Policy
GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs
FAQs
Under what circumstances does a program need to ask for an exception to the expectation that the undergraduate degree be completed and conferred within the typical time to degree for that undergraduate major?
Policy Statement #5 states: “IUG programs should be designed so that students complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for that undergraduate major.” The possibility for exceptions was included for cases where the program is structured in such a way that IUG students would be unable to complete the undergraduate degree in the typical timeframe for students enrolled only in the corresponding undergraduate degree program.
One example where an exception would be appropriate is in cases where students are required to complete an external placement for their undergraduate major (e.g., a clinical rotation, or a student teaching experience). Because such external placements facilitate post-graduation job placements, it may make sense for students to complete these in the last year of the IUG program, even though that extends undergraduate time-to-degree for IUG students compared with students in the undergraduate major who are not in the IUG program.
However, programs do not need to request an exception if the typical time-to-degree for B.A./B.S.-only students is similar to time-to-degree for IUG students in the same program. For example, in undergraduate majors that have many part-time students, or in undergraduate majors with significantly more than 120 required credits, there may be a longer average undergraduate time-to-degree. Provided the IUG program is structured so that IUG students can complete the undergraduate degree in the same time frame as B.A./B.S.-only students, an exception would not be needed.
Another example is programs where the undergraduate degree itself typically takes 5 years to complete, as in some architecture and architectural engineering fields. If typical undergraduate time-to-degree for all B.A.E. students is 5 years, and the IUG is structured so that the undergraduate degree can be completed in the same time frame, an exception would not be needed for an IUG with that degree.