Academics
There’s always something new going on at Penn’s four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate schools. Look here for information on upcoming academic initiatives, new classes and research conducted by professors and students.
College modifies natural sciences sector requirement to foster interdisciplinary approach
The new sector, Natural Science Across Disciplines, will take effect for students in the entering Class of 2025, but all current students may choose from the new list of courses.
Penn delays advance registration for fall courses as it mulls modes of instruction
The advance registration period for fall courses will now be held from April 13 through April 23, instead of the previously scheduled March 22 through April 4.
Penn in Washington plans for tentative in-person programming this fall
A semester-long program, the Penn in Washington Program affords a cohort of about 25 students the opportunity to work part-time as interns in D.C., while also taking four course credits taught by Penn professors in Washington.
Penn panel on racism in education discusses barriers to success for students of color
Panelists discussed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on students of color and low-income students who may not have access to resources crucial to remote learning.
Wharton will offer new entrepreneurship and innovation concentration in fall 2021
The new concentration will be administered through the Management Department, and will provide course offerings spanning seven departments, including Healthcare Management; Marketing; Operations, Information, and Decisions; Legal Studies; and Real Estate.
Penn-founded advocacy campaign uncovers racial and gender discrimination in CIS department
Sixty percent of survey respondents who identified as African American or Black reported that someone once claimed their racial identity unfairly contributed to their acceptance to the Engineering School, in comparison to 7.81% of Asian and 7.58% of white respondents.
Four seniors and one 2019 graduate named 2021 Thouron Scholars
Each year the award is given to four to six graduating seniors, recent graduates, professional students, or current graduate students at Penn to fund two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom.
Some Ph.D. students forced to delay graduation as COVID-19 disrupts research abroad
The disruption has prompted financial concerns for students who may now require additional semesters of funding.
Faculty, students deem Penn Global Seminar’s new virtual format a success
While Penn Global Seminars include an abroad component either during winter break, spring break, or summer break, where students visit the country they learn about in class, the courses now follow the Collaborative Online International Learning format.
Black Penn students allege pattern of racism in Chemistry dept. on viral Instagram page
Multiple posts levy accusations against Penn’s Chemistry Department, leading the department to apologize to certain students for their "negative experiences" related to the department, but the University as a whole has taken no such steps.
Students learning in isolation cope with warped sense of time, concentration issues
Many students experienced fatigue, struggles with time management and concentration, and stress as a result of confinement and the illness itself.
St. Joe’s and University of the Sciences announce potential plan to merge next year
The possible merger is part of a broader trend in higher education, as universities have lost out on room and board money during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professors report unexpected benefits of virtual education despite facing challenges
The DP spoke to seven professors about their takeaways on a virtual education.
Mellon Foundation awards $5 million grant to support Penn professor's project
The project documents dispossessions of land, embodiments, and cultural values in the Americas from 1492 to today.
‘A little slice of normalcy’: Students, professors reflect on in-person learning
Students and faculty participating in the limited number of in-person classes offered this spring are positively focusing on resuming safe instruction amid the ongoing pandemic.
Wharton MBA welcomes back inaugural cohort of deferred admits for new program
The Moelis Advance Access Program is a deferred admission program that allows undergraduate students to apply for deferred admission to the Wharton MBA after two to four years of work experience.
Penn to standardize course times, eliminate back-to-back classes in fall 2021 schedule revamp
Under the new format, classes will start at one of eight designated start times beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. Students will have at minimum 15 minutes between classes.
Penn will suspend operations, COVID-19 screening testing on Tuesday as snowstorm continues
Irvine Auditorium is the only COVID-19 testing location set to open on Tuesday, for symptomatic and close-contact COVID-19 testing only.
Dissatisfied with virtual learning, some students take the spring semester off
Some students who had previously taken a gap semester in the fall opted to turn their time off into a full gap year to pursue extracurricular hobbies and internships.