Master's Program Policies

Full and Part Time Study

The MEAM Master’s degree program can be completed either full time or part time. Students are considered full time if they are enrolled in at least 3 CUs during a semester, with a plan that will complete the program in up to 2 academic years. Students are considered to be part time if they take fewer than 3 CUs in a single semester, with a plan to complete the program in more than 2 academic years.

MEAM MSE students are required to be continuously registered during Fall and Spring semesters, unless a formal Leave of Absence is granted by the Dean of Penn Engineering. Students are not expected to enroll in Summer semesters.

Penn graduate students may not be enrolled in two schools at once.

Academic Standing

MSE students in Engineering are expected to maintain at least a B- average (2.70 GPA) in their work. A student whose record falls below a B- average will be put on academic probation and may be required to withdraw; graduation requires a B- average (2.70 GPA) minimum.

An incomplete (I) or a no report (NR) are temporary notations and students are allowed a period of one semester to clear. Failure to clear an “incomplete” or “no report” within the allotted time will result in a grade of F. A student with 2 Incompletes in a single semester will be placed on academic probation.

Students with an incomplete grade, or who are put on academic probation, should work with the Graduate Program Coordinator to create a plan for either resolving the incomplete grades, or for improving their GPA.

Academic Integrity

Each MEAM student is expected to abide by Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity. Students must not knowingly or unintentionally use any dishonest method to gain an unfair advantage over other students in academic pursuits, especially through, but not limited to:

• Giving or receiving any unauthorized aid on an assignment or exam, including working in groups on any assignment that has been designated as individual by the instructor;
• Misrepresenting the originality of one’s work (plagiarism), particularly through direct copying of work and also through failing to note the contributions of others, except as permitted by the instructor;
• Submitting substantially the same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of the instructor.

If there is any doubt as to what is permissible, it is the student’s responsibility to ask the instructor. Students caught cheating will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include referral to the Office of Student Conduct. For more information, please see the Student Guide on Academic Integrity.

Grading

The grading system is as follows: A (4.0), Excellent; B (3.0), Good; C (2.0), Fair; D (1.0), Poor; F (0.0), Failure. A course in which an F is obtained must be taken again; however, the F will remain on the student’s transcript until the course has been satisfactorily completed with a passing grade.

No grade lower than a C- will be counted in courses designated as ‘core’ courses and those courses must be retaken. Non-core courses for which a passing grade (D or better) was obtained cannot be retaken for credit.

Transferring Credits

MEAM MSE students may petition to apply credit for up to two graduate level courses taken at institutions other than Penn toward their MEAM MSE degree. Courses eligible for transfer must meet the following criteria:

• Courses must be graduate-level classes taken for a graduate program.
•  The student must have earned a grade of B or higher in the course.
• Courses must have been taken prior to matriculation into the University of Pennsylvania’s MEAM MSE program.
• Courses must have been taken no more than five (5) years before the transfer request is made.
• Courses may not transfer courses taken from an on-campus certificate program, a study abroad program, or from an online program.
• Courses taken during an approved and awarded accelerated master’s program may be considered if the courses were only counted towards the graduate degree.

Obsoleteness

The maximum time allowed for the completion of all MSE requirements is seven years. Course units that are older than seven years may not be counted toward the degree requirements.