Two schools, different educations

The graduate programs of both the Annenberg School for Communication and the Wharton School of Business consistently rank among best in the nation. However, only one of these schools has established a stand-alone program for undergraduates.

While both graduate schools stress a broad education and liberal arts background, their methods of accomplishing this goal differ greatly.

Annenberg

Beginnings

The Communication Department at Penn has come a long way since its first class in Art and History of Newspaper-making; Advertising; Method of Criticism; and Newspaper Practice was taught in 1893.

The Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania was created in 1959 by the late Walter Annenberg, a University trustee.

According to its mission statement, the school was created to advance knowledge in "arts and sciences contributing to the understanding and improvement of communications between men."

At that time, the school was solely focused on graduate students and classes. Undergraduate courses were not offered until the 1970s, Annenberg School Associate Dean Paul Messaris said.

It was not until 1984 that undergraduate demand led to a joint program between the Annenberg School and the School of Arts and Sciences, creating what is now the communication major.

Today, students interested in the major must apply in their sophomore year.

While the Annenberg School is primarily a graduate institution, many have wondered if and when the school will ever incorporate the communication major under a direct admission process like that of the Wharton School.

Unanswered questions

There are several reasons why the the Annenberg School has never developed a independent undergraduate program.

If the undergraduate program were to be moved from the School of Arts and Sciences to the Annenberg School, the College would lose about 200 to 300 students. Because schools receive a set amount of funding per student, the College would also lose the money that accompanied those students.

"I was repeatedly told by provosts that the University wanted the communication major to be part of Arts and Sciences and would not support a stand-alone undergraduate degree in the Annenberg School," Annenberg professor and former Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson said.

In addition, faculty and administrators believed they could offer the same caliber of communication education without a separate undergraduate school.

"It was everyone's feel that we could deliver a first-class major in communication without hurting the [College]," Annenberg Dean Michael Delli Carpini said.

He added that another reason the Annenberg School's affiliation with the College is so successful is that he sees the communication major as a liberal arts major, not a professional one.

"We teach students how to get a job, but also we have the mission of a liberal arts school -- to teach students to be leaders, to write and think clearly and critically," Delli Carpini said.

"The signal we are sending is that you are getting an Annenberg education with a College degree," he added. "Our graduates can really do anything and are prepared for a changing world."

Messaris said that Wharton and Annenberg's undergraduate programs differ greatly in size, a likely reason for the difference between the schools.

The schism between a direct-admission school like Wharton and the Annenberg program is reflected in the fact that there are approximately 600 undergraduates per graduating class in Wharton, while around 100 communication majors graduate each year.

"The size of the school does not make it feasible for direct application,"Annenberg professor Carolyn Marvin said.

In addition, there are only 16 tenured or tenure-track professors at Annenberg.

Post-graduate effects

Though both Annenberg and Wharton are very well-respected institutions, Annenberg students graduate with degrees from the College, not Annenberg itself. Many wonder if the lack of direct association has a major impact on students.

"I don't think it detracts from the prestige of the school," Delli Carpini said, "There is no shame in receiving a degree from [SAS], and ... if you are a communication major, you get to work closely with the Annenberg faculty."

Although undergraduates who earn degrees in communication are not affiliated with the Annenberg School, they do receive a certificate acknowledging their connection.

College sophomore and communication major Dominique De Armond does not see a need for a change.

"I don't think the setup of the major has an effect on students," she said. "When you apply for a job in the field, they know you are coming from Penn, which means you're coming from Annenberg."

De Armond believes that the Annenberg School's non-direct admission policy is actually better than Wharton's method.

"When you apply to Wharton, you are supposed to know what you want to do before you get here," De Armond said. "With Annenberg, you don't have to decide until you are actually at Penn."

In addition, all communication classes are taught by Annenberg faculty or associated faculty.

"We give our students a lot of support and attention, and I don't think they are disadvantaged by not having an official link to the school," Marvin added.

However, some students feel that the lack of an official association with the Annenberg has been a detriment to the major.

"We cannot put that we got an Annenberg degree on our resumes, and since we have to apply for the major and all our classes are with their teachers, I would like to see a change," junior communication major Stacie Adjaye said.

"It is a very reputable and well-known school, and I think it would be an advantage to us to put it on our resume," she added.

Another issue is the effect of the present system on the sense of community in the Annenberg School.

"If there is a downside [to the current setup], it is probably that since we don't get to work closely with students until they declare their major, there is less of a sense of community than we would like," Delli Carpini said.

To compensate, the school has made several attempts at fostering greater camaraderie among majors. The Undergraduate Communication Society is a club created specifically for these students.

In addition, many majors get the opportunity to work closely with professors on research and internship projects.

Talia Soares, a junior communication major who is in favor of the current system, believes that "there is still a great sense of community among majors."

However, De Armond strongly feels that any damage to the sense of community among majors is not caused by the lack of a direct admission process, but rather by the organization of the major.

"Since the major is very diverse, you don't really see the same people in many of your classes, and I don't know if direct admission would even help this," De Armond said.

For now, it does not appear much will be changing at Annenberg.

"As of now, there is no conversation about going to direct admission. I think everyone is pretty happy with the way it works," Delli Carpini said.

First in the Nation

When Philadelphia entrepreneur Joseph Wharton wrote a letter to the University in 1881, he proposed a radical idea: the establishment of the first American business school.

According Wharton's Web site, the school was founded to educate students about the "complex economy that was unfolding" and to mold them into "pillars of the state."

Since its five-member inaugural class graduated in 1884, the Wharton School has grown to 2,320 undergraduate students and has developed graduate and executive education programs. Many surveys have ranked Wharton as one of the best undergraduate business schools in the country.

Franklin's Tradition

When Benjamin Franklin established the University of Pennsylvania, he intended to provide students with a "practical education."

According to Vice Dean of the Wharton Undergraduate Division Barbara Kahn, the Wharton undergraduate division epitomizes Franklin's idea of applied knowledge by providing "students with the practical underpinnings for a business career."

The Wharton curriculum provides practical education by requiring students to take courses in the core areas of business, finance, accounting, operations, marketing and management as well as classes about the basics of statistics, math and economics.

Kahn said that this curriculum "marries both practical applied problems and frameworks with theory," meaning that Wharton students "not only learn practical tools, but they also learn how to think, learn to formulate problems and learn the basic concepts that a successful leader should have in the 21st century."

Best of Both Worlds

Wharton's curriculum is designed to give students "the best of both worlds: an undergraduate business education with a strong liberal arts background" Wharton Dean Patrick Harker said.

Consequently, students in Wharton are required to take 16 courses in the liberal arts in addition to 23 courses focused on business.

According to Wharton senior Nikki Caprio, the Wharton schedule allows enough flexibility make a liberal arts education possible.

"If you don't get the liberal arts education, it's because you don't want it," Caprio said.

Wharton freshman Keith Timko agreed.

"Once you get done with the core business requirements, you have free time to gauge other interests," Timko said.

Advantages

According to various University officials, a specified direct enrollment program -- under which high school students apply directly to a division of a university -- such as Wharton's is important for a grounded business education.

"There is a lot to learn," Harker said. "There are a lot of courses you need to take to get a business education."

For students who know they are interested in business, the program offers a more focused education.

"What's the point of taking classes on topics you're not interested in?" Wharton and Engineering senior Dai Yu said, adding that "You're not going to do well anyway."

Also, when applying for jobs in business, a specified program such as Wharton's can be advantageous.

"I couldn't imagine going through these business interviews not being from Wharton," Caprio said. "It definitely gives you an edge over other applicants," she added.

Wharton graduates also benefit from the name of the school when applying for jobs and internships.

"We are the number one undergraduate business school," Timko said. "It looks good to say that you graduated from here."

Associate Director of Career Services Barbara Hewitt said that the Wharton name helps students interested specifically in business.

"The business community is familiar with Wharton because Wharton is associated with a great business education, whereas Penn is associated with great education in general."

There are also several advantages that the Wharton undergraduate program provides to the Wharton School as a whole.

"There is a lot of integration," Kahn said of the graduate and undergraduate programs at Wharton, adding that the move to Huntsman Hall in 2002 helped Wharton merge the two programs into one school by providing a central building.

This integration adds to the experience of both MBA students and undergraduate students.

"The undergraduate program adds dimensions to the MBA program, which tends to be a straight focus on business, whereas undergraduates tend to have a broader perspective on education," Kahn said.

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