Policies Governing the Engineering Major for College Students

  • College students pursuing a second major in Engineering do not earn a dual degree. They earn a single degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Because College students who pursue a second major in Engineering do not earn the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree, they do not receive professional certification and are not qualified to sit for any certification exam in Engineering.
  • The Engineering major does not fulfill the College’s Major Requirement for graduation and must be declared as a second (or third) major. College students pursuing a major in Engineering must have a major in the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • The second major in Engineering does not autocomplete any sector.
  • For College students pursuing an Engineering major, the College major will determine the College of Arts and Sciences requirements for the degree.
  • Policies governing academic actions, academic standing, and petitions are those of the College of Arts and Sciences.

SEAS majors for college students

Prerequisites for the Engineering Major

  • Students must declare a College major before declaring a second major in Engineering.
  • College students must complete at least two semesters of coursework at Penn before they may declare an Engineering major. In addition, College students must declare an Engineering major no later than the fifth semester at Penn.
  • Each of the Engineering majors available to College students has specific prerequisites that must be completed before the major can be declared.
  • College students must be in good academic standing to be eligible to declare an Engineering major. In addition, College students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative g.p.a. in prerequisite and related/required courses for the intended Engineering major.
  • Course requirements and contacts for SEAS majors available to College students are found here.

Declaring a Second Major in Engineering

College students who qualify academically and are interested in pursuing an Engineering major are welcome to consult with an advisor in the College Office to determine the feasibility of successfully completing the Engineering major.

College students interested in pursuing an Engineering major should:

  • Have already declared a major in the College.
  • Meet with an advisor in the College Office to discuss how the second major fits with the rest of the student’s College curriculum.
  • Follow the instructions on the Engineering website to submit an application.
  • Submit a major declaration request using the “Declare/Update Field of Study” form on Path@Penn.
  • The Engineering department will assign an advisor and monitor and certify College students in their second major.

Note that College students must declare an Engineering major no later than the start of the fifth semester at Penn.