Undergraduate Options

Submatriculation       Urban Education Minor 

Submatriculation

Undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for an accelerated program of master's degree study by seeking admission to the Graduate School of Education as submatriculants. Submatriculation may occur in the junior or senior year, but not before. A submatriculant takes graduate education courses for graduate credit while continuing to register in the undergraduate college.

A maximum of two graduate level education courses may be "double-counted" toward requirements for the undergraduate and graduate degrees. In order to count these courses toward the master's degree, a grade of 3.0 (B) or better must be earned. Any additional graduate education courses that the submatriculant applies toward the baccalaureate degree cannot also be applied to the course unit requirement for the master's degree. In unusual cases, graduate education courses that are not counted toward the undergraduate degree may be applied toward the graduate degree with verification from the College that these courses were not used to satisfy the requirements for the undergraduate degree and with approval of the advisor and the GSE Associate Dean.

Only Graduate School of Education courses taken while an undergraduate student is a submatriculant can apply toward a graduate degree regardless of whether they are double- counted. After completing the undergraduate degree, submatriculants must be registered for a minimum of one term as a master's degree candidate at the Graduate School of Education and must take at least five graduate course units while enrolled as a master's degree student. Submatriculation at GSE does not in any way affect the requirements set by the undergraduate college for earning a baccalaureate degree. The submatriculant's program of study must be approved by the undergraduate advisor, the dean of the undergraduate college and the academic advisor at the Graduate School of Education. As long as the submatriculant is paying the full undergraduate tuition, no separate tuition charge will be made for graduate courses.

Urban Education Minor

Three seven-course minors, each with a specific focus, offer exceptional opportunities to bridge learning between the classroom and the community.

Unique features of the program include academically based community service in local schools, exploration of the complex factors affecting urban education, field research in the students' areas of interest, and a hands-on opportunity to investigate careers in education.

Students take courses in education and urban studies, select from among the University's many Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses in West Philadelphia schools, and complete an individualized, integrative capstone project.

The Urban Education Policy, Research, and Practice Concentration is intended for students interested in planning and policy work in urban education (without certification) and students preparing for submatriculation into the elementary or secondary master's program at GSE.

The Secondary Education Concentration is for students preparing to be secondary teachers of English, social studies, science, math or foreign language and students interested in the teaching and learning of adolescents--this program can lead to certification with an additional course, which includes full time student teaching, typically taken in a 9th semester.

The Elementary Education Concentration is for students preparing to be elementary school teachers and students interested in the teaching and learning of elementary-aged children--this program can lead to certification with an additional course, which includes full time student teaching, typically taken in a 9th semester.

For details, click here.

For more information contact: NancyLee Bergey<email to nancylee@gse.upenn.edu> or 215-573-4026.