Young meets old in grad classes

Mingling with a group of older and wiser graduate students are numerous undergraduates hoping to gain experience and knowledge.

The concept of taking graduate-level classes either for submatriculation or for experience has long been a tradition for undergraduates at Penn.

But recently, with an increase in the number of courses and programs available to undergraduates, taking graduate-level classes is seen as an even more viable option. "I learn more in graduate classes relative to most undergraduate classes and at the same time these classes make me push myself harder," said Wharton and Engineering junior Ray Cheng, a possible submatriculant who is currently taking his fourth graduate-level class.

During the fall 2007 semester, Engineering undergraduates were enrolled in approximately 200 credits worth of graduate classes.

The Nursing School also saw 70 students take graduate classes, said Sylvia English, Enrollment Management Coordinator for the School of Nursing.

And since these classes are primarily meant for graduate students, many teachers are unable to give any special treatment to undergraduates wanting to experiment with these courses.

If undergraduates wish to take classes above their level, they must be prepared and motivated to work harder, as they will be treated on par with the rest of the class, said Joseph Sun, director of academic affairs for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

But that doesn't mean professors will not provide extra help if students ask.

"The professors are helpful and very understanding," Wharton and College freshman Joseph Baum said. "Some professors pay extra attention, and if you ask for help, they offer help."

Sun added that "most undergraduates are both well prepared and deeply interested in their fields, and hence wish to take high-level classes in them."

Submatriculation is also gaining popularity, particularly in the School of Arts and Sciences, due to its vast number of programs, said Dr. Srilata Gangulee, advisor for the School of Arts and Sciences.

The College, which has the highest number of students submatriculating, offers programs for all its courses except economics, history and political science, Gangulee said.

There are also programs with the Law School, Veterinary School, School of Design, Medical School and the Fels Institute of Government, she said.

"SAS had 60 students, mostly juniors, submatriculting last year," she said.

Wharton, on the other hand, had the least number of submatriculants among the four undergraduate schools.

Serita Lewis, Submatriculation Program coordinator for the Wharton MBA Program said, "We had three students out of 20 applicants who submatriculated last year."

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