Information for Non-Organizational Dynamics Penn Graduate Students

The Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics Degree Program welcomes adult, working professional students from other Penn graduate departments and programs into our community. If you are an adult student who feels that interacting with Organizational Dynamics would add to your personal or professional development, we encourage you to consider and register for our classes. Please read all the information below before attempting to register for classes.

Organizational Dynamics Program Overview

The Penn Organizational Dynamics graduate studies program offers full graduate courses (1 CU each) in the Graduate Division, School of Arts and Sciences. Our curriculum is drawn from the arts and humanities, social sciences, and professional organizational disciplines. Our teaching faculty is drawn from across the Penn Schools and from the workplace. We offer this broad perspective because we believe a trans-disciplinary, person-oriented approach to the modern enterprise is critical for superior leaders and managers operating in the private, corporate, public, government, and non-profit sectors.

Our more than 400 Master of Science and Master of Philosophy students - older and more experienced than most others at Penn - are mid-career working professionals (their average age is 40 years), commonly having at least 10 years of management experience and playing significant organizational roles. Many have earned one or more graduate or professional degrees prior to entering our program.

Our courses are held Monday through Friday in the late afternoon or evening, and on weekends. Note that there are some important differences in how non-Organizational Dynamics Students must request our courses and acquire course materials. Please read all the information below before registering for classes.

To review and register for our courses, follow these steps.

STEP 1: Review Organizational Dynamics course offerings.

Review the course list for the appropriate semester, noting especially the days, times, and course descriptions so that you are clear about our faculty, curriculum, readings, class meetings, and course obligations.

STEP 2: Review the tuition and fees associated with Organizational Dynamics courses.

All courses within Organizational Dynamics are valued at 1 CU unless otherwise noted. All courses within Organizational Dynamics include a Program Fee in addition to tuition. Questions about the Program Fee can be directed to the Organizational Dynamics Program Office (215-898-6967). This extra Program Fee covers:

• course text books, printed materials, and other academic readings, all of which are provided to the student by the Program Office;
• meals with other Organizational Dynamics students, faculty, and visitors, served at the Penn University Club Hourglass Dining Room before class (Note: As 90% of Organizational Dynamics students are full-time working professionals, students often meet for project work during the pre-class meal);
• dinner and lunch Guest Speaker series;
• other activities associated with the educational support of our adult community.

Drop Fees: Since Organizational Dynamics packages and delivers all books and materials to students, if a student registers for one of our courses then drops it after the deadline date, a drop fee is charged. A complete explanation of drop fees can be found in the Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section of the Organizational Dynamics Student Guide.

STEP 3: Secure your School/Department's approval.

Once you have selected the course(s) in which you are interested, you must have the course(s) approved by your own school or department before you register. This is a very important part of the process, as not every DYNM course will be applicable to your present course of study.

STEP 4: Submit online course permit request.

STEP 5: Register in home department.

Contact your home department and register IN THAT DEPARTMENT. Your registration is NOT official until you have done this.

STEP 6: Familiarize yourself with our pre-class schedule.

Adults commonly manage their graduate education as a third component of life, following family and work obligations. To lessen the already high demands on our students' time, energy and resources, a buffet meal is provided just prior to each class at the Hourglass Dining Room at the Inn at Penn, located on Walnut Street between 36th and 37th Streets. In addition to sharing dinner (or breakfast or lunch, in the case of weekend classes), participants use this time to decompress after work and to talk with other students and faculty before walking to their nearby classrooms. The pre-class meal hour is often used, also, as meeting/study time by students who have been assigned a group project for class or who wish to meet with the course instructor to discuss something of particular interest.

In addition to the pre-class meal, all required books and other course materials are provided by the Program Office. For evening classes, distribution is usually at the Inn at Penn just before the first class meeting. (For weekend classes, materials may be available at the Inn or delivered to the classroom. Students will be informed of the procedure by email.) Students also receive book bags, shirts, and other promotional materials that brand them as members of the Organizational Dynamics community at Penn.

As you consider taking a course from Organizational Dynamics, please also note:

• Our Program Office is conveniently located at 3401 Walnut St., Suite 328A in the same building as Starbucks.
• Most of our classes are held in Bennett Hall also at 34th and Walnut Street, and diagonally across from our building
• Course enrollment may, in some cases, require the permission of the Organizational Dynamics faculty member; students should also consult with their departmental advisors.
• Organizational Dynamics offers part-time studies and summer session classes.
• Organizational Dynamics offers a Master of Science and a Master of Philosophy degree, both focusing on applied scholarship from the arts and humanities, social sciences, and professional organizational disciplines.

Dropping Courses

If you should find it necessary to drop a course, you CANNOT drop via the University's online registration system. You must notify both your home school/department AND the Organizational Dynamics Program Office. Please contact Elaine Calabrese at 215-898-8747, if you must drop a course. Also, Students who drop classes generally incur a fee. A complete fee schedule can be found on page 29 of the Student Guide.

Questions?

Call the Program Office at 215-898-6967, or email us at dynamics@sas.upenn.edu, if you have questions or need assistance.

3401 Walnut Street
Suite 328A
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Campus Map • MapQuest

T: 215-898-6967
F: 215-898-8934

dynamics@sas.upenn.edu