Undergraduate students at Penn State Abington who are majoring in computer science can take advantage of the Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) degree program in conjunction with the Master of Software Engineering at Penn State Great Valley. The seamless bachelor’s-to-master’s degree program allows students to earn both degrees in five years and apply 12 credits earned during undergraduate studies to the 36-credit Master of Software Engineering program. 

This STEM designated graduate degree program prepares computer professionals to manage and develop software products and services for industry and government through project planning and software analysis, architecture, design, implementation, and testing.

 Key Program Features

  • Offers qualified computer science students the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.
  • Third- and fourth-year students benefit from their association with graduate students whose level of work parallels their own.
  • Students may use up to 12 credits toward both degree requirements; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted courses must be at the 500 or 800 level.
  • Concurrently pursuing two degrees fosters a greater depth of understanding and comprehension.
  • The curriculum prepares students to meet the demands of modern workplaces through critical thinking and adaptability.
  • Students graduating with related degrees are in high demand by employers in the Greater Philadelphia region and beyond.
  • Companies in defense, finance, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications rely heavily on post-graduates with software engineering degrees.
  • Premier faculty combine their research with business expertise to give students a valuable and innovative classroom experience.
  • Expedites time to earn both degrees and significantly reduces associated costs.
  • GRE not required.

Program Eligibility

  • The application deadline for this program is the second week of the semester prior to the semester of degree conferral. 
  • All students must have completed at least 60 credits to apply, and transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State.
  • Students typically begin planning to apply by the end of their sophomore year.
  • In consultation with an adviser, students must prepare a plan of study appropriate to the integrated program and present their plan of study to the head of the graduate program prior to being admitted. The plan should cover the entire program and should be reviewed periodically with an academic adviser as the student advances through the program.
  • The following courses may count for both the B.S in Computer Science and the Master of Software Engineering:
     
    • CMPSC 430 - Database Design
    • CMPSC 487W - Software Engineering and Design
    • SWENG 581 - Software Testing
    • SWENG 837 - Software System Design

Click here to learn more about the Master of Software Engineering at Penn State Great Valley or schedule a virtual meeting with a program representative here.