Choosing Courses

directory of SAS faculty

Courses in the College of Arts and Sciences are designed to teach the intellectual and practical skills of analysis, communication, quantitative and information literacy, and problem solving. Students complete increasingly complex projects and develop more nuanced questions. Special courses for developing writing skills and engaging in community service are found throughout the curriculum.

A listing of courses is published in advance of each semester which gives a window into the new topics of inquiry and methodologies being developed across the university. College advisors support students in selecting the courses that will make up their unique academic experience.

• Academically Based Community Service Courses combine classroom studies with community involvement.
• Benjamin Franklin Seminars are small, intensive classes where students and faculty jointly pursue deeper discoveries through discussion and investigation.
• First-Year Seminars are an excellent opportunity for first-year students to participate in small, discussion-based seminars while fulfilling a curricular requirement.
• Graduate Courses are numbered 5000 and higher and are primarily intended for graduate students but may be available to advanced undergraduates.
• LPS Courses are offered by the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, a division of the School of Arts and Sciences, that provides programs geared toward adult, professional and part-time students.
• Non-College Courses are offered by Penn schools other than the College.
• Object-Based Learning Courses provide students with exceptional access to rare book and museum artifacts.
• Paideia-Designated Courses focus on civic engagement and provide a framework for students to develop as effective citizens and leaders.
• Public Speaking Courses provide speaking opportunities and coaching as part of the course structure.
• Sustainability Courses are offerings related to environmental sustainability compiled by the Penn Sustainability Office.
• Writing Seminars are writing-intensive courses taken to improve writing skills early in a student's career. These seminars fulfill the College Writing Requirement.