To satisfy the Sector Requirement, students must take a different course in each of the sectors, for a total of seven courses. Courses that fulfill the Sector Requirements can be found in Path@Penn.   

Registration Tips

Descriptions of Individual Sectors

Policies Common to All Sectors

• Double Counting and Auto-Completion between Sectors and Majors 

• Advanced Placement and the Sector Requirement

  • The Sector Requirement may not be satisfied with advanced placement credit (including A-Levels, IB and other similar credit based on external examination). In addition, credit awarded by departmental exam can not be used to fulfill the Sector Requirement.
    • Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Sector Requirement only when departments award credit using the number of a Penn course approved for the Sector Requirement.

• Courses Fulfilling the Sector Requirement

  • Courses that fulfill the Sector Requirements can be found in Path@Penn.  See Registration Tips.
  • Students in the classes of 2024 and earlier may take any course in the Natural Science Across Disciplines list in order to fulfill sector VII,  or they may do so with a second Living or Physical World course. Students from the Class of 2025 and later must take one course from the Natural Science Across the Disciplines sector list.
  • In addition to the courses listed in the various sectors, students may use designated first-year seminars and Benjamin Franklin seminars to fulfill the various sector requirements.
  • Non-Arts & Sciences courses used to fulfill the Sector Requirement are counted as Arts & Sciences courses in calculating total credits needed for graduation.

• Grade Types Fulfilling the Sector Requirement

  • Courses taken to fulfill the Sector Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. Any passing grade, from A+ through D, is acceptable in order for a course to fulfill the Sector Requirement.