Student Stories

Ethan McLear

Student, Master of Divinity, Princeton Theological Seminary

Two semesters of advanced liberal arts coursework offered Ethan time to explore and reflect before committing to graduate school, helping him to discover possibility in an unexpected field.

Read Ethan’s story >

Matthew Fagerstrom

Doctoral Student, University of Pennsylvania

For Matthew, Penn’s Post-Baccalaureate Studies was an opportunity to strengthen his PhD program applications and get a glimpse of doctoral student life.

Read Matthew’s story >

Adele Yang

Master’s degree student, Drexel University College of Medicine

Learn how the post-bacc program helped Adele prepare for a graduate degree in pharmacology while meeting her visa requirements.

Read Adele’s story >

Manqing Liu

PhD student in Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Read how Manqing took classes in mathematics and statistics to equip herself with strong quantitative skills for a PhD in epidemiology at Harvard.

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Joe Stucynski

PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Group (NGG), University of Pennsylvania

See how neuroscience and programming courses as well as lab research opportunities helped Joe prepare for his top choice graduate program.

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Kelsey Neuenswander

Lab Manager, Social and Behavioral Science Initiative, University of Pennsylvania
Incoming doctoral student, University of California, Los Angeles

Discover how Kelsey’s post-baccalaureate experience complemented her undergraduate education and prepared her for graduate school.

Read Kelsey’s story >

Nora Ashley Bradford

PhD candidate in cognitive neuroscience, University of California Irvine

Discover the interdisciplinary opportunities that helped Nora prepare for a graduate specialization and satisfy her wide-ranging curiosity at the same time.

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David Robinson

Teaching associate, Greene Street Friends School

Discover how David found his vocation and enrolled in history courses to prepare for teaching certification.

Watch David's video >

Christine Odenath

The University of Texas at Austin, Master of Arts candidate

Explore Christine’s research interests in child psychology, and how Penn helped her make an academic and career change.

Read Christine’s story >

Maxwell J. Miller

Senior Research Assistant, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Hear how Maxwell prepared for a graduate degree in economics and connected with Penn professors during his post-baccalaureate experience.

Read Maxwell's story >

Shenika McAlister

Serials/Electronic Resources Librarian, University of Pennsylvania

Discover the wide range of courses Shenika enrolled in while using her tuition benefits as a Penn employee.

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Kyra Kaercher

Research Assistant, Near East Galleries, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Dig into Kyra’s academic preparation for PhD study and her hands-on experiences with Penn’s Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials.

Read Kyra’s story >

Monica Ionescu

Data Scientist and Adjunct Professor, the Wharton School

Learn how Monica successfully transitioned into a new career as an actuary through courses in the Post-Baccalaureate Studies program.

Read Monica's story >

Octavia Green

Bibliographic Assistant, Penn Libraries

Explore a wide range of subjects, from photography to French to law, with lifelong learner Octavia.

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Irene Glickman

Post-Baccalaureate Studies, University of Pennsylvania

Learn how computer science courses keep Irene up to speed on the latest in machine learning and algorithms.

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Radha Dhingra

Master of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University ’19

Find out how Radha’s coursework at Penn prepared her to apply to top schools for public health education and continue her asthma research.

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David Buckler

Research Project Manager, The Center for Resuscitation Science, University of Pennsylvania

Learn how math and science courses help David prepare for master's degree research on urban public health.

Watch David's video >

Personal advising

The LPS team and Post-Bacc staff are here to advise, guide, and coach you through the Penn experience.

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Am I eligible to apply?

Learn more about applicant qualifications for Post-Bacc Studies.

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Fully customizable

With access to over 50 areas of study, the Post-Baccalaureate program can be customized to meet your individual needs.

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