MSSP Specific Policies

All requirements for the MSSP degree must be completed within five years of the date of the student’s first admission. Generally, the requirements are completed within one year for full-time students and two to three years for part-time students. Students who leave the program for a year or more must contact the Associate Dean of Students in writing before returning to the program.

The MSSP degree is awarded to candidates who:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution of higher learning;
• Have been duly admitted to the School of Social Policy & Practice; and
• Have satisfactorily completed the prescribed program of study according to the regulations in force at the time of the student’s completion of the program, within five years of the date of their first admission to the School.

Students in the MSSP Program take ten (10) MSSP credit units (CUs) including the policy internship. See MSSP course study for a list of required courses.

Students in the MSSP+DA Program take twelve (12) MSSP credit units (CU’s) including the policy internship. See MSSP+DA Program course of study for a list of required courses.

In the MSSP program, the internship supervisor’s feedback will be descriptive and is used primarily for the student’s learning. The MSSP Internship Coordinator is responsible for evaluation of the internship component of the MSSP program. At the end of the internship course, students receive a P/F grade. Additional details on the requirements are provided to students at the start of the program.

MSSP Program

The required MSSP courses (as of fall 2023) are MSSP 6280, MSSP 6290, MSSP 6300, MSSP 6310, MSSP 6320, MSSP 6330, MSSP 6680, MSSP 8970, an MSSP-designated Theory Elective, and two graduate-level elective courses. A student in good standing who receives a grade lower than a C- in any of these courses must retake the course(s). If the course is a pre-requisite for another course, the student cannot proceed to the next course in the sequence until a grade no lower than a C- is earned in the pre-requisite course. If the student obtains a grade lower than a C- in one of the above-listed courses, they may retake that course once, as long as their non-academic performance is acceptable.

MSSP+DA Program

The required MSSP+DA courses (as of fall 2023) are MSSP 6070, MSSP 6080, MSSP 6280, MSSP 6290, MSSP 6310, MSSP 6340, MSSP 6350, MSSP 6680, MSSP 8970, MSSP/SWRK 7300, MSSP 7100, and two graduate-level elective courses. Similar to the MSSP program, a student in good standing who receives a grade lower than a C- in any of these courses must retake the course(s). If the course is a pre-requisite for another course, the student cannot proceed to the next course in the sequence until a grade no lower than a C- is earned in the pre-requisite course. If the student obtains a grade lower than a C- in one of the above-listed courses, they may retake that course once, as long as their non-academic performance is acceptable.

An academic advisor will be assigned to each student. The advisor is available to help plan the student’s course of study, assist in course selection, provide consultation on academically related concerns, and monitor academic performance and progress. Group advising conferences with students may be held during the academic year and students will be notified of the dates and times. Students may also request individual advising meetings.

The MSSP program does not have any required non-credit courses.

The MSSP+DA program does not have any required non-credit courses.

We do not maintain waiting lists for courses that have reached their maximum enrollment. If a course is closed, students may monitor Path@Penn to see if a seat becomes available due to an enrolled student dropping the course. If a seat is available, students may register for it on their own at any time while the registration system is open. Students may utilize Penn Course Alert to be notified when seats in a specific course section open. Please note that program staff do not control or manage this tool, but it can be a helpful to use when interested in a course that has reached maximum enrollment.

SP2 MSSP students are permitted to take up to two electives in other Penn schools and departments. Courses taken in other schools or departments must be graduate level (5000 and above). Courses must be approved by the student’s academic advisor as relevant to the student’s educational plan and must have a value of one credit unit.

Transfer credits are not accepted for the MSSP program unless through an already approved Memorandum of Understanding between the School of Social Policy & Practice and the transferring university.

Independent studies provide a flexible opportunity for faculty and students to work together in pursuing a topic of special interest that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum. The content of independent studies is highly specialized and, as such, requires a plan of study developed jointly by the student(s) and the supervising faculty member.

Plans for independent study should include: a statement of the issues(s) to be studied; a rationale for why the identified issue(s) should be pursued via an independent study; a statement of how the independent study fits into the student’s overall educational plan; a summary of the independent study’s major learning objectives; the methods to be used in carrying out the study; a workable plan; the educational “products” that will result from the study (normally a written report or paper); and the expected date by which the independent study will be completed.

• Independent Study Course Approval Form

The process for arranging an independent study requires approval of both the student’s academic advisor and a faculty member who has agreed to conduct the independent study. The procedures to be followed are:

• The student discusses interest in doing an independent study with the academic advisor.
• If the advisor concurs with the student’s submission, the advisor and student will discuss potential faculty sponsors.
• If a faculty sponsor can be located, the student and faculty sponsor craft the specific plan, including learning objectives, content, and structure for the course.
• The academic advisor informs the registrar that an independent study for the student has been approved.

On the rare occasions that a student is unable to schedule a regular School course, the educational advisor makes a recommendation to the MSSP Faculty Director who will try to identify a standing or adjunct faculty member able to supervise the course delivered as an independent study.

MSSP 6300 Waiver Exam 

MSSP students may choose to take a waiver exam for MSSP 6300: Quantitative Reasoning. The exam is offered prior to the start of the academic year during New Student Orientation. Students who pass the waiver exam may replace MSSP 6300 with an MSSP course or elective course that deepens the student’s understanding of quantitative analysis. Please check your Penn email and MSSP Student Resources in Canvas for the waiver exam date. Waiver exams are held once a year in August.

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. Only MSSP students can take the MSSP waiver exam; MSSP+DA students do not take MSSP 6300 and thus do not take the wavier exam. 

Other Course Waivers 

In rare cases, students may petition to waive a core required course in favor of another course. Petitions must be discussed with a student’s academic advisor and submitted to the MSSP Faculty Director for review. If approved, an MSSP course or equivalent elective course should be taken in place of the waived course. 

Classroom learning is a fundamental component of professional education. If a student is unable to attend class for any reason, they should notify their class instructor(s). 

Most instructors have a strict absence policy; excessive absences can result in a lower course grade or course failure. Students who need to miss classes due to medical or family emergencies or other extenuating circumstances should contact their Instructor and Academic Advisor as soon as possible.

MSSP and MSSP+DA students are required to complete 150 hours (minimum) toward the policy internship. Students should work with their internship mentors/supervisors if an absence is required to ensure they complete the full 150 hours. Should students encounter difficulties in completing their internship hours as planned, they must contact the MSSP Internship Coordinator as soon as possible.

Students should submit this form to request a return to their studies.

For a fall semester return, requests should be made before the end of March. For a spring semester return, requests should be made in September. Late requests to return from leave may result in limited course selection.

Students must contact their academic advisor prior to registering for courses.

The SP2 Student Handbook outlines the policies pertaining to grading, registration, leaves of absence, tuition, finances, and more. Go to the Student Handbook.