Welcome to the cutting edge of science that will ignite your passion for innovation. Come learn how our unique student opportunities make IUP the best Pennsylvania university to earn your undergraduate degree.
At IUP, we understand that not every university’s degree is created equal. We focus on student opportunities such as an integrated leadership minor, undergraduate research, internships, and guaranteed graduate school admissions to achieve a near 100 percent employment and graduate school placement rate.
Certified Degrees: The department undergoes a rigorous review by the American Chemical Society to offer certified degrees, the gold standard for biochemistry and chemistry programs.
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Support Our Students
Long before her career in the nuclear industry, Mariah Sinan ’20 grew up on her family’s farm and gained firsthand experience with how equipment works and developed a curiosity about the science and mechanics behind it. IUP played an important role in helping her explore those interests and discover where they could take her.
IUP is expanding opportunities for students to enter the growing microelectronics and semiconductor workforce through its Nanotechnology Specialization, partnership with Penn State’s CNEU, and connection to the NNME Northeast/NEXUS network. The 18-credit Penn State summer capstone provides hands-on nanofabrication and microelectronics training, with potentially reduced housing costs making this experience more accessible to IUP students.
David Eastman will share his 10-week REU research experience at Cornell University, where he worked on automated polymer synthesis using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). He will discuss his research, what he learned from the experience, and how undergraduate students can get started in research and pursue exciting opportunities such as REU programs.
The 52 students selected for the 2026 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) will present their original research projects during the U-SOAR Research Symposium on August 19 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Sutton Hall’s Blue Room.
Indiana student Bailey Schoenfelt has been honored for successful completion of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics STEM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
On Friday, April 24, the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics hosted the fifty-eighth annual Academic Achievement Awards ceremony in Kopchick Hall.
Join our free Nano Talk Seminar for firsthand insights from Trey Shirley ’21, research technologist at Penn State’s Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization.
The IUP Physics Club, an official chapter of the Society of Physics Students, has been recognized as a Distinguished SPS Chapter for the 2024–25 academic year by the SPS National Office.
The Physics and Pre-Engineering clubs will host the 2026 Physics Olympics on Friday, March 20, welcoming high school students from across the region to campus for a day of hands-on physics challenges, teamwork, and exploration of STEM pathways.
On November 6, 2025, members of the Physics Club and Pre-Engineering Club visited the University of Pittsburgh for an immersive tour of its engineering facilities. The visit introduced students to Pitt’s academic environment, research opportunities, and transfer pathways.
