Student Life
Demographics
With its green lawns and landmark architecture, our beautiful West Philadelphia campus houses all the University of Pennsylvania's activities, from student life, athletics, and academics to research, scholarship, and cultural life. All of Penn's 12 schools are located within walking distance of one another. This geographical unity, unique among Ivy League schools, supports and fosters Penn's interdisciplinary approach to education, scholarship, and research.
Penn is home to a diverse undergraduate student body of nearly 10,000, hailing from every state in the union and all around the globe. Another 10,000 students are enrolled in Penn's 12 graduate and professional schools. The Wharton School is consistently one of the nation's top three business schools. The School of Nursing is one of the two best in the U.S. The School of Arts and Sciences which houses the Organizational Dynamics program, the Graduate School of Education, the Law School, and the School of Medicine all rank among the top 10 schools in their fields, and have long-established international reputations of the highest order.
MSOD students are admitted and graduate on a rolling basis (fall, spring and summer). Formal graduation is held as part of the University Commencement in May. Approximately 75 students are admitted each year.
Of our approximately 400 students, more than 75% range in age from 30 to 50 years. They are fairly evenly divided between men and women. Almost 20% have at least one graduate degree in a discipline including business, law, medicine, social sciences, religious studies, and healthcare. Approximately 75% are employed as a director, manager, vice president or above. They work in large corporations, health care institutions, small entrepreneurial companies, international business, government, education, are self-employed, and everything in-between. They have jobs in human resources, information systems, nursing, sales, finance, management, communications, security, the military, law, research and development, science, engineering and more. Their undergraduate educational backgrounds are in technical areas, clinical healthcare, business, the social and physical sciences, and the liberal arts.
Some students complete their studies in two years often because they are on leave from their jobs or assigned to an office in the Philadelphia area for a defined period. Most students live locally; others travel from New York, Washington, DC, or further once or twice each week to attend classes. More than 98% are employed full-time, and more than 95% attend classes on a part-time basis.
The Penn Experience
For adults, graduate education is generally the third component of life, following family and work obligations. Aware of the high demands on the time, energy, and resources of our students, Organizational Dynamics has created the "Penn Experience." Upon entering the Program, students receive formal, on-campus orientation. Throughout their studies, before each class, students and faculty gather for a meal at the Inn at Penn Hotel, located on Walnut Street in the center of the campus - a valuable interlude between the office and the classroom. Our goal is to make the Penn Experience as inclusive and wide-ranging as possible, and we therefore provide a number of events, resources, and encounters to ensure that the time our students spend at Penn is of the highest quality. Click here for more information about the Penn Experience.
International Students
Although most Organizational Dynamics students are part-time and hail from the U.S., a growing number of students from abroad are joining our community. International students have formed a special-interest group called ODISC, the Organizational Dynamics International/Full-Time Student Community. ODISC is dedicated to assisting all international and full-time students, offering career-enhancing activities, promoting multicultural diversity, and serving as ambassadors for the OD degree programs, both here and abroad.
To meet our diverse international community of Organizational Dynamics students, click here.
In addition, Organizational Dynamics has enjoyed a long-established educational partnership with the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education-Economic Institute (CERGE-EI), a cooperative program from the Charles University and the Academy of Sciences, in Prague, Czech Republic. Doctoral candidates from this program attend classes and study in Organizational Dynamics during the fall and spring semesters. A description about the Visiting Doctoral Scholars from CERGE-EI is available here.
Many US citizens in Organizational Dynamics work for global organizations that assign them to cities and countries abroad. International students, therefore, are important to our Program's heterogeneity, and make significant contributions to the educational experience of all participants.
Education Requirements
International applicants must have a college-level education equivalent to a four-year United States baccalaureate degree. There are a number of universities around the world that offer three-year undergraduate programs which may also be acceptable. If you received a bachelor's degree from one of these undergraduate programs, you are eligible to apply. Many candidates also have a master's, doctorate, or professional degree, but these are not required.
When applying, list all post-secondary educational institutions you have attended, including technical and professional schools. Use the full, actual names of the institutions attended, and provide the titles of all diplomas or degrees earned.
All academic records from educational institutions must be official and submitted directly to Organizational Dynamics by the institution. Official records are defined as original documents issued by the institution and bearing the actual (not photocopied) signature of the registrar and the institutional seal. Records issued only once by institutions should be photocopied and certified as official copies either by school officials or legal authorities such as embassies or notaries public. Please do not send the original of an academic record that cannot be replaced.
If you have attended more than one institution, submit official records from each institution, with the exception of study-abroad programs. If academic records and diplomas are not issued in English by the institution, both the official record and an authorized English translation must be submitted.
All translations should be complete and literal renditions of the original record. Records should show the date of enrollment, courses taken, units of credit or time allotted to each subject during each term or year, your marks or ratings in each subject, and, if available, your rank in the total class or group.
The institutional grading scale or other standards of evaluation, including minimum passing and failing marks and definition of grades between them, should appear on official records or be provided as an attachment.
English Language Requirements
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all international applicants whose native language is not English. If your test score is more than two years old from the date of the exam to the date of application arrival, you must retake the test. Only official TOEFL scores sent by ETS are accepted. We expect:
- Internet-based test score of at least 80
- Computer-based test score of at least 220
- Paper-based test score of at least 600
You may waive the TOEFL if you have earned an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree in an English-speaking country or from an institution in which English is the language of instruction. You must provide evidence to support the waiver.
The University of Pennsylvania English Language Program (ELP) offers daytime and evening courses in conversation skills, writing, grammar, and TOEFL preparation year round and at all levels. For information, contact:
- English Language Program (ELP)
- 21 Bennett Hall
- Tel: 215-898-8681
- Web: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/elp
Application Fee
International students must pay their application fee in US funds. This can be done by sending an international postal money order or by using a credit card. American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa are accepted.
University of Pennsylvania Office of International Programs (OIP)
Upon application for admission, your name will be forwarded to the University's Office of International Programs in order that they can provide you with other information relevant to foreign students. We recommend that you discuss with the OIP expectations and information about housing and residency while a graduate student, pre-arrival information, international graduate student groups, and other issues appropriate to international students at Penn.
Immigration Forms and Student Visas
The Office of the Graduate Division of the School of Arts and Sciences will provide immigration forms for the necessary visas after you have received your letter of admission from Organizational Dynamics. If you have been admitted but do not receive these forms, contact the Organizational Dynamics office.
Information about immigration forms and visas is available here:
http://www.upenn.edu/oip/iss/visa/index.html
Financial Information for International Students
International students must be full-time graduate students and must take at least 3 courses in the fall and 3 courses in the spring semester. Some take 4 courses, but it is not required.
Tuition for full-time students is described here
Here are links to additional information about financial aid, loans, and grants:
http://medley.isc-seo.upenn.edu/penn_portal/article.php/CampusLife/38/1
http://www.gsc.upenn.edu/resguide/fin.htm
Resources for International Applicants
A helpful site to visit during your application process is EducationUSA. This website provides information and a list of advising centers in your country that can help you begin your graduate studies in the United States.
The University of Pennsylvania has many international Cultural and Support Organizations (http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/osl/cultural.html) that can provide information to applicants and members of the Organziational Dynamics community.
Program Benefits for Participants
Here are some of the benefits of the Penn MSOD degree reported by our students and graduates:
- Advancing careers and professional aspirations
- Adding an intellectual and academic dimension to busy work and family driven lives
- Allowing an exchange of ideas in a collegial, confidential environment
- Providing an individualized academic and professional forum
- Bringing them into a distinguished university community
- Providing new ideas that can be put to immediate use
- Helping them to help their co-workers by sharing new information and ideas
- Giving them an opportunity to reflect on their own organization
- Supporting their desire for significant personal and professional achievement
3401 Walnut Street
Suite 328A
Philadelphia, PA 19104
T: 215-898-6967
F: 215-898-8934
SAS: School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania