Penn Engineering Graduate Newsletter 09-15-2026
Important Dates:
| Date | Event |
| September 11th | Masters and Certificate December graduation application opens |
| October 5th | Drop period ends: last day to drop a course |
| October 26th-Nov. 9th | Advance Registration for Spring 2027. |
| November 2nd | Last day to withdraw from a course for Fall term |
| November 6th | Master’s and Certificate December graduation application closes |
| November 30th | PhD December graduation application closes |
| December 7th | Fall term classes end |
Fall 2026 Semester Advising Hours
Academic advising takes place in the program/department with the advisor(s) and/or graduate coordinator/administrator.
For additional advising, students may come to the Office of Academic Services during drop-in advising hours while terms are in session. This can be for general inquiries, wellness concerns, policy questions, and assistance navigating Penn offices or who to turn to for questions.
| Day of the week | Time | Location |
| Monday | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (EST) | Virtual (Link here. Login info below)* |
| Tuesday | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | OAS Office, Towne 109 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | OAS Office, Towne 109 |
| Thursday | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (EST) | Virtual (Link here. Login info below.)* |
| Friday | No Advising |
*Password for all Virtual Sessions: GRFall26!
If you are unable to attend scheduled advising hours, please email to request an appointment.
Registrar Reminders
Important Fall 2026 deadlines:
- Between September 9 and October 5 at 11:59 pm (ET), students will be able to use Path to drop a course and receive a 50% tuition refund during this time period.
- Course Drop deadline: October 5 (11:59 pm ET)
December 2026 Graduation information:
- The December 2026 Engineering graduation application will open on September 11 for bachelor’s, master’s, and certificates within the Engineering school. Information will be distributed closer to that opening. The December 2026 PhD graduation application opened on August 25. Information will be distributed in the near future.
- Any students who need to update their expected graduation date can submit that request here. This is especially important if you are a December graduate and your expected graduation date is incorrectly listed for the future.
Grants, Scholarships & Fellowships
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation offers approximately 2,500 graduate fellowships each year. Fellowships provide three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees at US universities in science, mathematics, and engineering, and a few other quantitative research fields supported by the NSF, and are intended for students in the early stages of their graduate study. Application deadline – October 22nd. Click here to learn more.
Stanford PRISM Postdoctoral Recruitment Initiative
Applications are open for Stanford PRISM, a cohort-based travel award program for graduate students to explore postdoctoral training at Stanford. Selected students visit campus to interview with faculty, connect with current postdocs, and learn about available funding and training opportunities. Applicants from underrepresented perspectives in research are especially encouraged to apply. Application deadline – October 2nd. Click here to learn more.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Writing Workshop
Undergraduate students applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) are invited to participate in this interactive writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative and CURF. You will learn basic grant writing skills, information about writing for the GRFP specifically, and have the opportunity to workshop your ideas for your proposal. Students will leave knowing what characteristics the NSF is looking for and how to craft a narrative of their personal experiences that highlights those characteristics. Session participants will also receive instructions on how to get one-on-one essay feedback before NSF deadlines.
September 22, 2026, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | CURF Office, College Hall G08/09
Space is limited, so make sure to register early. Please RSVP here.
Events
Penn Society of Women Engineers’ 30th Annual Corporate Dinner
Penn Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is excited to invite you to their 30th Annual Corporate Dinner! As one of their largest professional development events, Corporate Dinner is a great opportunity to connect directly with recruiters and representatives from leading companies like Bloomberg, Capital One, Regeneron, Five Rings, Accenture, and more. Registration includes adding your resume to their Resume Book shared with all participating companies.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall
Tickets: $10-$14. Register and view participating companies here.
Clark Scholars Book Drive
Help us donate gently used books to a new home while supporting community libraries in Jamaica as they rebuild after Hurricane Melissa. The Clark Scholars Program is collecting books for readers of all ages and reading levels through September 19. Bring your books to one of our on-campus collection locations and help make a difference!
Soros Fellowships Information Session
Join CURF in welcoming a representative from the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. This program provides merit-based graduate funding for New Americans, immigrants and children of immigrants poised to make significant contributions to US culture, society, and academia.
Tuesday. September 22nd, 2026 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | College Hall G08/09
More information here.
Pear VC at Penn: PearX Office Hours & Info Session
Pear is an early-stage VC firm behind DoorDash, Guardant Health, and Vanta that writes seed checks up to $10M and runs PearX—a premier accelerator offering up to $2M in funding. PhDs, postdocs, and student founders commercializing research are strongly encouraged to attend.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm | 1:1 Office Hours | Apply for a spot
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Info Session | Food provided; RSVP on Luma
2026 Frontiers of Energy Poster Session
Join us for the 6th Annual Frontiers of Energy Research Poster Session, co-hosted by the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology (VIEST) and the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER). Discover amazing energy research presented by Penn undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers.
Present a Poster: All Penn students and postdocs involved in energy research are invited to share their work, gain valuable feedback, and meet other energy researchers from across campus! Register here by Monday, October 5th to present a poster.
October 20, 2026, 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Singh Galleria, Singh Center for Nanotechnology
Climate Leaders at Penn Fellowship – Applications Open
Climate Leaders at Penn is accepting applications for its 2026–27 Graduate Fellowship. Fellows work in small teams on real-world climate resilience projects with partner organizations, gaining access to masterclasses, mentorship, and a network of climate professionals. Open to graduate students across all Penn schools. The deadline to apply is Sunday, October 11, 2026. Application information here.
Career & Networking
Engineering & Technology Career Day
Open to on-campus SEAS and STEM-related majors and alumni from across the University, as well as postdoctoral fellows with interest in internships, full-time positions and/or careers related to engineering and/or technology. Click here to register.
September 16, 2026, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | Houston Hall – Bodek Lounge and Hall of Flags
Penncard required for entry.
Google Days at UPenn
Please join Career Services for Google Days at UPenn!
Over the course of two dates, we’re bringing Google engineers directly to campus to share insights, break down technical interview prep, and help you elevate your application for our upcoming internship and full-time roles.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect directly with the Google team and prepare for your next career move. We look forward to seeing you there!
Event 1: Resume Workshop
September 15th at 4:30 pm | Raisler Lounge
Learn what recruiters and technical teams look for on a resume and get 1:1 resume feedback with Google engineers. RSVP here.
Event 2: Technical Interview Prep
September 22nd, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Demystify the technical interview process as our engineers walk through real problem-solving frameworks and coding strategies. RSVP here.
Career Development Hub
The career development hub is Penn Engineering’s dedicated career team for on-campus master’s students. Now offering in-person and virtual career advising meetings in Towne 286. In-person and virtual coaching, industry programming, and cohort communities on Penn’s campus. More information here.
