Schools

The School of Arts & Sciences houses 27 departments and nearly 500 faculty scholars with honors that include the National Medal of Science, the MacArthur Fellowship, Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. Penn’s intellectual core, SAS enrolls nearly half the University students and is integral in the education of all undergraduates as well as many graduate and professional students, lifelong learners, and working professionals. Undergraduate offerings include more than 50 majors, signature interdisciplinary programs, and distinguished dual-degree programs. The Graduate Division includes over 30 graduate groups and offers the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Philosophy, and Doctor of Philosophy.

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, The Wharton School is globally recognized for intellectual leadership across every major discipline of business education. Wharton delivers the knowledge to take action and advance society through leading programs at every level: undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral. Wharton also reaches out annually to 9,000 participants through Executive Education programs. Published in multiple languages, the school’s online journal, Knowledge@Wharton, reaches more than 1.7 million global subscribers. Wharton’s 99,000-plus graduates make up one of the largest business school alumni networks in the world.

Founded by Walter H. Annenberg, the Annenberg School for Communication produces research that advances the understanding of public and private communication, and generates applied research that helps policymakers create an intellectually and culturally rich media environment for its citizens. The Annenberg School educates doctoral students in the theories, substance, and methods of communication research and launches them into leading academic and professional positions. Annenberg’s undergraduate program also provides a first-class liberal arts education, helping its students become more discerning consumers and producers of public information and preparing them for leadership in the private and public sectors.

Established in 1878, the School of Dental Medicine is one of the oldest university-affiliated dental schools in the country, and has set numerous precedents in education, research, and patient care. Academic programs include a DMD program with dual-degree options in education, bioethics, bioengineering, and public health; postdoctoral training in eight specialties with an option for a master’s in oral biology; and a degree program for foreign-trained dentists. Penn Dental Medicine encompasses basic and clinical sciences and provides community dental care in teaching clinics and faculty practices. Its students serve more than 20,000 local residents, logging close to 9,600 service hours each year.

The Stuart Weitzman School of Design prepares students to address complex sociocultural and environmental issues through thoughtful inquiry, creative expression, and innovation. As a diverse community of scholars and practitioners, the Weitzman School is committed to advancing the public good—both locally and globally—through art, design, planning, and preservation. With 11 degrees and 15 certificates offered, Weitzman School graduate programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation, and serve as a platform for groundbreaking research as well as community engagement.

Penn’s Graduate School of Education is one of the nation’s best, where faculty across the board are national leaders in the production of educational and social research. Long known for excellence in teacher education and in leadership-preparation programs for educators in K-12 and higher education settings, Penn GSE also generates groundbreaking scholarship in language and literacy, educational policy, higher education, applied psychology, social theory, and social research methods. Penn GSE thrives on its mission to partner with schools, universities, and communities to expand educational access—especially for those underserved by society.

Founded in 1852 as the School of Mines, Arts, and Manufactures, today’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is a vibrant part of the University. At Penn Engineering, world-acclaimed faculty, state-of-the-art research laboratories, and highly interdisciplinary curricula offer students an unparalleled experience. Innovation and technology drive the program and transform the fundamentals of what future engineers are learning. Penn Engineering students play a critical role in asking and answering the questions that will improve human health and transform the world.

Penn Carey Law offers a superior legal education enhanced through cross-disciplinary study opportunities that are unrivaled among leading law schools. To complement their rigorous legal training, students can take classes to earn certificates or joint degrees at other Penn schools and programs, such as Wharton or the Center for Bioethics. The School’s intellectual vitality is defined by the faculty, an outstanding group of scholars whose collective expertise covers every major legal area. More than 70 percent of Carey Law professors hold advanced law-related degrees beyond the JD, and more than 50 percent have joint appointments or affiliations with other Penn schools.

As America’s first medical school, the Perelman School of Medicine, named for Raymond and Ruth Perelman, has a long-standing commitment to education, research, and patient care. Today, it consistently ranks among the top medical schools in the country and among the top three in grants awarded by National Institutes of Health. The Perelman School offers outstanding Ph.D., master’s, and combined-degree programs, in addition to medical degrees. Students receive training in the nationally acclaimed hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, a network of medical facilities known for a dedication to high-quality patient care.

The School of Nursing is one of the nation’s premier research institutions in nursing science. Penn Nursing faculty consistently receive more research funding from the National Institutes of Health than any other private nursing school, and many master’s programs are ranked first in the country. Students are offered unparalleled resources and experiences, including a state-of-the-art simulation lab, a nurse-led elder-care practice, and classrooms equipped with the latest technologies. Penn Nursing students gain valuable clinical experiences in two of the nation’s best medical institutions, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The School of Social Policy & Practice enters its second century as one of the country’s leading centers of knowledge development, transfer, and application in human services. The theory-based master’s programs in social work, social welfare, non-profit leadership, and social policy, and the clinical doctorate program in social work, encourage students to think and work across disciplines, countries, and cultures. This vision is reflected in all aspects of the school’s educational and research programs as well as in its work on the Penn campus, in the Philadelphia community, and in national and international social change efforts.

The School of Veterinary Medicine focuses on providing the best care to beloved pets, preventing zoonotic diseases in animals and humans, protecting the food supply, and discovering treatments for animal illnesses. Since 1884, Penn Vet has recognized that human and veterinary medicine are “one medicine,” and close ties with the Perelman School of Medicine have resulted in groundbreaking research. The Philadelphia campus includes the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital for small and companion animals, and Kennett Square’s New Bolton Center houses the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals. Penn Vet also plays an integral role in supporting Pennsylvania agriculture.