Home > Undergraduate Program > Degree Programs > Dual Degree Program

Dual Degree Program

Dual Degrees

A student who has an interest both in Engineering and Applied Science and also in another field within the University may be permitted to earn both a BSE or BAS degree and an undergraduate degree from another school (Arts and Sciences, Nursing, and Wharton) of the University.

A student desiring to pursue a dual degree program must develop a study plan with the aid of an academic advisor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and an advisor in the school which will grant the second degree. Such an individualized program requires a minimum of 40 c. u. with the BAS degree or 46 c.u. with the BSE degree. Application for dual degree status will not be considered until a minimum of eight (8) course units have been completed at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn Engineering students should bring to the Office of Academic Programs:

• a completed dual degree application (available at Room 111 TB);
• a letter describing the career goals and program focus; and
• a completed Penn Engineering Course Planning Guide (with appropriate signatures).
• a completed worksheet from the appropriate secondary school.

These application materials will be considered, together with the student's transcript of grades. If approved, the material is forwarded to the second school for their consideration. Only students of demonstrated ability, generally a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher, will be considered for dual degree status. In particular, dual and joint degrees with the Wharton School require a minimum gpa of 3.4 for consideration.

For more information, please refer to the SEAS Undergraduate Student Handbook

Joint Degree in Management and Technology

Students enrolled in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology pursue the requirements for the BSEcon degree from the Wharton School and either the BAS or the BSE from Penn Engineering. Applicants for this program need a minimum gpa of 3.4 for consideration.

Dual Majors

A student who is interested in two of the Engineering and Applied Science curricula may be permitted to expand his/her program in order to earn a degree in both majors. In such cases, the student must satisfy the degree requirements for both BSE curricula. (BAS students are not permitted to dual major.) To achieve dual engineering major status, a student must prepare Course Planning Guides for the two curricula showing how the requirements for each will be satisfied. The expectation is that the student will complete a single senior design project which will fulfill the design requirements for each curriculum. The cpgs must be submitted for approval first to the student's academic advisor and the undergraduate curriculum chair for each program and then to the Office of Academic Programs, with a "Petition for Action" requesting a Dual Major. This process should be completed no later than the beginning of the junior year or the accumulation of 20 course units of relevant work. The program should show evidence of intellectual purpose and not be merely a manipulation of overlapping requirements for the sole purpose of satisfying two separate engineering majors. Only students of demonstrated ability, generally a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher, will be permitted to register for dual major status. A dual major BSE program requires a minimum of 45 c. u. and thus the student may want to consider pursuing an MSE degree as an alternative.