On Sunday, May 17, Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) welcomed the Class of 2026, along with family, friends, faculty, and staff, for a graduation ceremony in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center in downtown Philadelphia. This year, LPS conferred 461 degrees—73 undergraduate degrees and 388 master’s degrees across 14 programs—on graduating students who hailed from 19 different countries.
Organizational Dynamics Programs courses are designed for working professionals. Beginning fall 2026, the programs will adopt a low-residency format, with courses offered entirely online or in a hybrid format, requiring one or two in‑person weekends per term. These on-campus weekends include full‑day classes and a group dinner, providing opportunities to connect with peers and faculty while experiencing the Penn campus.*
Recently, we had the opportunity to attend the 30th Annual Wharton Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference, centered on the theme "Beyond Resilience: Private Capital in the Age of Reinvention." It was a day defined by new perspectives, active dialogue, and a shared curiosity about the future of private markets.
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to honor Professor Dennis M. DeTurck with the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) Award of Distinction on the eve of his retirement from an illustrious career at Penn.
The International Guest Student Program (IGSP), established in 2007 at the University of Pennsylvania, allows undergraduate students from top global universities to study at Penn without enrolling in a degree program, fostering cross-cultural academic exchange. Accepted students receive support with logistics like visas and housing, and the program consistently attracts strong international interest.
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to recognize the LPS graduate student finalists selected to participate in the professional master’s program category of this year’s Penn Grad Talks. The competition, which took place at Penn’s Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics on March 27, features TED Talk-style presentations by Penn Arts and Sciences graduate students from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional master’s programs.
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to congratulate Carley Leedy and Sijie Chen on being named Dean's Scholars. This honor is presented annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.
Carley Leedy, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies is pleased to congratulate Jane Dmochowski, Simon Tong, and Claire Robertson-Kraft for being named 2026 distinguished teaching award winners.
Claire Robertson-Kraft (she/her), PhD, is the founder and executive director of ImpactED and the faculty co-director at Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. She has more than twenty years of experience working as a teacher, evaluator, and nonprofit leader in the Philadelphia region. She has extensive experience teaching research methods and conducting evaluations in the areas of education, public policy, positive psychology, social impact, and community engagement.
The lifelong learning division of Penn Arts & Sciences
3440 Market Street, Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335
(215) 898-7326
lps@sas.upenn.edu
