Approved Majors

As dual-degree students at Penn, VIPER students select two majors - one from the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), and one from the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS).

Currently approved majors for VIPER in SAS and in SEAS are listed below. VIPER students pursue the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), not a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS). Click the links below to learn more about each major.

Students may petition for additional STEM majors to be considered for approval and must demonstrate how the proposed course plan relates to energy science and aligns with VIPER's programmatic goals.

In the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS):

• Physics & Astronomy (PHYS) 
• Chemistry (CHEM)
• Mathematics (MATH) *
• Earth and Environmental Science (EESC)

In the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)*:

• Computer and Information Science (CIS) *
• Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE)
• Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
• Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics (MEAM)
• Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE)

* Students who are pursuing a major combination of MATH and CIS should additionally complete one thermodynamics course. Currently approved thermodynamics courses include: MEAM 2030 (Thermodynamics I), MSE 2600 (Energetics of Macro and Nano-scale Materials), PHYS 1230 (Thermal Physics and Waves), and CHEM 2220 (Physical Chemistry II).

** Students in the Class of 2029 will be the last cohort to be able to declare Biology or Bioengineering as majors in the VIPER program. These majors will no longer be options for the Class of 2030 and beyond.