<p>Can first year Penn students take courses outside of the undergrad school that they are in?
(ie. School of Engineering student takes some first year courses in College of Arts and Sciences)</p>
<p>Is this a unique thing at Penn, or do most ivies offer this interdisciplinary opportunity?</p>
<p>yes, most engineers will take at least one non-mandated elective course in another school during their first year, such as a writing seminar or language</p>
<p>(as a counterexample, math is a college class, not an engineering class, but that doesn’t count since it is a required part of the engineering curriculum)</p>
<p>oh ok. Thanks! But are these interdisciplinary opportunities a common thing amongst ivy league schools? (ie. biomed student taking biological basis of behaviour classes at College of Arts n Sciences) Or do most of them allow interdisciplinary studies…</p>
<p>Penn is a long-time leader in interdisciplinary study, and trumpets and encourages it more than any other Ivy–and probably more than any other school in the country, for that matter. It’s very much a part of its institutional DNA and identity. For example, the Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) faculty recruitment program is a major component of Penn’s ongoing $3.5 billion “Making History” capital campaign:</p>
<p>[Penn</a> Faculty: Connecting Knowledge | Penn : Making History](<a href=“http://www.makinghistory.upenn.edu/priorities/faculty]Penn”>http://www.makinghistory.upenn.edu/priorities/faculty)</p>
<p>And you’ll see the interdisciplinary emphasis all over Penn’s web site. For example:</p>
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</p>
<p>[Penn:</a> About Penn](<a href=“http://www.upenn.edu/about/]Penn:”>http://www.upenn.edu/about/)</p>
<p>Of course, it also helps that Penn is probably the only university in the country that combines such a wide variety of schools and disciplines (School of Arts and Sciences, Wharton School, Engineering School, Law School, Medical School, Veterinary School, Dental School, Nursing School, Graduate School of Education, Annenberg School for Communication, School of Design, School of Social Policy and Practice) and research facilities on one relatively compact campus.</p>
<p>And the university has long taken advantage of its dense variety through its vaunted “One University” policy, which strongly encourages undergrads to take classes in several of Penn’s schools (e.g., the law school opens up many of its classes to undergrads).</p>