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.
Debt a looming concern for graduate as well as undergraduate students
Graduate students who take out loans at Penn shoulder a much larger average debt than undergraduates.
Penn's new Design Dean talks architecture and Texas gun laws
Frederick Steiner made headlines recently for announcing that Texas' campus carry laws contributed to his decision to leave the school.
Paul Farmer calls on universities to support global health
Physician and anthropologist Paul Farmer called on American research universities to do more to support global health equity on Wednesday.
Environmental science gen ed revamped as ENVS 100
The course, popular among non-majors for counting for two Gen Ed requirements, is becoming more distinct from other earth science courses and more aimed at introducing the field of environmental science.
Professors crack down on laptop use in classes
Laptops can be distracting, and increasingly, many professors have begun to introduce laptop policies that determine when laptops can be used or whether they can be used at all.
Pre-med and engineering is a rigorous and rare path, difficult to sustain
The high GPA required for a competitive medical school application can also serve as a source of stress, exacerbated by the difficulty of many required engineering courses.
Penn professor sheds light on influential women in the Yiddish tradition
She hopes to bring more chutzpah to the study of women Yiddish writers.
Students spend spring break in Paris with Penn seminar
While many students use their vacation time to relax and take a break from classes, a small group of Penn students spent their most recent spring break in the Ville Lumiere continuing their education.
Penn professors use machine-based process to predict domestic violence reoffenses
Social policy professor Susan B. Sorenson and criminology and statistics professor Richard Berk found that the use of machine-learning forecasts at domestic violence arraignments could substantially reduce repeat domestic violence arrests.
From psychology to opera, professor Scott Barry Kaufman is thinking creatively
Kaufman recently released a book called "Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind."
Making the adjustment to college after a gap year
Students who take time off between high school and college are less likely to graduate on time, according to a recent Drexel study.
Penn Global launches fall seminars on Galapagos, monastic life
Next semester, Penn Global is providing the opportunity to live as a monk for a semester.
Phila. educators plead guilty to charges for cheating on standardized tests
Cayuga Elementary principal Evelyn Cortez and Cayuga teacher Jennifer Hughes were the first to be convicted in the test-cheating scandal that rocked Philadelphia and led to the arrest of eight educators.
School of Arts and Sciences works to tie together technology and the humanities
The recent establishment of the Price Lab has contributed substantially to the progress made in the field of digital humanities.
Five Penn seniors win the Thouron award and a free ride to a UK graduate school
The five Penn seniors who just won the Thouron award have spent their undergraduate careers studying very different subjects, but now, all have found a path to graduate school in the UK.
Language classes teach culture, but faculty say cross cultural analysis requirement is still necessary
Associate Dean of the College and Director of Academic Affairs Kent Peterman said that this decision was made in a vote by the faculty in discussions regarding the College curriculum.
When you need a change of scene: how to get credit for classes outside of Penn
Penn just released its register of hundreds of courses it will offer in the fall — but less advertised is the opportunity students have to take classes somewhere else.
First high schoolers will take new SAT on Saturday
This Saturday, high school juniors around the country will rise early to tackle the SAT. But for the first time since 2005, it's a different test.
Medical study shows financial loss is most effective for incentivizing fitness
People struggling to keep up with overly ambitious New Years’ resolutions may have found a solution: behavioral economics.