Electrical and Systems Engineering

Course Registration | Master's

ESE Master's Course Registration

There are two periods of course registration: Advance Registration and Course Selection (also known as Add/Drop/Swap).

ADVANCE REGISRATION

During Advance Registration, students add their preferred and alternative courses for the upcoming semester via Path@Penn. These submissions are considered “course requests” and may be submitted at any time during this period. All course requests are processed at the conclusion of the Advance Registration period, regardless of when the request was submitted. There is no advantage to submitting course requests early (e.g. Day 1 vs Day 14 of Advance Registration) and no guarantee that students will be officially enrolled for all course requests.

Procedures and Guidelines

  1. Plan Your Courses: Review the relevant resources for your program:
  2. Create/Update Your Planned Courses: Create/update a plan with the courses you wish to take in the upcoming semester and which categories you intend to count them for.
  3. Email or Meet with Your Advisor for Course Plan Approval: Email or meet with your faculty/major advisor and/or Program Coordinator to obtain approval for your course plan.
    • MS EE students: You MUST work with an advisor to have your Path@Penn Advisor Hold removed. Choose ONE of the following methods:
      1. Meet with your faculty/major advisor to discuss your course plans. If they approve, they can remove the Advisor Hold.
      2. Submit the Course Plans form or meet with ESE Master’s Program Coordinator Liana about your course plans. If approved, Liana will remove the Advisor Hold.
      3. Attend the ESE Master’s Advance Registration Info Session (details TBD.) All MS EE students in attendance will have their Advisor Holds removed after the event.
    • MS SE students: There is no Advisor Hold in Path@Penn, but you are strongly encouraged to meet with your faculty/major advisor to discuss your course plans. In addition to speaking with your faculty/major advisor, you are encouraged to submit the Course Plans form or meet with ESE Master’s Program Coordinator Liana.

  1. Add Course Requests: Add course requests via Path@Penn at any time during the Advance Registration period. You will NOT be officially enrolled in any courses until after Advance Registration closes.
  2. Obtain Course Permits: For any courses that REQUIRE a permit for you, please submit a permit request to the relevant instructor or department (see sidebar for links to various department permit systems.) ONLY submit permit requests if they are required for you.
  3. Resolve Registration Holds: If you find that you have a registration hold in Path@Penn, please contact the relevant office to help you resolve the hold (e.g. contact SRFS for any billing/financial holds, Student Health Services for any immunization holds, etc.)

Choose only 5000-level or higher level courses to fulfill your Master’s program requirements.

Focus on completing the majority of your Category A and B core courses in Year 1.

Select 4-6 different course options for flexibility/alternate courses.

Double-check course times to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Drop alternate courses before the Course Selection Period ends. (Your tuition bill is based on the number of courses you register for.)

Register for at least 3 CUs to maintain full-time visa status, if you are an on-campus international student. If next semester is your final semester, and you only need 1 CU or 2 CUs to complete your degree, you must apply for Reduced Course Load (Completion of Study or Coursework) via ISSS.

OVERVIEW – WHAT IS ADVANCE REGISTRATION?

During Advance Registration, students can add courses on Path@Penn. What is submitted during this period are considered “course requests” only. The registrar will review these submissions and officially enroll students. Once that concludes, the Course Selection Period begins.

While Advance Registration Tips are geared toward undergraduates, the page includes some useful tips for graduate students, too.

IS DAY 1 OF ADVANCE REGISTRATION THE BEST DAY TO ADD COURSE REQUESTS?

No. Course requests added during Advance Registration are NOT time-stamped, so there is no advantage in submitting course requests on Day 1 vs Day 14 during the Advance Registration period.

If there are more course requests than seats available, students who meet selection criteria will be randomly selected for official enrollment.  Students who have not been enrolled in the course can ask to be added to a waitlist (see sidebar for links to various department permit/waitlist systems.)

HOW ARE COURSES REQUESTS APPROVED?

Once Advance Registration closes, the registrar processes course requests. The course assignment system takes into account the parameters set on the course. The registrar officially enrolls students provided they meet all applicable parameters (e.g., students in certain majors/programs or certain academic years). The registrar then provides this enrollment information to all academic departments, which can then determine if adjustments to the course roster are needed.

WILL I DEFINITELY BE ENROLLED FOR ALL OF MY COURSE REQUESTS?

No. There are no guarantees.

Some course requests may be fulfilled, some may not. Reasons vary case by case, such as:

  • Permit required
  • Exceeds CU limit
  • Time conflicts between requested courses (Lower priority requests will be dropped from the schedule, while higher priority courses will remain)
  • Course requests outnumber available seats (Students who fulfill the course selection parameters will be randomly chosen by the scheduling system).

WHEN CAN I OFFICIALLY REGISTER FOR COURSES?

After the registrar’s review period (about two weeks) Path@Penn will reopen. This is the official start of the Course Selection or Add/Drop/Swap period, when students can make changes to their schedule until the Course Selection Period deadline of the semester. (NOTE: Graduate students must follow the deadlines listed in the Graduate Academic Calendar. Undergraduates and Accelerated Master’s students may have different deadlines.) At that time, students are responsible for checking Path to see which courses they have been officially enrolled in. If students have not been enrolled in any courses they still want to take, they can request to be added to a waitlist if needed (see sidebar for links to various department permit/waitlist systems.)

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT SUBMIT COURSE REQUESTS DURING ADVANCE REGISTRATION?

Students will still be able to register when the system officially opens for the Course Selection period (usually about 2 weeks after the end of Advance Registration.)

If a course has greater demand than seats, adding a course request during Advance Registration improves a student’s chance of getting into the course versus registering once the Course Selection (Add/Drop/Swap) period begins.

COURSE SELECTION PERIOD (ADD/DROP/SWAP)

During the Course Selection period, also known as Add/Drop/Swap, students may visit classes and add and drop courses using Path@Penn before finalizing their schedules. During Course Selection (Add/Drop/Swap), courses are filled as students register for them and students will see immediately in Path@Penn if they are enrolled.

Course Planning Instructions:

  1. Plan Your Courses: Review the relevant resources for your program:
  2. Create/Update Your Planned Courses: Create/update a plan with the courses you wish to take in the upcoming semester and which categories you intend to count them for.
  3. Register for courses!

Course Planning/Registration Guidelines:

  • Choose only 5000-level or higher level courses to fulfill your master’s program requirements.
  • Focus on completing the majority of your Category A and B core courses in Year 1.
  • Double-check course times to avoid scheduling conflicts.
  • Select 4-6 CUs initially during the Course Selection Period (Add/Drop/Swap) in case any preferred courses close.
  • Register for a maximum of 3 CUs in your first semester.
  • Register for 3 CUs to maintain full-time visa status, if you will be an on-campus international student. (Fall/Spring semesters ONLY. Summer course enrollment is optional but NOT required.)
  • Complete the relevant Permit/Waitlist/Request form (varies by department), if your preferred course is CLOSED or requires a permit.
  • Visit available courses at the beginning of the semester, if you are interested or if you unsure about your plan.
  • Drop alternate courses before the Course Selection Period (Add/Drop/Swap) ends. (Your tuition bill is based on the number of courses you register for.)

A Note on Prerequisites for Graduate Courses:

  • If the prerequisite course number is below 5000, then you do not need the prerequisite.
  • If the prerequisite course number is above 5000–and if the desired course does not require a permit–you are encouraged to first seek faculty/major advisor and/or instructor advice to help you assess whether your previous courses or background are sufficient.

Registration Resources

MSE in EE Degree Requirements MSE in SE Degree Requirements RAS Grad Advising

Academic Resources

Browse Current/Upcoming Courses Full Penn Course Catalog Grad Handbook

Forms

ESE 5970 Master's Thesis ESE 5990 Independent Study

Permits/Waitlists Requests

ESE Registration Guidelines CIS & CIT Courses Wharton Courses

Key Dates

Graduate Academic Calendar