Policies Governing All Majors
Applies to both the Class of 2009 and Earlier and the Class of 2010 and Later.
Students are subject to the specific policies and requirements of a given major in effect at the time they declare that major, and they remain so even if the major requirements are subsequently changed. With the approval of department or program, however, one may be permitted to abide by the new requirement structure.
Qualifications for admission to the major
Students must have a g.p.a. of 2.0 in major and major-related courses already taken. Some majors require a higher g.p.a.
Some departments and programs (including Architecture, Communication, Economics and International Relations) require specific coursework or other requirements before application to the major .
Transfer credits
Only the department or program advisors determine which credits transferred from another institution can count toward the major.
At least half the courses in the major must be taken at Penn. Some departments require more.
Grade type
All courses taken for a major must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.
Counting courses
Students pursuing two majors must take at least 18 different courses in fulfillment of Major Requirements.
Students may double count no more than one course toward both the Major and the Sector Requirement. Biochemistry, Biological Basis of Behavior and Biology majors, as well as Geology majors with a concentration in Paleobiology, may double count two courses toward both the Major and the Sector Requirement: one each in the Living World and Physical World sectors. Students who are double majoring may count one course from each major toward the Sector Requirement.
