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Student Perspective

David Saperstein
David Saperstein, WG'07

“For me, the faculty's expertise has been central to the Wharton experience. The professors here are truly experts, covering an incredible breadth within their given subject areas. In every class you get a broad, deep exposure to the discipline.”

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Faculty Knowledge Faculty Knowledge

Wharton's world-leading professors generate the new ideas that drive business innovation around the world.

Developing New Knowledge

More than twenty Wharton research centers and initiatives generate cutting-edge research by bringing together professors, executives, and students to focus on subjects including entrepreneurship, business ethics, health care economics, real estate, retailing, sports business, and leadership and change management.

These interdisciplinary research centers conduct high-level conferences, support global research, and sponsor other initiatives that translate into new knowledge in the classroom.

Stay in touch with Wharton Knowledge. Sign up for: Knowledge@Wharton

Educating Future Business Leaders

Wharton's professors use their wide-ranging experience to prepare students with the analytical skills needed to tackle complex issues and understand the impact of strategies and decisions.

At Wharton, faculty focus on learning, using a variety of methods in their courses. Along with lectures, case studies, and hands-on learning, many classes also take advantage of learning simulations that create real-world scenarios in the classroom. Professors select the methods that work best for each topic, and those that are most appropriate for the experience level and interests of the class.

Students also have opportunities for experiential learning, or to collaborate with professors outside the classroom, taking risks and trying out new ideas with the support of experienced mentors.

Creating Innovative Tools

Wharton professors create and use technology-enhanced learning materials designed specifically to reinforce key concepts in their courses.

Wharton's Alfred P. West, Jr. Learning Lab has developed nearly 20 web-enabled simulations, real-time learning experiences, and interactive programs that challenge students to think strategically across multiple business functions. Designed to enhance the classroom experience, Wharton's applications create situations that help illustrate complex concepts and stimulate higher-level interaction and dialogue between faculty and students.

A few examples:

OPEQ. Designed to demonstrate negotiation strategies and dynamics, OPEQ creates an increasingly complex set of conditions in which students must interact with their teammates and with the members of other teams.
OTIS. An Online Trading and Investment Simulator, OTIS uses real data from today's markets to let students act as fund managers and acquire near real-world experience without real-world risk. One of the Learning Lab's early products, OTIS is now used by over 75 other higher-education institutions.
FutureView. In an era of innovation, how do you market a product that is so new, there is nothing like it on the market? Designed by four Marketing Department professors and used in the MBA core, FutureView demonstrates how "information acceleration" can help develop quantitative data to market products with which consumers are unfamiliar.