Society's most challenging issues and problems can't be understood through the lens of a single discipline. It takes an understanding of biology, politics and religion to speak with authority about the use of embryonic stem cells in medical research. It's impossible to gauge the effectiveness of anti-terrorism efforts without knowing history, sociology and psychology.
The University of Pennsylvania has long prided itself on the degree to which learning takes place outside of department and school boundaries. Our students are not limited by the traditional barriers placed on undergraduates at similar research universities. If you decide your philosophy major would be enhanced by taking courses in the Law School, or if there is only a graduate level course on a particular topic you are researching, or if you would like hands-on experience by working with artifacts in the University Museum, collecting oral histories in West Philadelphia, or teaching science in a local high school, there is nothing to stop you from doing so at Penn. This is how our approach diverges from some other research universities, and why many students choose Penn.
