Accelerated Master’s Degree Programs
Accelerated Master’s (4+1) Program
Students who entered Penn undergraduate in Fall 2018 or later, adhere to accelerated master’s rules. Students that entered Penn as an undergraduate in Fall 2017 or earlier fall under all submatriculation rules.
The accelerated master’s degree (or submatriculation) is started while the student is still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Engineering students may take up to 3 CU’s for double counting purposes between the undergrad degree and the master’s degree prior to matriculation into the master’s program. Please note for dual undergrad degrees, a course can only count towards one undergrad degree and the master’s to be a “double counted” course. (Per Penn policy, no course may be triple counted between three, or more, degrees.)
For students still enrolled in their undergraduate degree and enrolled in a master’s program as an accelerated master’s student, please note undergraduate status supersedes graduate status until graduation from the undergraduate degree. Undergraduate coursework must be completed in eight semesters under the accelerated master’s or the student may be withdrawn from the master’s degree. The only exception is for coordinated dual-degree students in M&T and VIPER where students must complete and graduate with both undergraduate degrees in their first ten semesters.
Students will work with their master’s program advisor to have courses show on the master’s transcript for their master’s curriculum. All coursework for the master’s degree must be completed at Penn – no transfer credit, advanced standing, study abroad, or study away courses will be accepted. (In Engineering, all courses will appear on both the student’s undergraduate transcript while still enrolled as an undergraduate student.) The graduate degree cannot be conferred until all coursework for the undergraduate degree is complete and awarded. Please note a student cannot matriculate into the accelerated master’s program in their final undergraduate term.
Full information, rules, and deadlines can be found on the Accelerated Master’s page.
Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) Program
The Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) Program enables qualified undergraduates to take up to three residential graduate-level courses during their undergraduate degree, which may then be applied toward a Penn Engineering Online master’s program upon admission and matriculation. Students complete the remaining graduate requirements (typically seven additional courses) fully online, within three years, and from anywhere in the world. This model allows for the opportunity to optimize academic planning, reduce time and cost to degree completion, and acquire advanced technical expertise beyond the undergraduate experience.
This program is also available for students who are currently enrolled in the Residential Accelerated Master’s (4+1) program but are unable to complete it due to professional obligations or other post-graduation commitments. Residential Accelerated Master’s (4+1) students may request a change of degree into one of the Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) programs.
The Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) Program is designed with the expectation that students will complete their undergraduate degree with up to three residential graduate-level courses that may be double-counted toward an online master’s degree. Once Online AM (4+) students matriculate into an Online Graduate program, they must complete the degree within three years. The Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) Program is designed so that students can learn at their own pace and customize their course load with our completely online, asynchronous course options.
Note: Students enrolled in the Online Accelerated Master’s (4+) program will not be eligible for visa sponsorship or CPT/OPT opportunities.
Full information about the program and its policies can be found on the Online Accelerated Master’s Tab of the Online Student Handbook.
Application and Admissions information can be found on the Online Accelerated Master’s page.
Students external to Penn: Penn Engineering has partnered with a few select U.S. colleges and universities (see list) which allows you to start earning a Penn master’s degree while completing your bachelor’s at your current institution. Full information on this program can be found on our Graduate Admissions website under Other U.S. Students.