Undergraduate Student Handbook

In order to make satisfactory progress towards your degree, you should take at least four credits each semester. Engineering students typically take between 5cu's and 6cu's per semester. Graduation in four years requires an average load of 5 cu per semester.

The Writing Requirement may be taken pass/ fail. You may refer to additional information regarding the writing requirement here and taking courses pass/ fail here.

Engineering students may fulfill the requirement by taking one Writing Seminar, or participating in a year-long Mellon writing group. The writing requirement should be completed by the end of freshman year (and no later than second semester sophomore year). Additional information on the writing requirement can be found at: http://www.seas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/handbook/courses/writing-requirement.php

The engineering Chemistry sections were designed specifically for engineering students. Only students with a time conflict should take the non-engineering sections.

No. (NOTE: Students in the Computer and Information Science department who entered prior to Fall, 2004 have a language requirement. These majors include CSE, ASCS, ASCB and ASCC. DMD students who entered prior to Spring 2003 also have a language requirement.)

There are several resources you may use to find out which courses you need for your major. The on-line worksheet in Penn InTouch gives you a list of the required courses. For specific questions regarding these courses, you may contact your faculty advisor, the undergraduate chair, or the undergraduate assistant in your department.

When you drop a course it is removed from your transcript. No permission is needed from an instructor, and it can be done through PennInTouch. Withdrawing from a course takes place after requires the instructor's permission, and a form must be filled out and submitted to the Academic Programs Office. A "W" will be placed on the transcript next to the course. The Drop deadline is at the end of the fifth week, and the deadline to withdraw from a course is at the end of the tenth week.

To find out which courses you may use to satisfy your requirements, refer to the on-line course category lists in this handbook.

Students should have any advance placement credits transferred by the end of the freshman year. There is no guarantee that the credit will be transferred after freshman year. For information on transferring your credit during freshman year, contact the Office of Transfer Credit and Advanced Standing at 1 College Hall, 215-898-6080. After freshman year, contact the Research and Academic Services Office in 109 Towne, 215-898-7246.

Registration takes place twice per year: in November for the following Spring semester, and in March for the following Fall. Failure to pre-register means that you may be closed out of a course or a section. No Penn Engineering student will be closed out of a course required for his or her curriculum. Students experiencing trouble registering for a class should come to Room 109 Towne for assistance.

Detailed instructions for advance registration are available here. In brief, all students must meet with their faculty advisor before registering for courses. In order to have a productive session with your advisor, bring a completed and current copy of your Course Planning Guide, a list of questions, an Advisor Sign-off form, etc. After discussing your program with you, your advisor will sign the Course Planning Guide and the Advisor Sign-off form. Take these to your advisor's home department and the advisor sign-off will be entered into the computer; you will then be able to use Penn-In-Touch to register.

You may ask the instructor's permission to receive a permit to register for the class. Once the permit is given, you may register for the course through Penn InTouch.

Penn Engineering students may take up to 5 courses for credit at other institutions provided prior approval (signature) is obtained from the relevant departments of the University, from the academic advisor, and from the Associate Dean. Any course taken for transfer credit by Penn Engineering students at another institution must be an approved course for majors in a baccalaureate program at that institution. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Academic Performance Committee.

Transfer students in Penn Engineering may not take any additional courses for credit at other institutions. Failed courses may not be cleared by taking a course at another institution. The form needed for transferring course credit from another institution is available for here or in 109 Towne Building. The student must take the form and a course catalog description to the appropriate University of Pennsylvania department representative, who must attest that the course is "comparable in quantity and quality" to one offered by his or her own department. The student must then obtain his or her advisor's approval and submit the form to the Research and Academic Services Office for action. After completion of the course, an official transcript must be forwarded to the Research and Academic Services Office; no course with a grade below C will be accepted for credit towards Penn Engineering degrees.

Undergraduate students may begin an engineering graduate program while still completing their undergraduate program. Application is normally made before the end of the student's junior year. The submatriculant may take up to three graduate courses to fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements while registered as an undergraduate student. Candidates for the BSE and BAS degree may apply for submatriculation into Penn Engineering Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) programs. Penn Engineering students are not allowed to submatriculate into the MCIT program. To apply for submatriculation, review the requirements described in the hanbook and fill out the application form (here). Please note the various application deadlines that are associated with each graduate program. The GRE is not required for those applying to submatriculate. However, students are strongly encouraged to take the GRE, especially those who have interests in continuing for the Ph.D. A minimum gpa of 3.0 is required in order to apply for submatriculation.

Yes, but only with the permission of both instructors.

Engineering students may only take four courses pass/fail during their academic career. Only one course per semester may be taken P/F. The only courses which may be taken P/F are SS/H and Free Electives.

The grading status of a course may be changed only during the first five weeks of the semester by using Penn InTouch. This applies to courses taken for a grade or Pass/ Fail.

Auditing of classes is not allowed.

Only M&T students and students with a dual degree with Wharton may take MGMT 100.

Penn Engineering Undergraduate offers only a full-time program of study, for which the normal minimum course load is 4 cu per term. On rare occasions, students are allowed to carry 2.5 or fewer cu in a given term. In order to be granted part-time status, a student must petition the Academic Programs Office for approval. Graduating seniors in their final semester may achieve part-time status by carrying 2.5 or fewer cu, if at that time they need only 2.5 or fewer cu to graduate. However, they too must seek permission (in writing) from the Academic Programs Office. Without this permission, they will be billed at the full-time rate. For more information, click here.

SEAS undergraduate students are permitted to take courses in the College of General Studies (CGS). SEAS students are advised to discuss their course registration options with their advisor prior to registering. Note that some spaces may be reserved for CGS students until the first week of classes, and some classes have restricted enrollment for CGS students only. Permits to register, if required, are usually available through CGS rather than the academic department offering the course. SEAS students may direct questions about CGS enrollment policies for specific courses to the CGS office. For more information on CGS courses, click here.

Students must declare their engineering major no later than May 15th of their freshman year.

Students wishing to apply to the M&T program must wait until second semester of their freshman year. Contact Ellen Eckert in the Research and Academic Services Office for more information and go to: http://www.upenn.edu/fisher/apply/transfer-admissions

Students wishing to apply for a dual degree with another School must wait until second semester of their freshman year. Contact the Research and Academic Services Office for more information.

A student who wishes to minor in a special subject area should complete an "Application for a Minor" form (available on-line or in 109 Towne Building) and have the selection of courses approved by the undergraduate chairperson of the minoring department. The completed form should be returned to 109 Towne. Once the courses have been taken, the Office of Research and Academic Services should be notified in order to have the minor notation added to the student's transcript. Should the selection of courses change, an approved, updated form must be submitted so the transcript reflects the approved selection of courses for the minor area.

A BSE degree is the degree for a student who wishes to practice engineering after graduation or who is interested in more technical coursework relating to the engineering field. The BAS program is designed for the student who does not plan to work as a professional engineer, but rather wants a customized education that combines other interests and technology in a manner unique to his/ her career goals.

Please contact the academic programs office by email at ras@seas.upenn.edu or by phone at 215-898-7246

To change your major, fill out a Petition for Action form and submit to the Research and Academic Services Office

The various academic advising resources in Penn Engineering include professional advisors, faculty advisors, undergraduate chairs, and undergraduate assistants. Your questions determine who you need to speak with. If your question relates to the requirements for your major, you should speak with someone in your department. If you need information related to School policy then you may speak with an advisor in the Research and Academic Services Office. You can learn more about Advising by clicking here.

There are a variety of tutoring resources available to engineering students. Group sessions are offered in the Tutoring Center, which is located in Harnwell House and in the SEAS Library. If an individual tutor is required, please contact Dr. Sonya Gwak, sgwak@seas.upenn.edu, for a referral. For more information on the University's tutoring services, please go to: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/tutoring/

Deviations from Penn Engineering course requirements and special requests require the submission of a "Petition for Action" to Room 109. All actions require the approvals noted on the form. Final submission is to the Research and Academic Services Office for approval of request. A blank Petition for Action form is available for download in pdf format. NOTE: Students in single degree programs should address their petitions to their schools. Dual- and joint-degree students should address their petitions for degree requirement exceptions to the school(s) whose degree requirements are affected; in some cases, a petition to both schools will be required. All other petitions for exceptions (e.g. late drop, late add, late withdrawal, late change of grade type) should be submitted to the home school.

For each course, multiply the number of course units times the numeric equivalent of the grade. Divide this number by the total number of course units. The numeric equivalents: A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0. For "+" or "-", add or subtract 0.3, except for an A+, which equals 4.0. The on-line worksheet at Penn InTouch also has a GPA calculator

Your major GPA is the average of all your math, natural science, and engineering courses, regardless of the where you count them on your worksheet (cpg). The cumulative GPA is an average of all of your courses.

If a student is sick for an extended period of time, has severe personal problems, or cannot proceed with his or her studies at a reasonable rate, he or she may obtain a leave of absence by requesting it from the Associate Dean. The student's return from a leave is automatic upon written notification by the student to the Associate Dean. Permission to return is not needed unless a special condition (e.g., physician approval) was attached to the leave. Students receiving financial aid should determine the financial aid impacts of a leave of absence by looking at the Student Financial Services website. Additional information can be found here.