Interdisciplinary Program Applicants
Interdisciplinary study is central to Wharton's curriculum, with a wide array of dual and joint degree options. In general, a dual degree requires one year less than it would take to pursue the two degrees separately. Interested candidates must apply separately to Wharton and the second school or program.
Two programs combine an MBA with an MA in international studies: a 24-month joint degree program with the University of Pennsylvania's Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies, and a 3-year dual degree program offered in conjunction with the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. Other dual degree programs combine a Wharton MBA with biotechnology, design, engineering, law, medicine, nursing, and social work. More information on these options is given below.
Applying for Interdisciplinary Programs
All applicants to dual degree programs must apply to both Wharton and the second school or program. This means that the appropriate standardized tests, (e.g., LSAT, GRE, or MCAT), a completed application form, transcript, and recommendations must be sent to the partner school.
Admission decisions are made independently by each school, and students may pursue a dual degree program only if admitted to both. Unless otherwise indicated, students may apply to both programs simultaneously.
If a student is already enrolled in a program, he or she may apply to Wharton in the fall semester following commencement of study in the co-sponsoring school. If it is a 3-year program, the student may apply in the fall of his or her second year. Students in the MD, DMD, and VMD programs may apply to enter Wharton in any August, up to and including the August following the third year of enrollment in the medical program.
An exception to this policy is for the Wharton/Penn Law three-year JD/MBA program. Given the unique, integrated nature of the program’s curriculum, students admitted to this program must apply prior to matriculation in either school, and are bound to attend the three-year program if admitted by both schools.
To satisfy the MBA portion of the dual degree program, students must take at least 15 courses at Wharton. (Courses taken at Wharton prior to admission and matriculation into the Wharton MBA program may not be applied toward the degree requirements of the MBA.)
