University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

University Resources

Graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania represent more than 50% of the student body. Penn is a supportive community that fosters attention to resources dedicated to academics, wellness, and life and family care.

Life at PennGraduate Student Center

The Graduate Student Center provides services to support graduate and professional students at Penn and in Philadelphia. The Center provides wireless Internet service, free BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug) coffee and tea, and various conference rooms and group study spaces for graduate students. The Family Center at Penn provides support services to graduate students with children.

Penn Women’s Center (PWC)

The Penn Women’s Center offers various support services and events with the goal of promoting the rights of women on campus and beyond. You can find a lot of spaces to study, relax, and host meetings and workshops within the Center. PWC is one of the few centers on campus that provides confidential crisis/options counseling as well as referrals related to a wider range of issues.

Netter Center for Community Partnerships

Community service at Penn aims to solve the complex, comprehensive, and interconnected problems of society in the City of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.  

Academic Support

Whether you've just completed your senior year or you're a senior leader in your organization, you'll be well supported as a student at Penn GSE. Penn provides students with numerous ways to access its exceptional intellectual resources.

Weingarten Learning Resource Center
The Weingarten Learning Resources Center provides free and confidential academic support services and programs for all Penn students. Services include assistance with academic reading, writing, study strategies, and time management. Additionally, Weingarten provides professional services and programs for students who self-identify with disabilities.

Wellness at Penn

The Wellness at Penn initiative is a core priority and necessary driver of student life.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
CAPS is the counseling center for the University of Pennsylvania and offers free and confidential services to all Penn students. CAPS services include drop-in/walk-in hours, 24-hour counseling support, individual or group therapy, personal wellness and career workshops, and referral services.

At Penn GSE, your academic development will be framed by themes that permeate your graduate experience.

 As a community of scholars and practitioners, we unite through different organizations to enact our shared values and responsibilities. We value the uniqueness of people and perspectives, and we celebrate people’s differences, talents, and abilities through international gatherings and cultural celebrations. Ultimately, we are bound together by our community-wide events.

We acknowledge that physical and emotional health are important and affect our ability to engage productively in our work. In addition to several fitness centers on campus, Penn also provides mental health services and campus health programs such as massage therapy, weekly meditations, and healthy food initiatives for a holistic approach to wellness.

• Pottruck Health and Fitness Center
• Counseling & Psychological Services at Penn
• Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention 

At the Graduate Student Center and through GSE Student Government, we invest in and contribute to the future of the university and the profession. We strive for professional excellence by establishing and using our best efforts to achieve high expectations.

We define integrity as acting according to the values, beliefs and principles we hold; it is how we respond if we are faced with a moral dilemma when no one is watching. It is also being aware of actions that constitute violations of the Student Codes of Conduct and understanding the role of the Office of Student Conduct on campus. With the help of our Academic Integrity Guide, we commit to maintaining strong morals by understanding how to collaborate on research and acknowledge our sources responsibly.

To prepare a successful application, we encourage all applicants to allow adequate time to take qualifying exams and request student records, as these components can take several weeks to obtain.

Our faculty review each application — seeking out students who demonstrate the potential for academic and personal success at an Ivy League university. Penn GSE reviews each application holistically, meaning no one component, such as your GPA or GRE scores, will determine our admissions decision. Begin your application today at gse.upenn.edu/admissions. 

PENN GSE ALUMNI ARE RECOGNIZED AS AMONG THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL EDUCATION LEADERS.

Penn GSE Career Paths

After they graduate, Penn GSE alumni put their degrees to work in a wide variety of fields, including K-12 and higher education, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, technology firms, NGOs, and start-ups. They go on to further academic study, start new jobs, develop research, found companies, lead institutions, and reimagine education in Philadelphia, the United States, and around the world.

Learn more here