or in
• a Penn State doctoral program and collaborating master’s degree program;
• a Penn State master’s and collaborating doctoral degree program. 

OPTION 2: Collaborative International - Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Degree Programs (CIP-IUGDP): Students are enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at the collaborating institution and a master’s program at Penn State and may “double-count” specified courses towards both degrees. 

Collaborative programs in which a single degree is awarded jointly by both Penn State and another institution (i.e., in which the student receives a single diploma reflecting both institutional identities) are NOT allowed, given the substantial logistical, academic, accreditation (in some cases) and other issues that this presents.

The Penn State dual-title degree is a unique internal degree model that integrates two fields of study within the Penn State system into a single program in terms of both course work and research/scholarship, so that a single diploma titled in both fields is issued. This model is NOT appropriate for collaborative programs.