Applied to through a school
Penn says you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Health and Societies sits in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Undergraduate · Penn College of Arts and Sciences
Penn Health and Societies: three social-science cores and a research capstone
Penn does not admit applicants to Health and Societies. They apply to the College of Arts and Sciences and declare a major within it. The University Catalog describes a social-science major built on anthropology, history and sociology, with a concentration and a research capstone. This guide reads the catalogue's Public Health plan of study as its worked example, and the catalogue lists further concentrations that this guide did not read.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn Health and Societies
Taken from Penn's University Catalog entry for Health and Societies, BA: Public Health and Penn Admissions' Four Schools, Specialized Degree Programs, International Applicants and Testing pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Penn's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Three core disciplines
The catalogue names anthropology, history and sociology as the foundation.
34 course units
The plan of study gives 34 as the minimum total for graduation in the major.
A research capstone
The plan includes one 4000-level HSOC or STSC research seminar.
The SAT or ACT is required
Penn says applicants must submit scores for the SAT or ACT, with a waiver for hardship.
Official sources
- Penn Admissions: The Four Schoolsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn University Catalog: Health and Societies, BA: Public Healthcatalog.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on Penn's University Catalog entry for Health and Societies, BA: Public Health and Penn Admissions' Four Schools, Specialized Degree Programs, International Applicants and Testing pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The department's own pages, the course descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The programme
What the catalogue says the Health and Societies major is
The catalogue says the major examines health and medicine in social context and prepares students for careers in public health, health services and other arenas. It draws on anthropology, history and sociology, supplemented by epidemiology, political science, law, bioethics and other fields. The Public Health plan of study read for this guide has a foundation course, a quantitative methods course, a core-discipline requirement, three HSOC or STSC electives, a concentration of one core and five electives, and the research capstone. The requirements are described as a guide for students entering in fall 2026 and later.
Is it the right route?
Health and Societies beside Neuroscience and Urban Studies
Penn describes these as separate schools and programmes, so the choice is made at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Health and Societies fits if
you want health studied through social-science methods rather than laboratory science.
Neuroscience fits if
you want the brain studied through biology and experiment. Avandy's Penn Neuroscience guide covers it.
Urban Studies fits if
you want cities and policy as the frame. Avandy's Penn Urban Studies guide covers it.
Admission and testing
The College of Arts and Sciences, an SAT or ACT and predicted grades
Penn requires applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, with a waiver for hardship. It has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements, and it asks schools to provide predicted scores if final exams are not yet available. Health and Societies is not a separate application: the application is to the College of Arts and Sciences. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Penn's.
Do you prefer social-science methods to laboratory work?
The catalogue lists sociological research methods or health of populations as quantitative methods.
Which concentration would you pursue?
This guide read only the Public Health plan of study; the catalogue lists others.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB?
Penn says applicants must submit scores for either test, with a hardship waiver.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Penn's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Penn's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The curriculum on the Penn catalogue page read on 1 November 2026, which describes itself as a guide for students entering in Fall 2026 and later
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Penn has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any updated curriculum for the 2028 cohort: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Penn for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the catalogue entry and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with the University of Pennsylvania. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Penn Health and Societies?
You apply to the College of Arts and Sciences, one of four undergraduate schools. Penn says you do not technically apply to Penn itself.
Is there a research requirement?
Yes. The plan of study read includes a capstone research requirement of one 4000-level HSOC or STSC research seminar.
Are the catalogue requirements confirmed for 2028 entry?
No. The catalogue describes them as a guide for students entering in fall 2026 and later.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Penn says applicants must submit scores for the SAT or ACT, with a waiver for hardship.
Does Penn name specific A levels or IB subjects?
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements for admittance.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Penn's wording with no entry-year label. Check Penn's pages again when Penn publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Penn Health and Societies
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which concentration appeals, how they would meet the research capstone and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.