About
Penn has a long and proud tradition of intellectual rigour and pursuit of innovative knowledge, begun by Benjamin Franklin in 1740. That tradition lives today through the creativity, entrepreneurship, and engagement of our faculty, students, and staff.
At Penn, exchange students:
- Take classes at one of the most competitive universities in the United States and have access to internationally renowned undergraduate-level teaching and research programs.
- Live on a cosmopolitan university campus in the birthplace of the United States - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Interact with a vibrant and diverse student body of approximately 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
- Build cross-campus and cross-cultural networks by participating in student clubs and organizations and attending a wide variety of campus events.
Location
Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States, is a major cultural centre and the heart of a metropolitan region with a population of more than five million people. The region also has one of the highest concentrations of colleges and universities in the country, making it a vibrant place to spend a semester or year as an exchange student.
Find out more about Philadelphia.
Level of competitiveness
Very competitive ***
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Academic Calendar
Semester 1: August to December
Semester 2: January to May
More information can be found on UPenn's academic calendar.
Courses
Students who want to study at UPenn must be enrolled on a degree taught by UPenn’s College of Arts & Sciences.
- Exchange students are eligible to take courses up to the 4999-level.
- Two of the four courses must be in the admitting college/school. The remaining two courses can be within the admitting college/school or in another college/school.
- If a student takes five courses, three of the five courses need to be within the admitting college/school.
- Students are not permitted to take graduate-level courses OR courses in Penn’s Law, Medical, Dental, or Veterinary Schools
Course descriptions can be reviewed on the Course Search website.
Course offerings for specific semesters can be found on the Penn Course Roster website.
Credits
Students need to take 4 credits (four courses) per semester.
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversions.
Website for incoming exchange students at UPenn
Queen Mary student feedback
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers:
Instagram takeovers:
Accommodation
- All exchange students are required to live on campus in Penn housing. Students must complete an online application for housing after being accepted into their exchange program. NOTE: Due to high demand and low supply, exchange students rarely are placed in single bedroom units.
- More information about Penn housing, the application process, and deadlines can be found on the Penn housing website for exchange students.
- Be aware that exchange students must enrol on a dining plan at UPenn and should take these costs into consideration.
Cost of Living
UPenn provides information about the cost of living here. You can find general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Philadelphia here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Students are encouraged to do their own research into practical living tips in areas such as grocery shopping, public transportation, banking (bank cards, currency conversion, fees), and tipping culture. This will help students to better budget in preparation and to manage their finances when abroad. For example, the 'Penn Transit' mobile app offers free school bus/shuttle services, allowing you to book a pick-up location on the app and where to drop you off (but it does not go into the city). Further, the 'Penn Dining' mobile app allows students to order food from dining halls in advance without needing to queue, also providing updated dining dollar balances. It also provides information on which washers and dryers are available in student accommodation buildings, helping students to plan their laundry.
Support Services
For information on accessibility, visit UPenn's Student Disabilities Services webpage.
Campus Life
Find out more about Campus Life at UPenn.
Social Media
University of Pennsylvania:
Additional Resources
Website for incoming exchange students to UPenn
