Courses at Other Institutions

Taking Courses Elsewhere

PENN ENGINEERING STUDENTS MAY TAKE UP TO 5 COURSE UNITS* FOR CREDIT AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS

(i.e. “credit away”). *Note: Students entering Fall 2020 and later may take up to 4 course units at other institutions

Students wishing to apply for “credit away” must obtain approval from the appropriate department at Penn before enrolling in the course. To request credit away through a Penn department, log in to XCAT (External Course Approval Tool) and submit a course syllabus and other supporting materials from the external institution.

After completion of the course, the student must request from the external institution that an official transcript be sent to the SEAS Office of Academic Services, 109 Towne, 220 S. 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104.

• A minimum grade of C is required for a course to be eligible for credit away. The grade itself, however, will not appear on the Penn transcript.
• No credit will be granted for courses taken at two-year institutions (e.g. junior or community college).
• Penn summer courses and/or credit away may not exceed 4cu’s per summer.
• Online courses are permissible but must meet the rigorous standards of Penn Engineering.
• No credit will be granted for The Green Program (TGP) study abroad
• No credit will be awarded for college-level coursework undertaken at other institutions while a student is enrolled in high school or in the summer after high school.
• Students on Leave of Absence may not take courses elsewhere for transfer into Penn.
• Failed courses may not be cleared by taking a course at another institution. 
• Students who have been Dropped by Penn may not take courses elsewhere for transfer back to Penn.
• Students who have transferred to Penn Engineering from another institution must complete at least one-half of the total courses required for graduation at Penn. Thus, transfer students are not eligible to take courses at another institution if five or more courses have been transferred into Penn.

Quaker Consortium

Penn Engineering students should note that a special program is available to them so that they may take courses at Quaker Consortium schools: Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore.