Academic Options

Full- and Part-time Study

Domestic and U.S. citizens may discuss enrollment in any Master’s program on a part-time or full-time basis. Ph.D. students who wish to maintain part-time status must obtain departmental approval each semester. International students on student visas must enroll full-time to maintain their visa status. Further information and details can be found on the ISSS webpage.

Students are considered full-time when registered for three course units, (or CU’s,) per semester, excluding audited courses and withdrawn courses. (Full-time status is 3 CU’s or higher, part-time status is 2.99 CU’s and below.) Part-time students may take one or two courses each semester.

All graduate students must maintain continuous enrollment in the fall and spring semesters; summer term is not required. A student without a leave of absence (LOA) approved for the term, and has zero course enrollment by the Course Selection deadline for the term, will be dropped from the program.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Academic Field Study (AFS)

Graduate students in SEAS who meet the eligibility criteria (completed one academic year of full time course work from late August to May) but have not completed all the degree requirements may apply for academic credit for the purposes of F-1 curricular practical training (CPT).  Questions regarding CPT immigration status requirement should be directed to an advisor at ISSS. Full details and information can be found on the Curricular Practical Training webpage and Academic Field Study webpage. Please note CPT and AFS is for on campus programs only.

Dual Majors

Students in the Master of Science in Engineering degree program can select one of the following majors:

Bioengineering (BE), Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), Computer Graphics & Game Technology (CGGT), Computer & Information Science (CIS), Data Science (DATS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Integrated Product Design (IPD), Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), Robotics (ROBO), Scientific Computing (SCMP), and Systems Engineering (SE).

Students who are interested in pursuing two of the Master of Science in Engineering majors may apply to expand their program to earn a degree in both majors. These students receive one diploma upon completion.

Admissions

To apply: submit the Dual Major Degree Application

The application includes:

• Academic plan with proposed courses for both degrees
• Personal statement

Applications must be submitted by June 1, 2026 for fall 2026 admission. Incomplete applications, or those submitted after the deadline, will not be reviewed.

See the section below for Additional Policies related to Dual Degrees within Penn Engineering.

Additional Policies related to Dual Degrees within Penn Engineering and Dual Majors

• Full-time students must enroll in one full-time semester (three cu’s) from the original program which the student was accepted and matriculated.
• Part-time master’s students must be enrolled in their third graduate level cu (or have completed three graduate level cu’s).
• Students must complete a minimum of sixteen (16) cu’s, including up to four (4) course units that satisfy both program/degree requirements.
• A student who is admitted into a dual degree or dual major may no longer apply to change programs other than to drop the second added degree or major
• A student cannot graduate with one degree or major before the other is completed. Both degrees or majors will be awarded in the same term upon completion of all requirements for both degrees or majors.
• A student enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s (still enrolled as an undergraduate) is not eligible for a dual-degree or dual major within Engineering.
• International students looking to apply for a dual degree or dual major should not request OPT prior to the outcome/decision of their application.
• Acceptance into any dual major or dual degree is not guaranteed.
• Only first-year students are eligible to apply for a dual ROBO degree/major and will be considered for Fall 2026. Applications will be evaluated after February 1st, 2026, and decisions will be released eight to ten weeks after that date. While recommendation letters are not required, if you choose to submit them, please have your letter writer email their letter directly to the ROBO Graduate Coordinator, robo-coord@seas.upenn.edu. Submitting your dual Master’s application serves as permission to access your original graduate application to Penn to be considered during the review process; GRE scores are optional.
• Dual degrees between Engineering’s online programs and on-campus programs are prohibited at this time. On-campus master’s students interested in pursuing a dual degree with Penn Engineering Online must graduate from their on-campus program before continuing in the online program. Reach out to online-admissions@seas.upenn.edu with questions.

Program Transfers

Transfer to Another Engineering Master’s Program (on-campus)

After enrolling in one full-time semester or a minimum of three cu’s from the original program which the student was accepted and matriculated, students may apply to transfer to another Engineering Master’s Program by submitting the Master’s Program Transfer form.

• The deadline for completed applications for fall 2026 entry is June 1, 2026.
• A student may not apply to start the new program in their final semester.
  • For example, if a student’s final semester is spring 2027, the latest date that the student could apply to transfer is June 1, 2026 (for fall 2026 entry).
• Candidates are expected to have the appropriate background for the master’s program they are requesting to transfer into. They will be evaluated by both their original program and the new program to which they wish to transfer.
• Each student is only allowed to submit one transfer application during their studies at Penn Engineering. Incomplete applications or those submitted after the deadline noted above will not be reviewed.

**ROBO Only first-year students are eligible to apply for a transfer into the ROBO MSE program and will be considered for Fall 2026. Applications will be evaluated after February 1st, 2026, and decisions will be released eight to ten weeks after that date. While recommendation letters are not required, if you choose to submit them, please have your letter writer email their letter directly to the ROBO Graduate Coordinator, robo-coord@seas.upenn.edu. Submitting your transfer application serves as permission to access your original graduate application to Penn to be considered during the review process; GRE scores are optional.

** DATS applicants should apply here.

Please note:

• Transferring between Engineering’s online programs and on-campus programs is prohibited at this time. Master’s students interested in pursuing another degree must graduate from their on-campus or online program before applying.
• Transferring master’s programs is not guaranteed.

Course Transfer Credit

Transfer of Course Credit to Penn

Master’s Students are permitted to transfer up to two (2) courses from another graduate degree program. Dual degree students are held to the two course transfer request and are not allowed additional requests.
PhD students who come to Penn Engineering with a master’s degree, can request to transfer up to nine (9) credits to their PhD program.

Transferring graduate course credits from a previous program at Penn prior to matriculation into Engineering will be treated as transfer credit. The maximum allowance includes credits taken in another program at Penn, credits taken at an external institution, or a combination of both.

Students should discuss procedures with their program/admin coordinator and then complete the Transfer of Credit form.

• Only courses with grades of ‘B’ or higher will be reviewed.
• Courses taken as pass/fail are not reviewable for transfer.
• The course credit will be transferred in, not the course grade and credit transfers do not impact GPA.
• Courses taken under a certificate program or study abroad are not allowed, and they will not be reviewed or considered for transfer credit.
• Online courses are not eligible for transfer credit with the exception of courses taken through Penn Engineering online.
• Transfer credit must be taken prior to matriculation at Penn as students cannot be enrolled in two schools at once.
• Courses are held to a time limit of five (5) years from the date the course was taken. New students cannot submit a transfer credit request prior to the course selection deadline of their first semester.

Per University policy, courses counted towards and/or listed on an undergraduate degree transcript, will not be considered for graduate credit unless in an approved and awarded accelerated master’s/submatriculation program (PhD policy; Master’s policy). Penn does not allow triple counting of courses so the student must be able to show that the courses didn’t count towards the undergraduate degree.

Leaves and Withdraws

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Students may request a Leave of Absence for up to two years or four academic semesters, after which time, students must reapply for admission. Reasons for requesting a Leave of Absence include personal, medical, military and family leave. Time spent in the military service and medical cases do not count under the time limit.

If a student is considering a leave, they should take time to think carefully about goals for their time away and for when they return. Speaking with a faculty advisor and/or program coordinator is an important first step. Students taking time away in order to manage a medical condition should discuss the leave with their healthcare provider.

Students on leave should remain in contact with their program and provide updates if there are any changes in plans. The return from leave process supports students in a successful re-entry to academic life at Penn. When preparing to return, students should consult their faculty advisor and program coordinator to develop a plan that includes connection with appropriate resources. Reinstatement is dependent upon departmental and SEAS approval.

The PhD LOA policy in detail is here and students wishing to take a Family Leave should go here.

Requesting a Leave of Absence

1. Submit a Leave of Absence Request here.
2. The leave request will be evaluated and, if the request is approved, the program will stipulate conditions that must be met by the student before returning from leave.
3. The student will receive an email from the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs outlining the terms and any conditions for the leave request. The program may deny any request for leave. In granting leaves, the decision of the program is final.
4. While a student is on leave, the student may not be enrolled in Penn classes and will not receive credit for classes taken elsewhere during the leave. Students on leave may not live in University-owned housing during the term of their leave. In addition, students may not participate in and/or hold a leadership position in a registered University organization.
5. Discontinuance of study without permission from the University does not constitute a leave of absence.
6. While on a leave, a student may still utilize the library and/or recreational facilities by requesting and paying a special service fee. Graduate Engineering can help facilitate this process.

Leave of Absence Checklist

1. Student Bills: Check your student account; any outstanding balance will result in late fees and your account will be placed on hold. If you are an accelerated masters/submatriculant who has borrowed from the Federal Loan Program must complete the online exit loan counseling session here. Please note that depending on the length of the leave, students may be required to begin repayment of federal loans before returning to Penn.
2. Tuition: If you request your Leave of Absence before the course selection period ends, you will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. If you request your Leave of Absence after the course selection period ends, you must withdraw from your classes and are not eligible for a tuition refund after week 4. (Tuition refund policy here.)
3. On campus housing: If the leave occurs within the semester, complete Request for Early Termination. For more information visit this site.
4. International students: Immigration status is dependent upon full-time enrollment and students are required to depart from the U.S. within 15 days of a posted leave, except in certain cases requiring medical care in the U.S. International students must communicate their intention to take a Leave of Absence with their ISSS advisor. You may need to obtain new immigration documents for re-entry.
5. Medical Documentation: If medical documentation is requested, please ask your healthcare provider to fax (215-746-1032) documentation to Student Health and Counseling, attention: Request Leave of Absence. Do not provide medical documentation to faculty or staff in your Graduate Group or department/program.

While On Leave

During the term(s) of the leave, a student should contact their program if they have any questions. Please be aware of the conditions for the return outlined in the leave letter, since students will be required to fulfill them before they may re-enroll. 

Applying to Return

When a student is ready to return after a Leave of Absence (LOA), they must submit a Request to Return from a Leave of Absence form.  The request must be submitted no later than thirty (30) days prior to the start of the semester the student wishes to return. Once a decision is made, students will receive an email from the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs outlining the terms and any conditions for return. The program may deny the request to return. Re-enrolling in a program must be done before the start of a semester; returning during a semester is prohibited by the University.

Withdraw

To withdraw from a master’s or PhD program in Engineering, please complete a Separation Request here.  For any student who has withdrawn from the University and wants to return, reinstatement is dependent upon departmental and school approval. Students must apply through the application system.

Additional Academic Options:

• Accelerated Master’s Options (for undergraduates only)
• Penn Engineering Master’s–PhD Integrated Pathway Program
• Certificate Program Options

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