Admissions Information for Penn Undergraduates

Submatriculation programs are an exclusive offer for full-time juniors or seniors at the University of Pennsylvania to explore graduate education and apply up to four courses to both degrees, at no additional cost. Through submatriculation, you can begin your master's program as an undergraduate, saving time and money — and you won't have to take the GRE.

Penn undergraduates can apply to enroll in up to four courses from any of the programs listed below. 

• Education, Culture, and Society
• Education Policy*
• Higher Education
• Intercultural Communication
• Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development
• International Educational Development*
• Learning Sciences and Technologies
• Reading/Writing/Literacy
• Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
• Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program**

*Students are permitted to take up to three graduate courses in these programs.

**Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College undergraduates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may apply to the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship Program and take up to two graduate courses towards this degree. 

To discuss requirements and eligibility for your school, contact the representative for your school listed below:

Dr. Alice Lesnick – Director/Term Professor
Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Program

Dr. Diane Anderson - Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Educational Studies Swarthmore College

How to Apply

There is a two-step application process to submatriculate into one of GSE’s graduate degree programs.  GRE scores are not required for consideration to these programs.

STEP 1: Complete this step to apply to enter the submatriculation program as a junior or senior.

1. Complete the online Submatriculation Application.  You will be asked to upload your resume, a personal statement of no more than 750 words, and your unofficial Penn transcripts to this application.
2. Please submit two letters of recommendation via email to: submatriculation@gse.upenn.edu.  At least one of these letters should come from an academic source.  Letters should be sent directly from the writers’ email addresses.  

STEP 2: To be completed in your final undergraduate semester.  This step will change your status to a graduate student for the following semester.

1. Apply online to officially become a graduate student at Penn GSE.  Make sure that when you select the appropriate GSE program, you choose the program option that is followed by the word “Submatriculant”.  For example, students who are taking classes in the Education Policy program should select the ‘Education Policy, MSEd, Submatriculant’ option.  The only credential you will need to submit with this application is your unofficial transcript.

For students from Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College:

STEP 1: Complete this step to apply to enter the Urban Teaching Apprenticeship (UTAP) submatriculation program as a junior or senior.

1. Apply online and be sure to select the ‘General Admission – Graduate School of Education’ program option.  You will be asked to upload your resume, a personal statement of no more than 750 words, and your unofficial transcripts to this application.
2. Please submit two letters of recommendation via email to: admissions@gse.upenn.edu.  At least one of these letters should come from an academic source.  Letters should be sent directly from the writers’ email addresses. 

STEP 2: To be completed in your final undergraduate semester.  Follow the same instructions as provided above for Current Penn Undergraduates.

 Students from either Penn or the Quaker Consortium who have already obtained their bachelor's degrees are not eligible for this submatriculation program but can apply for graduate study through our traditional application process.