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.
Penn professor under fire for Michael Brown autopsy poem
For the second time this school year, Penn writing professor Kenneth Goldsmith has made headlines for his eccentric work.
Digital age transforms the landscape of academia
Online content, which is published at a faster rate, can affect the tenure decisions and the amount of information accessible to students.
The myth of Spring Break
For many Penn students, Spring Break is no break at all.
Recruiting the best without merit-based scholarships
Without the option of merit-based scholarships, Penn cannot lure outstanding athletes or writing prodigies with money — but recruited students do find value in community.
Life as a TA is more than grading homework
Recitations don't lead themselves — at the front of the classroom, teaching assistants must balance their responsibilities with their student obligations.
Penn faculty have family trees rooted in politics
For a few Penn professors, politics is not only something to teach — it’s something that runs in the family.
Wharton Cohorts program reduced to two years
Wharton’s Department of Student Life decided cut the cohort program to only include freshman and sophomores.
English Dept. chair responds to New York Times criticism
The English Department has received a flurry of praise in recent weeks, including a No. 2 ranking in the country from College Factual. But New York Times opinion columnist Frank Bruni did not speak fondly of the department in a Feb. 18 op-ed.
Vagelos program cuts Cognitive Science from College options
Any student who had already declared the Cognitive Science major, however, would not be asked to switch.
Printing the future of prosthetics
Five Engineering seniors are changing the life of an 8-year-old boy while revolutionizing the field of 3-D printed prosthetics for their senior project.
Penn profs. banned from Neuroscience Journal after research errors
An internal review committee at Penn reported to the Journal in June that the error was unintentional.
'Friday Night Lights' author to teach class at Penn
After visiting Penn last spring, Buzz Bissinger, a 1976 College graduate and long-time Philadelphian, was inspired. Bissinger will be teaching a non-fiction creative writing course at Penn next semester.
Students react to longer, more comprehensive MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test has been significantly altered for students taking the exam from 2015 onwards. The new version of the exam is longer and will cover more subjects.
Despite undergrad expectations, Wharton grads return for MBAs
Not all Wharton undergraduate alumni come back to campus just for homecoming weekend. Some return for two more years to earn three more letters: MBA.
Vijay Kumar named new dean of Engineering
Vijay Kumar has been named the new dean of The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Black Ph.D.s face disparate treatment in the sciences
Universities like Penn have seen dozens of protests in the aftermath of Ferguson, and student activism continues to call attention to national race relation issues. But some racial issues hit even closer to home at universities, right in the field of academia.
Oscar A. Rudenstam | Why we need both theory and practice in education
The liberal arts system popular in the United States is different in the sense that it gives students the ability to explore, combine and connect subjects in a variety of ways, a freedom which has a value often overlooked.
English department gets a makeover
The English Department is expanding its course offerings to offer a more integrative, hands-on education.
From hashtag to homework, #BlackLivesMatter takes the classroom
Dartmouth College is the first school to turn the social movement into a class this spring.