Community

The Graduate Division and Penn provide resources and support for our diverse community of students. We recognize that students come to graduate school with different backgrounds, experiences, identities, and needs, and thus will need different types of support. We aim to support all students in their academic journeys.

Penn Policies

The University has established expectations for members of the University community to support the University's commitment to excellence.

Office of Academic Excellence and Engagement

The SAS Office of Academic Excellence and Engagement provides resources and opportunities that foster intellectual growth and encourage meaningful connection within our Penn academic community and beyond. It supports all students, faculty, staff, postdocs, and alumni in the School of Arts & Sciences.

Weingarten Learning Resources Center

The University of Pennsylvania welcomes students with disabilities and is committed to providing the same exceptional opportunities to all Penn students. Policies and procedures have been developed to provide students with as much independence as possible and to promote self-advocacy.

Penn Global

Penn Global is a resource for international students and can provide assistance on matters relating to visas, enrollment, travel, and more.

We engage in active recruitment of students from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds because we recognize that all fields of the arts and sciences are stronger and more innovative when they include people who bring different life experiences.

Leadership Alliance Mellon Initiative

The Leadership Alliance, founded at Brown University in 1992 as a partnership of 23 institutions, came together to develop underrepresented students into outstanding leaders and role models in academia, business and the public sector.

McNair Scholars

The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO program funded at 151 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. McNair participants are either first-generation college students with financial need, or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society.

Mathematics Bridge to PhD

The Bridge fellowships, which provide an additional year of support in the Mathematics doctoral program, are designed to attract students from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences and/or those who have had fewer opportunities to engage in advanced math instruction. By expanding the pool of talented individuals able to pursue mathematical training, the Bridge fellowships also work to broaden the parameters of the field. Recipients will be selected from students that we admit to our PhD program, and they will receive an extra year of funding to complete the degree so that they have extra time for training. During their first year in the PhD program, fellowship recipients will have an opportunity to take preliminary coursework as needed and they will be closely mentored to ensure they adjust to life as a PhD student at Penn. 

Before being admitted to our PhD program, fellowship candidates may be asked to participate in an online assessment to help us determine what preliminary coursework, if any, is needed. We may also request to discuss a candidate's application with them over Zoom. If you are interested in being considered for this fellowship, please indicate this on your application.

The Graduate Division encourages students to apply for fellowship support and will provide guidance whenever possible.

Fontaine Fellowships

The Fontaine Society honors the legacy of former Penn Professor William Fontaine by supporting the academic development of PhD students whose background, research, and experiences demonstrate an interest and capacity to enhance Penn's vibrant and welcoming learning community. The Fontaine Society provides academic support, networking, and a peer-support system for promising doctoral students at Penn from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. The program connects doctoral students with other members of the University across shared interests, goals, and experiences to form a supportive intellectual community at a key point in their academic training. The Society reflects the University’s commitment to recruiting and supporting exceptional doctoral students with the potential to contribute to the richness of their academic programs and chosen fields.