Academic Regulations
Registration, Leave of Absence
Graduate students in Bioengineering have a wide variety of interests, and the BE graduate program is designed to encourage these interests. Some students prefer to take technical courses primarily within the Department; others desire to take a number of courses in other engineering or science departments. All graduate students must complete the “Permit to Register Form”. The advisor or Graduate Group Chair must approve of course selection and sign the form to give a student permission to register. Please submit the completed form to the Graduate Program Coordinator’s office (240 Skirkanich Hall) for processing. The Graduate Program Coordinator will clear your registration hold within twenty four hours of receiving the form.
This Permit to Register form can be found at: www.seas.upenn.edu/be/documents/Permittoregisterform.pdf and should be submitted prior to registering for courses. All students should register during Advance Registration. Dates for advance registration for the Spring and Fall semester can be found on the Academic Calendar. The academic calendar is on-line at: http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/3yearcal.html.
All students enrolled in a degree program are required to be continuously registered. Four graduate course units (CUs) per semester (including thesis research, such as BE 999) is considered to be a normal, full-time load for all students. Students must consult with the Graduate Group Chair if a deviation from the normal load is contemplated. Part-time students usually take one or, at most, two courses per semester. BE 999 is the course number assigned to dissertation research. Section numbers for BE 999 are assigned according to each advisor’s name. The section numbers for BE 999 will be distributed by the Graduate Program Coordinator during the advance registration time period. Several units of this course may be taken simultaneously. The student's dissertation advisor assigns grades for BE 999. Only grades of "S" (satisfactory), "U" (unsatisfactory) or "I" (incomplete) can be earned in this course.
Continuous registration as a graduate student is required unless a formal leave of absence is granted. All students who desire a leave of absence must submit a request to the Graduate Group Chair. The petition for leave of absence can be found at: www.seas.upenn.edu/forms.
Changes in Registration
Students may add or drop courses without penalty in any semester if it is done by the deadline. The student should discuss all changes in registration with his/her advisor and receive approval before making any changes. Approval should be communicated via email to the Graduate Program Coordinator before making any changes to the registration.
Academic Forms
All Academic Forms including the Petition for Action, Petition for Leave of Absence, Transfer of Credit and Transfer of Graduate Group and the Application for Graduation can be found at www.seas.upenn.edu/forms
Residency Requirement
A Ph.D. candidate, unless s/he already has a Master's degree from the University, must spend at least one year in residence with the associated graduate group. This rule is interpreted to mean a program of at least four course units per semester achieved within two successive terms exclusive of the summer terms. Also, following matriculation, no courses may be taken for a BE degree credit at any place other than at the University of Pennsylvania.
Grades, Credits, and Academic Standing
The grading system for graduate courses is A+ through F. If a student receives an F, the course must be taken again; however, the F remains on the student's record. Courses for which a passing grade was obtained cannot be taken again for credit.
Doctoral students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are expected to maintain at least a B average (3.0) in their work. A student whose record falls below a minimum of a B average will be put on academic probation and may be required to withdraw; graduation requires a minimum of a B average (exclusive of dissertation credits). Requirements cannot be satisfied by auditing courses or receiving an incomplete (I) grade.
Transfer of Credits from Other Institutions
Students who have completed graduate courses at other institutions,
up to and including a Master's degree, may petition to have up to
eight (8) course units credited toward the Ph.D. In order for courses
to be considered appropriate for transfer toward the Ph.D., these
courses must be on the graduate level, have relevance to the student's
doctoral program at Penn, have not been credited toward any degree
other than a Master's degree, and have received a passing grade
of B or better. Only regular, standard academic courses are acceptable–
i.e., research, independent study, or seminar credits cannot be
transferred.
Students who wish to apply for such transfer credits should consult
their advisor to determine if the specific courses will be acceptable
in lieu of course requirements. Formal request for acceptance of
transfer credit should be made by petition to the Graduate Group
Chair after the student has begun full-time study at Penn. The request
should be accompanied by the catalog course descriptions from the
institution from which these courses were taken, a copy of the transcript
for these courses, and the approval of the student's advisor.
Students enrolled in joint degree programs who are entitled to
have up to four courses double-counted must also formally apply
by letter to the Graduate Group Chair, naming the specific courses.
This may be done any time after completing the courses in question.
Courses offered by the College of General Studies cannot be counted
towards a graduate degree.
Obsoleteness
The Ph.D. program, culminating in a successful defense of the doctorial dissertation, must be completed within a period of 10 years from the year of matriculation as a graduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania.
Related Links
Bioengineering
| Penn Engineering Home
| Penn Home |
City of Philadelphia
Faculty
& Staff |
Graduate Program |
Undergraduate Program |
Research
| Labs & Organizations
| Events
Course
Listings
|
BE Links
| Site Index |
Admission
| Employment
|
