Applied to through a school
Penn says you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Neuroscience sits in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Undergraduate · Penn College of Arts and Sciences
Penn Neuroscience: behaviour and its biological basis, in the College
Penn says applicants apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Neuroscience, formerly Biological Basis of Behavior, is a B.A. major in the College of Arts and Sciences, so it is a different route from Penn's Bioengineering B.S.E. in Penn Engineering. This guide sets out the 36-unit degree the catalogue describes.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn Neuroscience
Taken from Penn's University Catalog entry for Neuroscience, BA and Penn Admissions' Four Schools, Specialized Degree Programs, International Applicants and Testing pages, read on 1 November 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.
A College B.A.
The catalogue lists Neuroscience as a Bachelor of Arts programme in the School of Arts and Sciences.
At least 36 course units
With basic science requirements in biology, chemistry and psychology.
Research is encouraged
Students are encouraged to take an independent research course.
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: Neuroscience, BAcatalog.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Penn's University Catalog entry for Neuroscience, BA 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 programme is
Penn's catalogue describes an interdisciplinary programme in which students explore the relationship between behaviour, human and animal, and its organic bases, with courses from cellular neurobiology to cognitive neuropsychology integrated with basic science requirements in biology, chemistry and psychology, and supervised research in areas from molecular neurobiology to visual neuroscience. The major requires a minimum of 36 course units, and students are encouraged to take independent research. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right route?
Neuroscience in the College beside Bioengineering
Penn describes these as separate schools and programmes, so the choice is made at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Neuroscience fits if
you want the biological basis of behaviour in a liberal arts degree.
Bioengineering fits if
you want an engineering route into medicine. Avandy's Penn Bioengineering guide covers it.
Another College science fits if
your interest is another discipline. Avandy's Penn College of Arts and Sciences guide covers the school.
Admission and testing
The College, 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. Neuroscience 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 want a College B.A. or an engineering B.S.E.?
The school choice is made at application.
Are biology, chemistry and psychology comfortable together?
The programme integrates them.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Penn requires one of them from applicants.
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 Neuroscience?
You apply to the College of Arts and Sciences, one of four undergraduate schools. Penn says you do not technically apply to Penn itself.
Was Neuroscience called something else?
The catalogue says it was formerly Biological Basis of Behavior.
How many units?
The catalogue says a minimum of 36.
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 Neuroscience
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their biology, chemistry and psychology, their interest in research 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.