Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Reviews

  • 65 Reviews
  • Indiana (PA) (and 2 others)
  • Annual Tuition: $18,927
95% of 65 students said this degree improved their career prospects
95% of 65 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

Nunya
  • Reviewed: 11/1/2022
  • Degree: Environmental Science
"The largest issue with IUP is the Advisors. All advisors are actually just professors. These professors have major roles as educators, as facilitators for clubs and programs, and they also usually have careers in their targeted fields. The advisors aren't bad people, most of the time it is clear the advisors are trying their best to help students. Unfortunately, advisors are trying their best but on the receiving end it does not feel like they are trying to help. I am on my fifth year at IUP, I am on my fourth advisor, my first advisor passed away, however, I have no clue why I was reassigned advisors so many times. My final advisor is the head of a department, they are an extremely busy person. Who's brilliant idea was it to assign more students to a professor/ head of department who is already maxed out? This is not just my department either. I have met several Bio and science majors who agree, they feel like they don't get proper help from their advisors because the advisors are simply too busy. As many know, you have to plan your course schedule a semester or two ahead, because there are a lot of classes that are only held at certain times of the year. Many also know about prerequisites, this is when you must take a lower level class before taking an upper level class. This specifically is where I and other students experience problems. Advisors would forget about the specific timing of certain classes or they would forget about prerequisites. So students are under the impression everything is planned out, when in reality the plan is not stable. In my experience, these scheduling mishaps have severely effected me financially. One semester I was under the impression that I would be taking 8 credits. Apparently, the one class was not offered that semester, I ended up moving 4 hours away from home, spending money for housing just for one single class. I was only taking 4 credits so no financial aid, no extension on my loan, and no heads up that I will be paying this semester out of pocket!! I do not want this to be focused on the advisors/ professors. This is the school's fault, they are cheap and don't want to hire a department of planning professionals to act as advisors for us. The year I am writing this is the end of 2022, the construction of the new science building is about halfway done. If you are a science student looking to come to school here, RUN AWAY. The current science building is so poorly maintenance, the new science building has been in construction for maybe 2 years, it will probably stay under construction for the next 2-3 years. As a safety major, I don't mind construction, as a student though, I have to say that the construction is such an inconvenience. They also don't put up proper barriers, I'm waiting for a party goer to get into the construction equipment and injure themselves. I think this goes to show how much the leaders of IUP care about the well being of their students. The last notable characteristic of this awful school is that it is dangerous! My second year of school there were several people shot close to campus and just off campus. The President sent out emails expressing that if anyone need emotional support to reach out to the campus. How about you fund safety measures on and off campus? Anyone with a brain knows that college students sent party on campus, they go just off campus to have fun. Why are there no Emergency Help buttons on the far reaches of campus? Even in 2022 there was a shooting threat to the Humanities building. An email was sent by the president explaining the situation and how extra security measures were taken. This was a lie, no extra measures were taken. That day many people could have been harmed or lost their lives, IUP did nothing. This school is not worth the price unless you have a full ride. This school will only be fun if you enjoy partying 4/7 days of the week. It is NOT worth the price and sacrifices."
Sara
  • Reviewed: 3/7/2022
  • Degree: Vocational
"IUP is the worst institution I have ever dealt with. The financial office is soulless. I am a single mother of two already holding a bachelors degree. I switched jobs which required me to go back to school. I was aware of that when I took the job. I was told that FAFSA would cover it if I was eligible. The program I entered was Vocational Education. They have the courses set up so that they are just under ONE credit for part time eligibility through FAFSA. Unfortunately, my district does not pay for the needed courses so everything comes out of pocket. I have to work two jobs to maintain my bills and my children's lifestyle because of this. Someone recommended to me that I enter a masters program considering I already have a BS degree. I enrolled in the classes late due to the start of the semester, and my professors were not willing to let me make up the work, at the same time my grandmother became ill and I had to become her caretaker. Needless to say, it was a horrible time to go back to school. With that being said, I had no choice other than to drop my courses. IUP stated that even with the late enrollment, and my personal problems they were still charging me for the courses I was only in for about 3 weeks. IUP sent me a statement of over $9,100. They have a policy that if my bill is not under 1,000 I cannot attend any courses. Therefore I cannot complete the course needed to keep my job. THIS IS THEFT! I am a single mother of two, with a mortgage, already working two jobs to keep up with my bills, both of my daughters are on my insurance..everything rides on my job. I am about to lose my livelihood because of this institution. I hope IUP is proud of the fact that they are putting a single mom on the streets with her children. DO NOT GO HERE, THEY WILL BLEED YOU OF EVERY DIME YOU HAVE!!!!!!!"
Melanie McDaniel
  • Reviewed: 1/3/2020
  • Degree: Psychology
"Indiana university of Pennsylvania provided me with a very positive educational experience. The professors I came in contact with were supportive and helpful and truly valued my education. But I feel as though my social and personal growth was the most rewarding part of my experience at Indiana university of Pennsylvania, the community and the opportunities to become involved make it so you never feel alone."
Sophia Berg
  • Reviewed: 6/29/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"IUP was a pretty great undergraduate experience. Many of the professors in the psychology department, where I spent most of my time, were eager to teach and assist students on their way to earning their degree. All the staff I interacted with were very helpful and never too busy to offer assistance. The campus itself is beautiful with many clubs and activities to participate in throughout the semester. The library is really nice with many historical artifacts strewn throughout for the curious wanderer to find. I spent a large amount of time on campus studying and researching my honors project. There is a bus system that is almost always on time and which will take you throughout the campus and into town to the major shopping centers."
Regan Chalk
  • Reviewed: 6/13/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"The Psychology program and Indiana University of Pennsylvania brought many opportunities and allowed me to throughly enjoy my academic undergraduate career. There are a plethora of class options that will allow for you to select and cater to your interests in the many different fields of psychology. While the program does set up some standards for classes that you are required to take, there are many different options within the categories that you are required to take. There is also plenty of room in order for you to find your passion and will allow for exploration in the many fields of psychology. The program also has an honors program that allows for internships and academic research to boost one's experiences."
Katharine Steinour
  • Reviewed: 5/2/2018
  • Degree: Teaching
"I studied Social Studies Education and Spanish at IUP, and my experience was honestly amazing. The faculty in the history and education departments are clearly passionate about helping students succeed and providing opportunities for their students. I was able to go abroad to Costa Rica for Spanish intensive courses covering speaking, writing, and reading. I was also able to participate in Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity, which provided exceptional opportunities to develop my leadership, while simultaneously doing community service. This just proves how dedicated and helpful the anthropology faculty are and I would recommend this program to anyone considering anthropology or archaeology. One thing I like most about Indiana University of Pennsylvania is that overall the professors are willing to go out of their way to provide extra help in order for their students to understand their course material. There are a lot of different options students have if they need extra help. I always felt in my dorm knowing there are several doors and security one must go through to get into each room. However, one thing I wish would change about being at Indiana University of Pennsylvania would be the parking. During my time on campus, I needed to have my car parked in Robert Shaw parking lot. This is inconvenient for students because walking takes a good amount of time and the busses are not always running. Therefore, when I need to get to my car fast, it usually doesn't happen. I think having more parking options closer to campus would benefit students greatly."
Logan Feronti
  • Reviewed: 8/11/2017
  • Degree: Marketing
"Almost every weekend of my entire senior year of high school was spent traveling to different universities to go on campus tours and auditions. I had always dreamed of being a star on Broadway one day, so I decided that I would attend college for musical theater. To do that, I had to not only be accepted academically into the school, but I also had to go through rigorous auditions, with other extremely talented people, and then be selected into the musical theater program. Overall, I had auditioned for 13 different and wonderful programs. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into more than one of them, so I had to start weighing the pros and cons of different aspects of each university. Out of all 13 campuses that I toured, Indiana University of Pennsylvania's was, by far, my favorite. The campus has continuously been building newer, technologically advanced, buildings. The architecture is very diverse. Each building has its own unique charm. The campus was my ideal size. It wasn't too large, but it also was not too small. The furthest walk from one end of campus to the other for classes was about 15 minutes. That's a great distance for students who do not have vehicles and when harsh winters hit. All of the walk-ways were maintained and the landscaping was lush and colorful. The theater building, and most of the other academic buildings are situated in the heart of the Oak Grove; one of my favorite escapes on campus. The Oak Grove has bright green lawns and is canopied by massive, beautiful Oak trees. There are paths that run through the lawn leading to the academic buildings and benches throughout the Grove. Students flock to the Oak Grove because of its serene nature. Students play outdoor games there, study, layout, gather with friends, and do whatever else they desire. There is so much space to accommodate everyone. The living options on this campus were the nicest I had ever seen. The dorms they have are suite style. You have different style options, where you can live with just one other person, or up to three other roommates. There are many different layout styles, but each suite has its own bathroom. You do not have shared floor restrooms in these buildings. You also have the choice of selecting your suites based on which building you want to be in on campus. Depending upon your major, you may want to be located closer to a specific building, and you can select your housing based upon that, if you desire. There are many food options throughout the campus. Wherever you are located on campus, you are never further than a five minute walk for a meal. As I was attempting to make my decision for which university and program that I was going to commit to, I received an email from Indiana University of Pennsylvania's (IUP's), Robert E. Cook Honors College. They asked if I would be interested in interviewing for a spot in their honor's program because of the academic achievements I had accomplished while in high school. During the interview, they explained the nature of the program and how you have the ability to become and even deeper, more critical, thinker by being a part of the cohort. For the honor's courses, there is no test taking. It is all discussion based, and to culminate each course you write a thesis paper on a topic of your choice pertaining to what was discussed throughout the course. A big draw for me to the Honors College was that the cohorts were a blend of all different cultures, thinkers, ethnicities, etc. The thought of having open, free-flowing discussions, with all different backgrounds of people and meeting/being surrounded by individuals from all around the world sounded enriching. I was told how everyone challenged one another to become a better student, friend, and member of society. Being a member of the honor's college also meant scholarships. Not only did the Honor's college offer me a scholarship, but I was offered many academic scholarships through IUP as well. IUP was one of the more affordable universities I was looking at, at the time, and being offered those scholarships would have been very difficult to turn down. I knew that I would be paying for my education, so it was vital that I chose a school that would not send me into overwhelming debt. When it came down to it, I just couldn't turn down IUP. They say that when you are looking at schools you'll know when it's the right one for you; I had that feeling the minute I set foot on their campus. It felt like home. I just recently graduated in May of 2017 with my Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing. I ended up changing my major my second semester of school. I was exposed to another area that I knew I had a passion for because IUP provides you with the opportunity to explore your other passions, talents, and joys. I did not quit performing altogether though. Even with changing my major to Business Marketing, I was still able to audition and perform in musicals. There are hundreds of options for clubs, activities, and teams to be a part of and to get involved with at IUP. I was able to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, have 5 job offers upon graduation, be on the university dance team, work 4 part-time jobs, be an actress, have time to spend with all of the friends I made, and do so much more in my 4 years as an undergraduate at IUP because of all of the opportunities that they offered to me! If you don't understand all of your options and opportunities there's always someone who's willing to help you out and will point you in the right direction. That's the other thing, Indiana University of Pennsylvania is one of the friendliest places I've ever been. I never felt alone, or like I couldn't walk up and ask for help. It's the same way in and out of the classroom. Most of the classes will never exceed 30 students and the teachers are very passionate about helping you to achieve what you want to become. They learn every student's name and their doors are always open. This isn't just an exception to the college of business, but for all of the teachers across the board. I did not just obtain a degree from IUP, I obtained so much more. In fact, receiving my undergraduate education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania was so rewarding, I have decided to return in the Fall of 2017 to obtain my Masters of Business Administration. In the future, I could truly see myself working towards my doctorate and becoming a professor for IUP! I hope to someday help students chase their dreams like my professors helped me to do! If this review made you interested in IUP in anyway, I encourage you to give the university a call and go experience what I described; and good luck in your future education no matter where you end up!"
Kayla Mazzoni
  • Reviewed: 8/8/2017
  • Degree: Counseling
"The clinical mental health counseling program is a CACREP accredited program. The professors are great, and have been involved in helping the students ease back into school since before day 1 of classes. This program offers classes such as basic counseling skills, counseling theories, group and individual counseling and assessment procedures for clinical mental health counseling. The program includes, but is not limited to, multicultural and diversity issues within counseling as wells as crisis and addiction counseling and family and systemic counseling."
Ryan Perrin
  • Reviewed: 7/21/2017
  • Degree: Physics
"The professors at the university were very compassionate and understanding, willing to work with you, and happy to provide career and life advice. Without the guidance of a number of faculty at the school I would not have done as well in my education as I have. In my interactions with the faculty I felt treated as an equal and not as a source of income. If I needed help with homework or advice with anything in life, they were willing to help. All of the faculty were passionate instructors and advisors."
LaTanya P Mitchell
  • Reviewed: 6/28/2017
  • Degree: Criminology
"Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) gave me exactly what I wanted out of a university. I was able to obtain a phenomenal education from professor that got to talk with students on an individual level. Yes, I was stressed most of the time, but this was due to the want I had to achiever the highest level of success. The professors I was able to learn under wanted to mold me into the best student and professional, I can say with certainty that this is true. With all of that guidance partnered with my unrelenting determination I was able to achieve Magna Cum Laude, Provost Scholar, and present research at a criminology conference. Undergrad is a small amount of time with a lot of hard work and sleepless night and if you are able to choose IUP to do all that with you will not regret it because in the end you will see all of it pay off."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Business
"The atmosphere was welcoming, friendly, and collaborative. The faculty is incredibly accessible."
S. Edmonds
  • Reviewed: 4/17/2017
  • Degree: Psychology
"I genuinely enjoyed my matriculation through IUP. The professors were well educated but in my opinion, many of the lecture halls were overpopulated. However, the professors kept suitable office hours and seemed relatively helpful in assisting students through their classes. The school is not as diverse as I would have liked but students were given ample freedom to create and engage culturally. There was a lot of construction going on while I was in school but the end product was well worth it, with brand new suites and academic halls. On the other hand, the HUB could use a little updating. More specifically, the Nursing program (which is where I began my studies) was a top-notch program and produced some really great students/future nurses. I lost my passion for the field part way through but again, this program is for the best of the best and you have to be ready and willing to do the work. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed my matriculation through the Psychology program. I felt that the program was relatively compact, in terms of professors and coursework. It appeared that all of the professors had a common interest in making sure that you graduated from the program and not just "got through". I love that all of the classes for the Psych major were housed in one building, which added to the Psych community feel. Overall, I would say that IUP was a great institution with upstanding staff and faculty and ample resources for growth and development. Thinking back, it would have been nice to have more of a high profile entertainment scene (i.e., artists for homecoming and other events) but perhaps it was in IUP's budget. Anyhow, "cheers" to a wonderful undergrad experience!"
Julie Klumpp
  • Reviewed: 4/16/2017
  • Degree: Teaching
"The quality of education is good overall. Networking is limited to the Western part of Pennsylvania. Professors are very helpful, even well after graduating and more than happy to assist in any way. Make sure to maximize your time there - stray from your program and fully expand every opportunity."
Thad Eisenhower
  • Reviewed: 3/27/2017
  • Degree: Secondary Education
"IUP offered a lot of hands on experience and got us in the classroom early and often. The professors helped make sure both our content and teaching methods were well developed. The school counselors helped me graduate on time in four years in a very intensive and credit heavy major."
Carissa Smith
  • Reviewed: 1/17/2017
  • Degree: Sports Management
"Currently at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I am majoring in Sports Administration with a minor in Business administration, as well as pursuing my masters in Sport Science and Kinesiology. For my bachelors degree I was required to enroll in classes like Prevention and Care of Injuries, Motor Behavior, and Management Facilities and Events in Sports. I felt that my required courses allowed me to learn about both the financial and physical aspects of the sport industry which will be helpful in any career I may pursue with my degree. Indiana University of Pennsylvania offers a 4 + 1 program for the Sports Administration major which allows students to begin taking graduate classes even before they finish their bachelors degree. In other words, if the student is accepted into the Graduate Program they will be able to receive their Bachelor's and Master's Degree in only five years! This opportunity has led to me to maximize my time as a college student and graduate with two degrees in a short period of time. I am extremely happy with my decision to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania and pursue dual degrees in Sport Administration/Sport Science."
Christlynn Dornevil
  • Reviewed: 9/19/2016
  • Degree: Political Science
"Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a great place to immerse yourself into a diverse community. Academically: The Political Science department is a small department but has amazing professors. My advisor always took out the time to sit down with me and go over scheduling concerns and talk about future goals. Most of the professors write their own books and regularly attend conferences and seminars related to the coursework. The coursework usually has current events related to the syllabus, making the class engaging. Students have the opportunity to intern with various organizations, such as NextGen climate and the THIS Program in Harrisburg. Overall, the PLSC Department was very resourceful.. Socially: I love to say, "If you're bored on campus, you're sitting in your room doing nothing." There are over 200 (last time I was on campus) organizations that put on events that are both socially and academically beneficially to the student body. If there is an organization that is not on campus, students can create one. With the wide range of fraternities, sororities, clubs, and other organizations, there is a wide range of activities that students can participate in. I truly enjoyed my time at IUP and believe that with following the right resources, prospective students will have the same experience."
Aleksandra Stojanovic
  • Reviewed: 9/12/2016
  • Degree: Nursing
"LUP has great faculty members that are great at teaching and also approachable. The only negative about this program was that they have enroll applications so sometimes classes are not available if they don't get enough students. Also more details about program in the beginning would be beneficial."
Shawnte Edwards
  • Reviewed: 8/28/2016
  • Degree: Sports Management
"Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a great college to attend. I may be a little biased but that's just because it has a huge variety of majors that can lead you into your dream job. The professors are really hands on, and the diversity which the school has amazing. I would recommend this University to anyone who is trying to further their education and wants the best college experience possible."
Ashley
  • Reviewed: 8/16/2016
  • Degree: Higher Education
"Overall the SAHE program is good. Graduates have the opportunity of two year Assistantships, and are required to do two practicum to graduate. This gives each student an abundance of practical experience. There are also opportunities for attending and presenting at conferences. The drawback is that assistantships may be at other institutions, so cohort connection and bonding is tough. Additionally, each professor has their own preferences for writing and assignments. I would recommend this program to students with the stipulation that they are prepared to work hard and learn a lot."
P. Anderson
  • Reviewed: 8/7/2016
  • Degree: Curriculum & Instruction
"Doctoral of Education, Curriculum & Instruction program is well organized, rigorous and current. University professors are top notch and truly care and support the students within the program. The cohort model is effective and allows for students to move through program in a timely fashion, with little down time, yet is extremely doable."