classroom

View: Why a curriculum?

With over 2,000 courses from which to choose, more than 50 majors and a wide array of additional academic options, students could easily be overwhelmed by the range of available choices.

The College's curriculum draws the student toward two distinctive goals: toward general education across the wide range of the arts and sciences and toward specialized education in a major. A commitment to holding these two together-general and specialized education-has been the genius of American higher education since the early part of the last century. The College continues to believe that these two elements constitute an education best suited to enabling intelligent people to live fulfilling and productive lives in the 21st century.

 

The College Curriculum

The College of Arts and Sciences has instituted a new curriculum for the Class of 2010 and later. Students in the Class of 2009 and earlier will follow the curriculum in effect in their first year at Penn. Throughout the site, grey boxes and text backgrounds are used to indicate information appropriate ONLY to members of the Class of 2009 and earlier.

 

College Class of 2010 and Later

The options, regulations and requirements for this curriculum are followed by:

  • • Students who entered the College of Arts and Sciences with the Class of 2010 and later.
  • • Students who transfer into the College of Arts and Sciences (from other Penn schools or from other institutions) and who were designated Class of 2010 or later when they transfered.

NOTE: Students admitted with the Class of 2010 and later follow this curriculum regardless of their eventual date of graduation.

College Class of 2009 and Earlier

The options, regulations and requirements for this curriculum have not changed and continue to be followed by:

  • • Students who entered the College of Arts and Sciences with the Class of 2009 and earlier. These students follow the curriculum that was in place when they matriculated.
  • • Students who transfered into the College of Arts and Sciences (from other Penn schools or from other institutions) and who were designated Class of 2009 or earlier when they transfered.

NOTE: Students in these classes who have taken a leave of absence or who for other reasons will graduate after 2009 continue to follow this curriculum regardless of their eventual date of graduation.

The Pilot Curriculum

Students in the Pilot Curriculum continue to follow the rules and regulations of the Pilot Curriculum.