RESOURCES FOR ACCEPTED STUDENTS
Your SP2 experience starts here
Welcome to SP2! As a newly admitted student, you’re about to embark on a journey that equips you with the deep knowledge, actionable skills, and real-world experience you need to pursue your passion and make a difference in the world. These resources are intended to help you prepare for that journey, and to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Getting Started Checklist
Sign Up for an Accepted Student Open House
The open houses will be excellent opportunities for accepted students to hear from our faculty, staff, program directors, and the Dean. Accepted students will also have the opportunity to engage in small group discussions to learn more about a variety of topics, including academic affairs, student life, financial aid, housing options, as well as field education, internships, and practicums.
Please register for your preferred session.
ON-CAMPUS
Saturday, March 25, 2023
10:00am -12:00pm
Register here.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Register here.
ONLINE
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
9:00am -10:30am ET
Register here.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
5:00pm – 6:30pm ET
Register here.
If you would prefer to request a meeting with a member of the admissions team, please email apply@sp2.upenn.edu.
Submit your Student Enrollment Deposit
You may submit your enrollment decision through the online application system, where you will also be asked to supply your enrollment deposit. The enrollment deposit will be credited towards your tuition. Your enrollment deadline is indicated in your acceptance letter.
Apply for Financial Aid
Complete these steps to find and apply for sources of student aid:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
- Complete loan entrance counseling and sign the master promissory note at studentloans.gov.
Find local banks located on the Penn campus
Enroll in or Waive Health Insurance
You must sign up for Student Health Insurance, or show proof of acceptable alternate insurance, by the deadline of August 31st. If you miss the deadline, you will automatically be enrolled (and billed for) student health insurance.
Submit Final Transcript
If you have not done so already, be sure to submit your final, official transcripts of your bachelor’s degree and, if applicable, postgraduate study to the Admissions office; transcripts must display degree conferral information. Official transcripts for transfer or study abroad credits are not required.
If you earned your degree internationally, you need to submit a final, official transcript and confirmation of degree conferral in English directly from your institution in order to attend Fall classes.* Final evaluated transcripts from a third-party evaluation service, such as WES, Educational Perspectives, or another NACES accredited member, including a degree conferral, must be sent as soon as possible to register for future semesters.
Domestic transcripts should be sent directly from your university’s registrar’s office. Electronic deliveries are strongly preferred.* Your registrar should email a digital transcript to apply@sp2.upenn.edu or mail a paper transcript to:
University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
ATTN: Admissions Office
3701 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
If a final, official transcript with degree conferral will not be sent before the Fall semester begins, please have your registrar send a confirmation of degree conferral to the Admissions office at the above email address. The Admissions office will require final, official transcripts with degree conferral before you can register for future semesters.
*Important Note: Please be sure to submit your transcript to the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, and not simply the University of Pennsylvania, as the latter will result in the delivery of your transcript to the undergraduate Admissions office resulting in your failure to fulfill the requirement with the SP2 Admissions Office.
Set Up Your PennKey
PennKey gives you access to a Penn email account and other essential online services. You will receive a PennKey Setup Code approximately five to seven business days after you submit your enrollment fee. Use this code to set up your PennKey as soon as possible.
Incoming students will receive their PennKey setup code via email (to the email address that exists in Pennant). Setup codes will NOT automatically be mailed via USPS postal mail.
For questions or support, click here.
Set Up Your Penn Email Account
Accepted SP2 students will receive their email account as part of the PennO365 site license after they have successfully created their PennKey. Please wait two to three business days after creating your PennKey before following the instructions below for accessing email.
- Your Penn O365 email account password will also serve as your PennKey password. You may need to reset your PennKey password (it can remain the same) in order to sync with your email password.
- You can access your Penn O365 account at https://portal.office.com or from the Webmail jump station from the Penn homepage by clicking Penn O365. Your username for Penn O365 is pennkey@upenn.edu where “pennkey” is your actual PennKey name.
- If you have waited three business days and you do not have access to your Penn O365 email, please fill out this form.
Additional Penn O365 resources:
- Instructions for setting up email on your mobile devices and computers.
- Additional help & resources for using Penn O365
International Students: Obtain Necessary Immigration Documents
International students must obtain the necessary immigration document for their program. The International Student & Scholar Services office supports students throughout the process.
Register for an MSW Waiver Exam
MSW students are eligible to take waiver examinations for SWRK 6010: History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare and SWRK 6020: Human Behavior in the Social Environment in August prior to beginning the MSW program. These exams are designed for students who have completed prior coursework in these areas and offer the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of material covered in these foundation courses. Students who successfully pass a waiver exam must substitute an elective course into their first-year schedule. Students must register for waiver exams.
Information about registering for a waiver exam will be available soon.
Summer Reading for Incoming Students
MSW
Incoming Students (excludes Advanced Standing and Part-time Students):
- Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., Rooney, G. D., & Strom-Gottfried, K. (2017). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 1, “The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Work,” pp. 2-22.
All students
- Green, W. & Simon, B. L. (Eds.) (2012). The Columbia Guide to Social Work Writing. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
- The Penn Approach
- University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice Field Education Manual (see below)
MSSP
- Incoming students often ask what they can do to prepare for their master’s study prior to arriving on campus. As a starting point, we recommend reviewing SP2’s recent “One Book, One SP2” book choices. Additionally, we recommend students to devote time to the online, asynchronous Penn Experience course, which aims to prepare all SP2 students for master’s level study. The course contains an abundance of resources, articles, and videos that students can use to further enhance their academic understanding of social welfare policy and history in the U.S.
NPL
None. Please note that professors may assign required summer reading for specific courses. Updates will be emailed.
The Penn Experience: Racism, Reconciliation, and Engagement
Entering students are asked to complete The Penn Experience: Racism, Reconciliation, and Engagement online course. This non-credit asynchronous course aims to establish common language and concepts for incoming graduate and professional students to facilitate conversations about race, racism and difference in the classroom and beyond.
Learn more here.
Attend Convocation
All entering students are required to attend Convocation. See the New Student Orientation schedule for details.
New Student Orientation
SP2 Convocation
Monday, August 28th
9:00am – 9:45am (continental breakfast available 8:30am – 8:50am)
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
Required for all incoming students.
Events for All Incoming Students
All incoming SP2 students are invited to attend these orientation events. Students are highly encouraged to attend pertinent events.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22ND
New Student Resource Fair
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
10:00am – 3:00pm
More information
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23RD
Resources for Students with Disabilities
Hosted by the Weingarten Center
10:00am – 11:00am
More information
New Student Resource Fair
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
10:00am – 3:00pm
More information
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24TH
Multicultural New Student Orientation
8:30am – 12:30pm
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
RSVP here
Campus Tours for Graduate & Professional Students
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
10:00am – 11:00am
More information
Penn & Slavery Augmented Reality Tour
11:00am – 12:30pm
36th Street Walk & Locust Walk
RSVP here
School-wide Lunch
11:30am – 1:30pm
Caster Building Courtyard
Penn & Slavery Augmented Reality Tour
1:00pm – 2:30pm
36th Street Walk & Locust Walk
RSVP here
Restorative Circle – Community Building
1:00pm – 2:45pm
Hall of Flags, Houston Hall
RSVP here
Welcome to the American Classroom
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Room 218, Caster Building
RSVP here
Belonging at SP2
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Location TBD
RSVP here
Penn & Slavery Augmented Reality Tour
3:00pm – 4:30pm
36th Street Walk & Locust Walk
RSVP here
Bus Tour of Philadelphia
4:00pm – 5:30pm
RSVP here
SP2 Community Networking Event
5:30 – 8:00pm
Irie Entree, 4001 Chestnut St. (just a 10-minute walk from the Caster Building)
RSVP here
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25TH
Fourth Fridays @ Five: Philadelphia
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
5:00pm – 6:30pm
More information
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26TH
Bicycle Tour of Fairmount Park – West Philadelphia
8:30am – 11:00am
RSVP here
Seventh Ward Walking Tour
2:00pm – 4:00pm
RSVP here
Seventh Ward Walking Tour
4:00pm – 6:00pm
RSVP here
MONDAY, AUGUST 28TH
One Book Discussion
10:00am – 11:00am
School-wide Lunch
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Caster Courtyard
Campus Tours for Graduate & Professional Students
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
12:00pm – 1:00pm
More information
One Book Discussion
2:00pm – 3:00pm
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29TH
DAAB Presents: Welcome Back Breakfast
7:30am – 9:30am
Caster Lobby
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30TH
Reading Effectively in Graduate School (online)
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center and Weingarten Center
7:00pm – 8:00pm
More information
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31ST
Campus Tours for Graduate & Professional Students
Hosted by the Graduate Student Center
2:00pm – 3:00pm
More information
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST
Bicycle Tour of Fairmount Park – West Philadelphia
9:30am – 12:00pm
RSVP here
For MSW Students
Advanced Standing New Student Orientation
This event is required for all incoming Advanced Standing students.
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
10:00am – 1:00pm
Cafe 58, Irvine Auditorium
MSW New Student Orientation
Required for all incoming MSW students.
Monday, August 28, 2023
10:00am – 12:00pm
Bodek, Houston Hall
For MSSP Students
MSSP Waiver Exam
MSSP students may choose to take a waiver exam for MSSP 6300: Quantitative Reasoning. Students who pass the waiver exam may take an MSSP elective in its place. The MSSP 6300 waiver exam encompasses all information covered in MSSP 6300, including: statistics and probability; measures of central tendency and variability; inferential statistics and when and how to use them including significance testing; the distinction between correlational and causal inference; competence with R; and the ability to employ descriptive and inferential statistics in a policy report.
August 15, 2023, 9:00am – 11:00am ET
Zoom
Register here.
MSSP New Student Orientation
Required for all incoming MSSP students.
Monday, August 28, 2023
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Caster Building – room varies
For NPL Students
NPL NEW STUDENT ONLINE ORIENTATION
Required for all incoming online NPL students. Optional for incoming on-campus NPL students.
Monday, July 31 – Sunday, August 13, 2023
In Canvas
Contact Brooke Bakan at bbakan@upenn.edu for details
NPL FACULTY PANEL
Optional for all incoming on-campus and online NPL students.
Thursday, August 10, 2023
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Via Zoom
NPL ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Optional for all incoming on-campus and online NPL students.
Thursday, August 24, 2023
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Caster Building Courtyard
NPL ONLINE STUDENTS LUNCH
Optional and open to online students only.
Friday, August 25, 2023
12:00pm – 1:00pm
3815 Walnut St., Room 203
NPL HAPPY HOUR
Optional for all on-campus and online NPL students.
Saturday, August 26, 2023
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Caster Building Courtyard
NPL NEW STUDENT ON-CAMPUS ORIENTATION
Required for all incoming on-campus NPL students. Optional for incoming online NPL students.
Monday, August 28, 2023
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Ben Franklin Room (Room 218), Houston Hall
For PhD Students
PhD New Student Orientation
Contact the PhD Coordinator at sp2phd@sp2.upenn.edu regarding registration information.
Monday, August 28, 2023
3:00pm – 5:30pm
The Inn at Penn
For DSW Students
DSW New Student Orientation
Contact Jeff Johnson-Curry, DSW Coordinator, at dswcoord@sp2.upenn.edu. for registration information.
Academic Information and Resources
Familiarize yourself with requirements and expectations for your specific program and learn what you need to do to ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running.
Additional Resources
Tools, information, and updates on a range of important topics.
Penn Transportation and Parking
Resources for students with children
Admission Deferral
SP2 has a one-year deferral policy. To defer admission, students must first pay their enrollment fee and then contact the Office of Admissions at apply@sp2.upenn.edu for further instructions.
Students must request a deferral no later than:
- June 1st for Advanced Standing MSW students
- July 1st for DSW, NPL, MSSP, and full-time or part-time MSW students
Requests made for deferrals after these deadlines cannot be honored, although students may withdraw their acceptance of admission and re-apply in the following year.
The PhD program does not allow deferrals.
Other Important Resources for Accepted Students
Career Services
Your first stop for information and tools around every aspect of the career development process, from networking and mentoring to applying for jobs and accepting offers.
Academic and Writing Support
Our tutors and staff support students in academic writing and editing, and we provide a range of services for students with disabilities.
Academic Integrity
Every member of our community is expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity as outlined in our Code of Academic Integrity
Student Organizations
Learn more about opportunities to engage with SP2’s student government, clubs, and other extracurricular organizations and activities.
Libraries
SP2 offers a range of different library resources, and students have access to Penn’s entire library network.
Information Technology
Information about PennKey, email, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and other platforms used by SP2 students.
On-campus Housing
Penn Residential Services provides information and guidelines for graduate students interested in taking advantage of the University’s on-campus housing.
Off-campus Housing
Best practices, guidelines, and tools for researching and applying for off-campus housing in and around Philadelphia.
Living in Philadelphia
Philly is a diverse, dynamic city. Learn how to make the most of your time living and learning in the community that we’re proud to call home.
Health and Wellness
At SP2, we are committed to ensuring the physical, mental, and social well-being of every student.
Information for International Students
SP2 is proud to welcome students from around the world to our community, and we’re here to help prepare you for life at Penn.
Contact Us
Student Resources & Support
Bryanna Bonner, MA
Associate Director of Student Affairs
215 898 5503
Course Registration
Andrea Porter
Director of Student Information & Registrar
215 898 5548