Penn Engineering Launches Oberlin Master's Partnership
Eligible Oberlin College undergraduates can earn a Penn engineering master's degree one year after graduating, starting fall 2027.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Internships
Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science has launched the Oberlin-Penn Engineering 4+1 Partnership, announced by Dean Vijay Kumar on Nov. 9, 2026. The partnership lets eligible Oberlin students complete a master's degree in engineering at Penn one year after graduation, beginning in fall 2027.
Why it matters
The partnership expands Penn's accelerated master's track, which has mostly served Penn's own undergraduates, to students from another institution. It joins existing partnerships with Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, La Salle University, and Lincoln University.
Up to three approved Oberlin courses can count toward the 10-course-unit Penn Engineering master's program, which spans five available pathways. The source does not report expected enrollment numbers for the first cohort.
The players
Vijay Kumar
Dean of Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science, who announced the partnership.
Oberlin College
Liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, whose undergraduates are eligible for the program.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia-based private university whose engineering school runs the master's program.
The details
Faculty in each participating department reviewed which Oberlin courses are suitable to count toward a Penn Engineering degree. Participating students are expected to bring different experiences and perspectives to the program, which currently draws most of its students from Penn undergraduates.
Timeline
Nov. 9, 2026: Dean Vijay Kumar announced the partnership.
Fall 2027: The partnership begins and Oberlin students can enroll.
Internship and Career Pathways
The Oberlin partnership extends Penn Engineering's existing 4+1 accelerated master's model, already in place with Bryn Mawr, Haverford, La Salle and Lincoln, to a new partner institution. It adds another route for undergraduates to finish a graduate engineering degree in one additional year.
Oberlin undergraduates interested in the program can plan to complete the required courses so that up to three may count toward the Penn master's degree. Students should review the approved course list with their advisors before enrolling in fall 2027.
The takeaway
Students weighing a fifth-year master's can use this partnership as a model for comparing one-year graduate pathways across schools. Checking course-transfer eligibility early can shape how undergraduate schedules are planned.
Further reading
For related opportunities, browse Internships in the Philadelphia business section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Former Penn President Liz Magill earned $4.46 million the year following her resignation - The Daily Pennsylvanian.
