Applied to through a school
Penn says you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Urban Studies sits in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Undergraduate · Penn College of Arts and Sciences
Penn Urban Studies: people and place, with a course set built with an advisor
Penn says applicants apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Urban Studies is a B.A. major in the College of Arts and Sciences that the catalogue calls flexible: students confer with an advisor to tailor courses, and must meet an advisor before they are accepted to the major. This guide sets out what the catalogue says.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn Urban Studies
Taken from Penn's University Catalog entry for Urban Studies, 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 flexible major
Students tailor a set of courses with an advisor.
Advisor meeting before acceptance
The catalogue says students must meet an Urban Studies advisor before they will be accepted to the major.
At least 34 course units
The catalogue lists a minimum of 34.
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: Urban Studies, BAcatalog.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Penn's University Catalog entry for Urban Studies, 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 says Urban Studies students want to make a difference and connect to real-world issues, learning urban history and current challenges and how national policy and global trends affect neighbourhoods. The central frame is understanding people and place at different spatial scales. The major is flexible, requires conferring with an advisor, and has a minimum of 34 course units. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right route?
Urban Studies beside other College and Wharton routes
Penn describes these as separate schools and programmes, so the choice is made at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Urban Studies fits if
you want cities, policy and place studied across disciplines, with a self-tailored course set.
Mathematical Economics fits if
you want economic theory. Avandy's Penn Mathematical Economics guide covers it.
Wharton fits if
you want business and real estate in a business-school degree. Avandy's Penn Wharton first-year guide covers it.
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. Urban Studies 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 to shape your own course set with an advisor?
The major is flexible.
Are you comfortable with an advisor meeting before acceptance?
It is required.
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 Urban Studies?
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 the major open on arrival?
The catalogue says students must meet an Urban Studies advisor before they will be accepted to the major.
How many units?
The catalogue says a minimum of 34.
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 Urban Studies
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their essay-writing and social-science subjects, their interest in cities and policy 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.