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Degree Stacking

Are you interested in pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Engineering (GCEN) along with your Master of Engineering (MEng) degree? Do you want to have two graduate-level degrees in hand at graduation for the time it takes to do one? Do you want to differentiate yourself on your resume by having two educational areas of expertise? Stack a GCEN onto your M.Eng. degree!

A UMD alum proudly celebrates at Commencement 2025Step 1: Please see the GCEN degree planning sheets for information on what courses are required for each GCEN program. If you are planning to pursue a GCEN, the 4 required courses should be incorporated into your 10 course plan as part of your M.Eng. curriculum, typically as technical electives.

Step 2: Understand the Degree Stacking Policies

  1. your GCEN cannot be in the same program as your M.Eng degree.
  2. you must have the required academic background for the GCEN you're requesting to pursue.
  3. The GCEN is awarded as a separate degree and the 4 courses used towards it MUST have a 3.0 GPA in addition to the required 3.0 M.Eng cumulative GPA to confer the M.Eng. degree.

Step 3: For review and approval, please complete the GCEN Request Form.

Interested in the above, but can't fit all four GCEN courses into your M.Eng. curriculum? Meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your options and remember that you're always welcome to incorporate a breadth of electives into your M.Eng. even if you aren't working towards a full GCEN stack.

Project Management is the most frequently stacked GCEN on top of a variety of M.Eng. areas. Systems Engineering M.Eng. students are the most likely to stack a GCEN onto their M.Eng. degree. 

Most popular degree stacks to date: M.Eng. in Systems with a variety of GCENs. M.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Project Management GCEN. M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a Software Engineering GCEN. M.Eng. in Cybersecurity with a Cloud Engienering GCEN.

Between 5-10% of M.Eng. students stack a GCEN onto their degree and this percentage is increasing every semester as students want to find ways to further distinguish themselves and expand their areas of knowledge.

Explore stacking any M.Eng. with our new GCEN in Engineering AI— more and more the industry is looking for Engineers with expertise and foundation in applications of AI in their fields!

Clusters of Programs that we frequently see Degree Stacked, but remember that any combination can be requested provided they meet the policies above!

  • Cloud Engineering, Cybersecurity, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, Engineering AI, Software Engineering
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering and Project Management
  • Fire Protection, Mechanical, Systems, Reliability
  • Energy Systems, Mechanical, Reliability
  • Aerospace, Hypersonics
  • Aerospace, Mechanical, Robotics, Systems
  • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Energy Systems, Materials Science and Engineering
  • Bioengineering and Robotics

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