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Policy

GCAC-209 Concurrent Degrees

FAQs


How does this policy relate to students pursuing a "master's-along-the-way"?

When a student is admitted to a doctoral program in a graduate major, and while in the process of earning the doctorate, the student pursues and is awarded a master’s degree (research or professional) in the same graduate major, the master’s degree is sometimes referred to as a “master’s-along-the-way.”

  • A master’s-along-the-way is not considered a concurrent degree under the Concurrent Degree policy.
  • Students who enroll in a master’s-along-the-way may participate in dual-title and joint degrees following the standards defined in the relevant policies.
  • Students in the process of pursuing a master’s-along-the-way may not pursue a concurrent degree, as stated in the Concurrent Degree policy.
    • However, after they receive their master’s degree, and as long as the other elements of the policy are satisfied (timing, GPA, etc.), they may apply to complete a Concurrent Degree as doctoral students (i.e., after the master’s degree is completed, the student is no longer considered to be a master’s-along-the-way student.)

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This page was generated on March 29, 2024 at 5:02 AM local time. This may not be the most recent version of this page. Check the Penn State Graduate School website for updates.