University of Pennsylvania (Wharton/SEAS) Courses

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biotechnology

The Master of Biotechnology Program at the University of Pennsylvania prepares students, both full-time and part-time, for leadership in the important and dynamic industries of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Students can choose from the following parallel tracks: Molecular Biology; Biopharmaceutical/Engineering Biotechnology; Biomedical Technologies. The program draws its faculty from Penn’s Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Computer and Information Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Bioengineering departments. Scott L. Diamond is the director of the program.

The core curriculum includes:

  • list items Biochemistry    
  • list items Biotechnology I: Cellular/Molecular Biology    
  • list items Biotechnology II: Engineering Biotechnology    

Students need to select 1 free elective. Therefore the total course units are 6.

Areas of Expertise: Stem Cell Therapeutics & Tissue Engineering; Biomaterials; Cellular and Tissue Engineering; Biomedical Imaging; Medical Device Technology; Stem Cell Engineering; Diagnostics, Devices and Drug Delivery; Biomechanics; Molecular Engineering; Pharmaceutics & Drug Discovery; Systems and Synthetic Biology; Orthopedic Bioengineering; Bioinformatics; ReDNA Technology; Genomics & Proteomics; Bioprocess Engineering; Neuroengineering and Network Neuroscience. List of labs: Center for Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine

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Chemical and Biomolecular

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers BSE, MSE and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering. The major concentration areas for the BSE program include Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology; Polymer Science and Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Nanotechnology. Limited specialization in any one of the several fields such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, control, design, bioengineering, polymer engineering, heat transfer, or computer applications is possible in the Master's program. Students are required to take 10-course units (3 core, 1 math, and 6 electives) for the MSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

MSE students are required to register for a minimum of three-course units per semester to maintain full-time status. International students must note that this requirement is essential for their VISA status. Full-time master’s students can complete their degrees in one to two years.  In order to complete the degree in one year, students need to opt for four-course units in both the fall and spring semesters, with two-course units during the summer session. With certain exceptions, electives can be chosen from any courses in engineering or the sciences at a level of 500 or above. Of the 4 elective courses, students may take two Independent Study (597) courses with a letter grade or two written Thesis (599) courses with an S grade. Two electives must be from CBE. Permission is required from the department for either CBE 597 Master's Thesis Research or CBE 599 Master's Independent Study. Courses from Wharton including (STAT, MGMT, or OIDD), will not be counted towards the MSE degree.

Areas of Expertise: Energy and Environmental Engineering; Molecular Simulation and Thermodynamics; Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology; Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering; Systems Engineering; Soft Matter and Complex Fluids; Catalysis and Reaction Engineering

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Computer Science

The University of Pennsylvania offers BSE in Computer Science (CSCI); Computer Engineering (CMPE); Digital Media Design (DMD); Networked & Social Systems Engineering (NETS) and Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) Degrees in Computer Science (ASCS); Computational Biology (ASCB); Computer and Cognitive Science (ASCC). Graduate programs offered by the department are Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Computer and Information Science (CIS); Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Embedded Systems (EMBS); Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Computer Graphics and Game Technology (CGGT); Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Robotics (ROBO); Master of Computer and Information Technology (MCIT); Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Data Science, and Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) in Computer and Information Science.

The CIS/MSE program offers scholars the opportunity for advanced study in the scientific foundations of the growing field of computer science. Applicants to the MSE program should have a strong undergraduate training in mathematics and computer science. The MSE degree requires the completion of ten-course units satisfying all of the following requirements:

CIS Courses: At least seven of the ten-course units required for the degree must be CIS courses. These seven courses include four core courses and three CIS elective courses described below.    

Core Courses: Students are to select four courses from the following areas:

  • list items Theory Course
  • list items Systems Courses    
  • list items Machine-Learning Courses    
  • list items Other Courses         

3 CIS Elective Courses, 3 CIS or Non-CIS Elective Courses. Each of the three remaining courses must be a CIS course (numbered from CIS 500 to CIS 800) or a course from the list of approved non-CIS courses. Students can also submit a master's thesis which may count as two-course units of Masters Student Thesis Research, CIS 597.

Area of Expertise: Cybersecurity and privacy; Computer Architecture and Networking; Databases and Information Management, Bioinformatics; Real-time and Embedded Systems and Distributed Systems; Intelligent Agents & Game AI; Natural Language Processing; Algorithms, Combinatorial Optimization and Complexity; Machine Learning and Data Science; Computer Graphics and Animation; Computer Architecture; Signal and Image Processing; Programming Languages, Formal Methods and Computer-aided verification; Game Design & Development; Physically-based Modeling and Dynamic Simulation; Computer Animation; Embedded Systems; Mechanical Design; Network and Security; Robotics, Computer Vision; Robotics; Control Systems; Artificial Intelligence; Programming Languages and Techniques; Haptics; Computer Systems; Software Engineering; Discrete Mathematics; Computer Vision; Algorithms and Data Structures; 3D Graphics; Theory of Computation

List of Labs: Penn Institute for Computational Science; Digital Visualization Center; Linguistics Data Consortium

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Electrical and Systems

The University offers BSE in Electrical engineering; MSE in Electrical Engineering Program, Systems Engineering Program, Embedded Systems Program, Robotics Program; and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE). 
A major advantage of the MSE program is that it allows students to tailor their education according to their areas of goals and interests which may range from nanotechnology and circuits to embedded systems or robotics. The program provides the students with the theoretical and technological foundation needed to deal with the new ideas and applications that are the hallmarks of modern electrical engineering. 10-course units are required for MSE in Electrical Engineering.

Concentration Areas:

  • list items Physical Devices and NanoSystems
  • list items Circuits and Computer Engineering
  • list items Information and Decision Systems

Students are to select 5 required course units from any of the three areas above. Students must choose 5 elective courses as well. 
ESE Doctoral students must complete a required series of 20-course units (CUs) of graduate-level courses and research units. A minimum of 10 CUs must be graduate-level courses. The remaining 10 CUs are composed of Research Units (ESE 999 Thesis/Dissertation Research) and may include up to two Independent Study (ESE 899 Independent Study for Ph.D. credit) units. The area can be chosen from one of the core courses: Engineering Management, Information Technology.

Areas of Expertise: Computer Engineering; Robotics; Real-time systems; Cyber-physical systems; MEMS/NEMS; Embedded control systems; Embedded systems programming; Cyberphysical Systems (Internet of Things); Network Science; Model-based design and analysis; Signal and Image Processing; Safety-critical systems; Control and Dynamical Systems; Analog and Digital Circuits; Nanophotonics and Nanoelectronics; Sensor networks; Communications and Networking.

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Material Science

The University of Pennsylvania offers BSE, MSE and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science. Penn is one of the first universities to establish a center for materials research.

The BSE areas of specialization include:

  • list items Biomaterials and Biomimetics
  • list items Electronic and Optical Materials
  • list items Energy Conversion and Storage
  • list items Materials Modelling and Simulation
  • list items Product Design, Manufacturing, and Materials

The concentration areas include:

  • list items MSE 220 – Structural Materials
  • list items MSE 221 – Quantum Physics of Materials
  • list items MSE 215  – Introduction to Nanoscale Functional Materials
  • list items MSE 260 – Energetics of Macro and Nano-Scale Materials
  • list items MSE 330 – Self Assembly of Soft Materials
  • list items MSE 440 – Phase Transformations

The MSE program has a thesis and non-thesis options. 10-course units are required for the MSE in Materials Science and Engineering. MSE Courses Students are to select 5-7 from the approved list:

  • list items MSE 500 Experimental Methods in Materials Science    
  • list items MSE 505 Mechanical Properties of Macro/Nanoscale Materials    
  • list items MSE 507 Fundamentals of Materials    
  • list items MSE 515 Mathematics for Materials Science MSE 520 Structure of Materials    
  • list items MSE 525 Nanoscale Science and Engineering    
  • list items MSE 530 Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria    
  • list items MSE 536 Electronic Properties of Materials    
  • list items MSE 540 Phase Transformations    
  • list items MSE 545 Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability    
  • list items MSE 550 Elasticity and Micromechanics of Materials    
  • list items MSE 555 Electrochemical Engineering of Materials    
  • list items MSE 561 Atomic Modeling in Materials Science    
  • list items MSE 565 Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials    
  • list items MSE 570 Physics of Materials I    
  • list items MSE 575 Statistical Mechanics    
  • list items MSE 580 Introduction to Polymers    
  • list items MSE 610 Transmission Electron Microscopy and Crystalline Imperfections    
  • list items MSE 640 Optical Materials    
  • list items MSE 650 Mechanics of Soft and Biomaterials
  • list items MSE 790 Selected Topics in Materials Science and Engineering    

Electives:

Students need to select up to 2 Electives and 2 SEAS courses relevant to materials science; a sample list is provided below:

  • list items CBE 535 Interfacial Phenomena    
  • list items CIT 590 Programming Languages and Techniques    
  • list items EAS 510 Technical Communication and Academic Writing for Non-native Speakers of English    
  • list items EAS 546 Engineering Entrepreneurship II    
  • list items ENM 511 Foundations of Engineering Mathematics - II    
  • list items ESE 521 The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices    
  • list items ESE 536 Nanofabrication and Nano characterization    
  • list items PHYS 518 Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics    

Total course units include 10. Non-thesis course-based option: The students need to successfully complete 10-course units at the 500 or higher level. All students must carry a letter grade (A, B, C or D). Non-thesis option with an independent study: The students need to take 8 courses credits at the 500 or higher level earning letter grades and complete 2 Masters Independent Study (MSE 599) credits. The students need to receive a letter grade (A, B, C, D or F) in MSE 599. Independent study requires a faculty advisor.

Thesis option: The students need to take 7-course units at the 500 or higher level earning letter grades and complete 3-course units of research with a faculty member by registering for two research credits (MSE 597 Masters Thesis Research) and 1 Independent Study (MSE 599). Students receive a letter grade (A, B, C, D or F) in both MSE 597 and MSE 599. The students must get their thesis approved by their thesis advisor and the Graduate Group Chair and submit their thesis to the Graduate Group Coordinator. The thesis option requires a faculty advisor.

The Ph.D. courses require the following Core Courses which Include:

  • list items MSE 520 Structure of Materials
  • list items MSE 530 Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria
  • list items MSE 540 Phase Transformations

Non-core courses may be selected from offerings within MSE and other departments in SEAS, as well as the physical, biological, and mathematical sciences. All courses must be at the 500 level or greater.

Areas of Expertise: Biomaterials; Energy; Computational Materials Engineering; Nanotubes & Nanowires; Electronic & Optical Properties; Polymers; Surfaces and Interfaces; Ceramics; Mechanical Behavior; Nanostructured Materials
List of Labs: Center for Analyzing Evolved Structures as Optimized Products; Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter

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Mechanical

The university offers BSE, MSE and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering. The master's in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) is innovative, unique, and nationally recognized for its excellence. 10-course units are required for the MSE MEAM degree. The program can be tailored and customized to meet individual needs under the guidance and approval of an academic advisor.

Course Courses include: Engineering Maths. Students are to select 2 Engineering Math options.

Concentration Core 1:

  • list items Select 1 Required Core course
  • list items Select 2 Concentration electives
  • list items Select 2 Concentration Breadth electives

To Select 3 Electives: Seminar requirements include 2 Semesters of MEAM Seminar. The total course units are therefore 10.
The Ph.D degree requirements include the completion of a minimum of 10 course units of graduate-level coursework beyond the undergraduate program with a grade-point average of at least 3.0, satisfactory performance in the PhD-related exams, presentation of a departmental seminar, completion of the teaching practicum, and the submission and successful defense of an original and significant dissertation.

Areas of expertise: Mechatronic & Robotic Systems; Mechanics of Materials; Design & Manufacturing; Mechanics of Micro/Nano Systems; Biomechanics; Fluid Mechanics; ComputationalMechanics; Energy Conversion & Thermal Science.

Where is the University of Pennsylvania?
 

The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Penn or UPenn) is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

What is the acceptance rate for international students?
 

The acceptance rate for international students at Penn is 7%.

What are the admission requirements for international students?
 

Undergraduate: Penn's undergraduate admission process is need-based. International students are generally not eligible for federal funding, but they can receive institutional funding. To be eligible for institutional funds, complete the CSS Profile and the Penn Outside Resource Form (for first-year students) and submit the required federal income tax return information. Graduate: Each graduate program at Penn has a separate admissions process. Applicants apply directly to the program of interest. Specific requirements vary by program.

How hard is it to get into the University of Pennsylvania?
 

Penn is highly competitive. Successful applicants typically have a high school GPA of 3.7 or better, A- grades, and strong standardised test scores (e.g., SAT score of 1540 or ACT score of 34-35). Most admitted students rank in the top 10% of their high school class.

Is the University of Pennsylvania good for international students?
 

The University of Pennsylvania has been imparting quality education to students from all around the world each year. The university has also managed to maintain its quality standards and has also produced some of the most notable alumni around the globe. Therefore, the University of Pennsylvania can be a great consideration when looking to attain education from abroad.

What courses are available for international students?
 

Penn offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across its 12 schools. Students can choose from fields such as arts and sciences, business, engineering, nursing, and more.

Are scholarships, grants, or loans available for overseas students?
 

Penn's grant-based financial aid program meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with grants and work-study funding for undergraduates. International students receive institutional funding, as federal aid is generally not available to them.

How can I improve my chances of getting a scholarship at University of Pennsylvania?
 

Focus on academic excellence, rigorous coursework, and extracurricular involvement. Write a compelling application essay that highlights your unique experiences and aspirations. Demonstrate genuine passion and commitment in your activities. Apply for external scholarships and explore Penn's named scholarships.

How to get admission to University of Pennsylvania?
 

Undergraduates apply via the Common Application or Coalition Application. Graduates apply directly to their program of interest.

How much percentage is required for the University of Pennsylvania?
 

Penn does not have a specific percentage requirement. Admissions decisions consider a holistic view of each applicant's profile.

 
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