Bioengineering

Minoring & Electives

Pursuing a Minor

Students may choose to pursue a minor in order to develop skills and knowledge in an area of interest complementary to their major. Not all students earn minors, but many do, and some complete more than one.

Although bioengineering is not offered as a minor, students pursuing the BSE or BAS degree in Bioengineering can pursue a minor such as Engineering Entrepreneurship  or Computer Science through other SEAS departments and fulfill those minor requirements by selecting courses that also count as Career Path credits (3-5 CUs), Social Science and Humanities credits (5 CUs), or as Free Electives (3 CUs) towards the BE degree. Several of the more technical minors through the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) such as Computational Neuroscience, Math, and Chemistry, are also popular minors for BE undergraduates because some of the mandatory BE courses such as Required Math (4 CUs), Natural Science (8.5 CUs), and Professional Environment (2 CUs) double-count towards those SAS minor requirements.

Other interests? Examples of interests and corresponding minors include:

Facts and Forms:

Minors usually require at least six course units.  To find out a department’s minor requirements, you need to go to the department, speak with the undergraduate chair, and complete the Application for a Minor. Minors will appear on your student transcript if you complete all of the required courses. In addition to the minors offered by Penn Engineering, you can also view a complete list of minors offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Undergraduate Electives

Students have the freedom to select many courses, especially after completing the first two years. Both the BSE and the BAS degrees allow considerable flexibility in fulfilling the elective categories listed below.

Elective Categories

These electives are to be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor.

5 for the BAS option:

  • 2 engineering, math, science, or technology in business and society (TBS)
  • 3 engineering, math, science, TBS, business, or health-related

3 for the BSE option:

  • 1 engineering
  • 2 engineering, math, science, or TBS

For more information on the TBS electives category, visit the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Instructions about Career Path/Technical Electives Courses:

  1. The Career Path is essentially the path that you take through the bioengineering curriculum that either prepares you for a specific post-graduate option and/or allows you to systematically explore bioengineering and other career options that are of interest to you.
  2. For the curricular aspect of the Career Path, you must choose a set of elective courses. Elective courses fall under different categories. The different categories on the electronic worksheet include: Science, Math, Engineering, Social Science and Humanities, Free Electives, and Career Path. Broadly speaking, it is the sum of all the elective courses that make up the Career Path.
  3. The Career Path category offers more flexibility than other CPG categories. This is important especially for students who pursue dual curricula or have a well-defined career goal. For example, premed students may select requirements such as organic chemistry as fulfilling science electives in the career path.
  4. To formulate your Career Path you need to give some thought about what you are trying to get out of your program. Then select the courses on some rational, non-random basis so that you have the sense that they are leading you somewhere or helping you to explore academic fields and opportunities.

BE303: Bioengineering Ethics

Professional electives: EAS448, 545, 546, 400/500, 401/501, 402/502, 449/549; BE402/502, 515; ESE400/540, 444/544; or MEAM 415/515

You can take most courses, with some exceptions (please check the “no credit” list for details).  If you are a dual degree student or are interested in a minor, you can use this category to enrich your bioengineering program and fulfill requirements in other programs.

Penn Bioengineering students must complete 7 Social Science and Humanities (SSH) electives (for BAS) or specific sector requirements (for BSE) focusing on technology’s societal context, including ethics and writing. Key options include courses in sociology, history, economics, ethics, and specialized areas like global health, poverty, and technology in society.

Breadth Requirement: Students must generally select two courses in the social sciences and two in the humanities, often totaling 7 CUs across the curriculum.

Depth Requirement: A second course must be taken in one of the departments used to satisfy the initial SSH requirements.

Advising Questions

Kacy Dadura

Associate Director for Advising
Room 240 Skirkanich Hall
210 S 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
kacy@seas.upenn.edu

Kacy Appointments

Walk-in advising hours:

  • Tuesday 2:00 – 3:00
  • Wednesday 11:00 – 12:00

If you would like to make an appointment for advising, please email (kacy@seas.upenn.edu).