Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. However, please review all Dual Degree policies for MSE-DS degree completion and double counting courses on the Dual Degree webpage. At least six MSE-DS Online course units must be taken as a MSE-DS Online student. Only four course units from your prior Penn Engineering graduate programs (degree or certificate) may transfer in.

Once Dual Degree students matriculate into the MSE-DS Online Program, they must complete the degree within three years. If needed, they may take a leave of absence (LOA) during that time for a maximum of two Fall/Spring semesters.

To determine eligibility, work backward from the semester that you would like to start the Dual Degree. The date of your graduation must be five years (or fewer) from that semester. Students who have graduated over 5 years from the semester they planned to begin the Dual Degree are ineligible to apply. This is because Penn Engineering CUs expire after 5 years and can no longer be transferred into the Dual Degree. In order to participate in the Dual Degree program, students must have 4 transferrable CUs that count towards the MSE-DS Online degree (see sample plans above). If you are a student without transferable CUs or only have expired CUs, we would like to encourage you to apply directly to the MSE-DS Online degree. 

The first step is to accept our offer and pay the deposit. After enrollment, please email the MSE-DS Online student affairs team to inquire about the deferral request instructions.

The deadline to request a deferral is the last day before classes begin for your first graduate semester. If approved, you can defer for up to two fall/spring semesters (one academic year) at a time.

 Yes, current students may begin an application in the last term of their program and must graduate before becoming a Dual Degree student.

Please reach out to the Student Success Team for advising assistance.