Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Study full time or part time, when the time is right for you — and earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree at the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) at the University of Pennsylvania.

A world-class bachelor of arts program at times that work for you

You can fulfill the requirements for the BA degree in evening courses during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms, and you will earn the same undergraduate bachelor of arts degree as Penn’s full-time residential students.

You also may take courses in the undergraduate degree program during the day. What matters most is that you can do it on a schedule that works for you as you work towards completing your undergraduate studies!

Learn from the best in our Bachelor of Arts program

Our diverse faculty includes Penn professors, scholars affiliated with University departments, and advanced graduate students.

Choose from courses for BA degrees in most areas of the arts and sciences, including:

The LPS Course Guide [2] (available in March for the following Fall term, in October for Spring term, and in February for Summer Sessions) describes the liberal studies courses for the bachelor of arts program and times they are offered.

BA Degree Majors

We’re flexible in planning programs for students pursuing bachelor of arts degrees, so you can be, too. Choose a major for your bachelor of arts program from more than 50 academic disciplines [3].

The Course Register provides a list of all courses offered each semester in the School of Arts and Sciences and other schools in the University of Pennsylvania.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

The bachelor of arts degree program requires 32 to 36 BA degree course units (CUs), depending upon your choice of major. You'll also complete

• the General Requirement (ten courses from seven different sectors or areas)
• two writing courses
• demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language
• four “free” electives, selected from the entire university curriculum
• the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement (QDAR)
• the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement
• the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement

Transfer Credit

Up to half of your graduation requirements in the bachelor of arts program may be met with work completed at another institution. Learn more about transfer credits for the BA degrees program in our Student Handbook [4].

In general, you may receive transfer credit for academic undergraduate program [5] courses taken courses taken at regionally accredited institutions, passed with a grade of C (2.0) or better, that are similar in focus and classroom hours to courses at Penn. Pass/fail courses are not transferable unless the other school verifies in writing that you earned a grade of C (2.0) or better. Online courses are also not transferable at this time.

Residency Requirement

You must complete at least half of your BA degree course work (16 CUs minimum) at the University of Pennsylvania.