School of Engineering

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General Information

Mission

Widener University’s School of Engineering is dedicated to providing quality undergraduate and graduate education and to advancing the state of knowledge in engineering, with the aim of preparing graduates for successful professional careers.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes

The educational objectives of the various graduate programs are that its graduates will excel in industry, government, and academia, and will demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. By the time of graduation, students are expected to achieve the following educational outcomes:

• demonstrate in-depth knowledge and competence in the field of study.
• develop advanced skills in acquiring, evaluating, and integrating new knowledge.
• demonstrate ability to communicate effectively.
• demonstrate ongoing understanding of professional responsibility.

Sesquicentennial Anniversary

In 2012, the School of Engineering celebrated its 150-year anniversary of providing quality engineering education at Widener University. The first class of three engineers began their studies in the fall of 1862 and graduated from the Pennsylvania Military Academy (Widener’s predecessor institution) with the degree of bachelor of civil engineering in 1867. To date, thousands of students have completed their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines. They have gone on to practice engineering in every corner of the nation and around the globe.

Admission Requirements

All inquiries and subsequent submission of admission materials for graduate engineering certificate programs, master of science in engineering (MSE) programs, and the dual degree (MSE/MBA) program should be submitted online at https://go.widener.edu/apply.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING PROGRAMS—A graduate program candidate should hold a bachelor of science degree in engineering. Candidates who hold undergraduate degrees in related areas are also considered.

Admission into a graduate program as a full-time student is predicated on a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.8 (based on a 4.0 system) from an undergraduate program and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE requirement may be waived for applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above from an EAC/ABET accredited undergraduate program or equivalent.

Admission into a graduate program as a part-time student is predicated on a cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 (based on a 4.0 system) from an EAC/ABET-accredited program, or equivalent, and relevant professional experience. Although the GRE is optional for part-time students, it may be helpful in the evaluation of credentials.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS—Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, engineering technology, science, business, or related field with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on 4.0 scale in their undergraduate program or PE certification.

RECOMMENDATION LETTER—Prospective students applying for admission into the graduate program must provide one letter of recommendation at the time of application submission.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS—International students should consult the International Student Services web page at www.widener.edu/iss for international graduate student guidelines or contact the Office of International Student Services at Widener University, One University Place, Chester, PA 19013; or iss@widener.edu

MATRICULATION - A matriculated student is one who hs been officially admitted to an approved program leading to a garduate degree or certificate.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION—Students who graduate from unaccredited programs or whose academic record falls short of established standards but whose progress since graduation has demonstrated notable achievement may be admitted with condition. To satisfy particular deficiencies, the student may be required to take certain undergraduate courses and/or graduate courses and receive a grade of B or better in each of these courses. Conditional courses will be specified in the acceptance letter from the Office of Graduate Admission.

SPECIAL STATUS—Students who are not formal degree candidates are considered special or nonmatriculated students. They must complete all course work assigned to degree candidates and receive a grade. A special student may request a change in status to degree candidate. The request must be submitted in writing to the Office of Graduate Programs, School of Engineering. An approval will specify the courses accepted for the degree program and the time limit. A maximum of 9 credits may be accepted toward degree requirements.

UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT - A Widener undergraduate student who wishes to take a graduate course must have a cumulative and techical GPA of 3.0 or higher, and must get the approval of their academic advisor.  The technical GPA is the cumulative GPA applied to all engineering, mathematics, and science courses attempted at Widener University.

AUDITING—Students will be permitted to audit courses in the graduate program with the approval of the instructor. No grade or credit is given for auditing a course and examinations need not be taken; however, the registration procedure and fee structure are the same as that for other students.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT—A maximum of nine credits in total from all sources may be transferred.

Transfer of Credit for Graduate-Level Courses: Transfer credit for previous graduate courses that have not been used to satisfy the requirements of another degree may be accepted toward degree requirements. Transfer credit is granted only at the time the student is admitted to the program. The subjects must form an integral part of the proposed program as approved by the student’s advisor and have been taken within five years prior to matriculation. A grade of B or better must have been earned in these transfer courses. No more than three credits will be accepted for transfer after matriculation. Students must obtain written permission from their advisor and the graduate program director prior to taking a course at another institution and must earn a grade B or better. Current students who are approved to take a course at another institution are responsible for providing the graduate program director with an official transcript showing the final grade at the conclusion of the course.

Transfer of Credit for Half-Course Modules and Professional Short Courses: Transfer credit for half-course modules or professional short courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis, according to the above guidelines. Transfer credit for professional short courses may be considered only upon evaluation of a student course portfolio for each course. Portfolios will be evaluated by at least two faculty members from the department involved. One and one-half (1.5) semester hours of transfer credit may be awarded for a professional short course of a minimum of 22.5 contact hours, including 1.5 hours of examination/evaluation time.

Academic Calendar

At the start of each semester, students should check myWidener or the University website for the academic calendar and deadline information.

Grading System

The following grades and their associated grade points are used:

*Only for courses offered on a pass/fail basis.

NOTE: Individual instructors may elect, at their discretion, not to use plus/minus grades.

The grade point value for a given course is the product of the semester hours for the course and the numerical value of the grade obtained. The GPA is the total grade points divided by the number of semester hours undertaken, and is based upon the graduate courses that are required for the master’s degree programs as shown in the curricula, which follows.

The grade of I is given when a student has not completed course requirements because of excusable reasons. A student who receives a grade of I must arrange to make up all deficiencies with the instructor issuing the grade. If the work is not made up within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the incomplete is received, the grade will be automatically converted to F, unless the course in question is a thesis research course or a dissertation research course. Upon completion of the requirements, the instructor will institute a change of grade. (Note: A student does not register again for a course in which the grade of incomplete has been received.) A student cannot be awarded a degree when there is an outstanding incomplete grade on the transcript, even if the incomplete is in a course not required in the degree program.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS—Master’s candidates are required to maintain at least a B average. Courses for which grades lower than B– are received may be repeated only with the permission of the Curriculum Committee. The new grade replaces the old for computation of the GPA, but both grades are recorded on the transcript. No more than two repetitions total and only one repetition per course are allowed.

A student whose academic performance is considered inadequate will be subject to dismissal from the program. Conduct inconsistent with the ethical and professional standards of the discipline, whether it occurs before or after matriculation, is also grounds for dismissal from the program. Such conduct includes academic fraud, which consists of any actions that serve to undermine the integrity of the academic process, including cheating, post-test alteration of answers, plagiarism, and electronic or computer fraud.

A student dismissed for academic fraud may no longer enroll in the graduate programs of the university and may not apply for admission into another division of the university. Please see the section titled “Standards for Academic Integrity.”

Course Offerings

Graduate course offerings are published each semester by the Office of Graduate Programs.

DROP/ADD POLICY—Students taking a course in the School of Engineering may withdraw from the course at any time prior to the final examination and receive the grade of W. If a course does not include a final examination, the deadline for withdrawing from the course with a grade of W is the final class meeting for the course. Graduate students begin the withdrawal process by notifying their instructor and advisor in writing of their intent to withdraw. Students must submit a drop/add form to the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Graduate Programs.

Students may add a course without special permission no later than one week after the semester has begun. If a student wishes to add a course after one week, written permission must be obtained from both the instructor and the Graduate Program Director.

The School of Engineering reserves the right to cancel the offering of any course if the enrollment is below the minimum levels.

Leave of Absence

Students who have not completed their programs of study and desire a leave of absence must apply to the Office of Graduate Programs specifying the duration of the requested leave. A student who does not apply for a leave of absence and does not register for at least one course in an academic year will be considered as withdrawn from the program. International students must contact the Office of International Student Services before pursuing a leave of absence.

Reinstatement to the Program

Students who have withdrawn from the program may seek readmission by submitting a new application with the Office of Graduate Admission.

Registration

New and continuing students may register for courses online through the Student Planning during their issued date and time from the Office of the Registrar.

Student Status

Students pursuing a program of study in Widener’s School of Engineering are considered to be full-time graduate students when they are enrolled in 9 or more credits of graduate study per semester or in ENGR 691 , ENGR 692 , or ENGR 693  (thesis). It is recommended that students take no more than 12 credits of graduate study per semester. Students who enroll in at least 5 credits of graduate study are considered to be half-time students.

Time Limit

All requirements for the master of science in engineering degree must be completed within seven years from the beginning of the first semester or within two years from the start of Thesis I (ENGR 691 ), whichever comes first. See “Thesis Regulations” and “Thesis Continuation” below. Students enrolled in the dual MSE/MBA program must complete all requirements within nine years.

Thesis Option

Thesis provides students an opportunity to conduct scholarly research in an area of interest.  Thesis track is optional. Those who do not elect to write a thesis must substitute six semester hours of approved course work.

THESIS REGULATIONS—The thesis (and the research upon which the thesis is based) represents six semester hours of credit. Instructions for thesis preparation, format, and scheduling may be obtained from the graduate program office. A thesis proposal is to be submitted to the advisor and to the director for graduate programs for approval prior to the student’s enrollment in ENGR 691  (Thesis I). Upon successful completion of ENGR 691 , students must enroll in the immediately following semester in ENGR 692  (Thesis II). The student must complete the thesis within a two-year period from the start of Thesis I. An oral defense of the thesis must be presented at a thesis defense prior to final acceptance. The final document must be completed within two months after the oral defense unless otherwise noted by the graduate program director.

THESIS CONTINUATION—Students who have not completed their thesis after enrolling for two consecutive semesters must then register for ENGR 693 , Thesis Continuation, for which no graduation credit is given. Students must register for ENGR 693  in all subsequent semesters until the thesis is completed. Under unusual circumstances, the student may be granted an extension to complete the thesis beyond the two-year limit, in which case the student must register for ENGR 693  every semester until the thesis is completed. Tuition for thesis continuation is assessed at the rate of 1.5 credits.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS—Requests to schedule oral thesis presentations must be submitted to the student’s advisor in writing. No oral thesis presentations will be permitted in the period 30 days prior to the scheduled graduation date. For additional information, contact the Office of Graduate Programs.

Graduate Cooperative Education

Widener University’s School of Engineering offers an optional graduate-level cooperative educational experience to qualified students. The program is intended to supplement students’ graduate studies while preparing them for employment in the professional sector. The minimum grade point average to qualify for the program is 3.0. Students must maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average for the duration of the cooperative education experience. International students may participate in the graduate co-op program after their first year of full-time studies and after attending an orientation session. For information, please contact teh Graduate Program Director.

Standards for Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity Policy

Please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy located in the Graduate Catalog.  For additional information about the School of Engineering policy, please contact the Graduate Program Director.

Graduation Requirements and Awarding of Degrees

Students are responsible for knowing and meeting curriculum requirements as shown in this catalog.

The master of science in engineering programs require a minimum of 30 credits. The dual MSE/MBA program’s credit requirements vary according to the undergraduate business courses completed. A savings of two to four courses results from the combining of the two degree programs. Please note that a waiver of any requirement for the degree must be approved in writing by the Office of the Dean of the School of Engineering. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better is required for graduation, and, if applicable, completion of all thesis requirements. A student may not graduate with more than two course grades lower than B–. A student cannot graduate with a grade of F in any of the courses attempted.

Those who expect to receive the master’s degree should make clear their intentions to their advisors. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of either summer session will be awarded the degree in August of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition per the instructions online at www.widener.edu/registrar by March 1. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of the fall semester will be awarded the degree in December of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition per the instructions online at www.widener.edu/registrar by July 1. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of the spring semester will be awarded the degree in May of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition per the instructions online at www.widener.edu/registrar by November 1 of the previous year. The university holds only one formal commencement in the spring to which August, December, and May graduates are invited.

A student who petitions for graduation and who, for whatever reason, is not awarded the degree is not permitted to ‘walkthrough’ commencement and must re-petition.

Dual Specialization

A student may elect to pursue a dual specialization while achieving their master of science in engineering degree.  In such cases students must satisfy all requirements of both programs.  Dual specialization requires a total minimum of 39 credits for both the thesis or non-thesis path.

Financial Assistance and Awards

Graduate assistantships are available for qualified students. Assistantship appointments require service to the School of Engineering via participating in research projects or assisting faculty in executing teaching assignments. The amount of service does not ordinarily exceed 20 hours per week. Most students who accept assistantship appointments complete their course of study within two years. Tuition reimbursed for graduate assistants is considered taxable income in accordance with current Internal Revenue Service regulations.

Appointments to assistantships are made for one semester only, but may be renewed. Holders of such appointments must devote study at full-time status and fulfill assistantship commitments. They may not be employed elsewhere without the prior consent of the advisor and the Graduate Program Director. 

The 150th Engineering Anniversary Scholarship is to be awarded to a full-time graduate student pursuing the Master of Science in Engineering degree with the thesis option.  The scholarship is renewable for one year.

The Frank and Angela LaVerghetta Award is given annually to a graduating MSE student who has secured the highest cumulative GPA. However, no award will be made if the highest GPA is less than 3.7. In case of a tie, professional contributions of the candidates will be considered in deciding the winner.

The Shirley Kornfield Memorial Graduate Award is presented annually to the student graduating with a MSE in electrical engineering who has secured the highest cumulative GPA.

Widener University offers a wide range of financial aid programs.  Financial information is available on the University’s website.

Fellowships

The School of Engineering is grateful to have received a generous gift from Suheil Sabbah to establish the Suheil H. Sabbagh Family International Engineering Fellowship.  This fellowship fully funds undergraduate and graduate engineering students, and their faculty members, to present their research at international, scholarly conferences.

Engineering Board of Advisors

William Fryberger, ‘73, Chair

President

Engineering Equipment Sales

Belcamp, MD

Robert Barkhau

Sr. Engineering Manager

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Chester, PA

Edward Callan, ‘80

Vice President Operations - East

Exelon Generation Company, LLC

Kennett Square, PA

Nick Cirilli, PE, PLS ‘79

President/CEO

Cirilli Associates, Inc.

Springfield, PA

J. Earl Coffman ‘90

Director, Transmission Operation & Planning

PECO Energy Co.

Philadelphia, PA

Paul Davison ‘86

Vice President, Engineering

PSEG Nuclear, LLC

Hancocks Bridge, NJ

John Horne

President

Independence Prosthetics-Orthotics, Inc.

Newark, DE

Roby Lentz ‘92

Vice President, Business Development

Delphinus Engineering, Inc.

Eddystone, PA

Samir Mehta ‘93

COO

Conviva

Foster City, CA

Charles Mouzannar

President - E&I and Clean Energy

AMEC Foster Wheeler

Plymouth Meeting, PA

Suheil Sabbagh

President 

Consolidated Contractors Company

Athens, Greece

Joseph Viscuso ‘73

Senior Vice President

Pennoni Associates, Inc.

West Chester, PA

Jeff Warmann

CEO & President

Monroe Energy, LLC

Trainer, PA

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