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 MSSP students, one and a half years for full time MSSP+DA students, and two to three years for part-time MSSP 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 or MSSP+DA degrees are 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 and MSSP+DA programs, 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 programs. At the end of the internship course, students receive a P/F (Pass/Fail) 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 2025) are MSSP 6280, MSSP 6290, MSSP 6300, MSSP 6310 or MSSP 7805, MSSP 6360, MSSP 6680, MSSP 8970, a MSSP Theory Elective course, 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) to graduate. 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 2025) are MSSP 6070, MSSP 6080, MSSP 6280, MSSP 6290, MSSP 6310 or MSSP 7805, MSSP 6380, MSSP 6680, MSSP 8970, MSSP/SWRK 7300, MSSP 7100, and two graduate-level elective courses. As in 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) to graduate. 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 academic issues, and monitor the student’s 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.

All MSSP students must take MSSP 6370, a non-credit, no-tuition course for the MSSP Internship that includes resources and monthly meetings.

All MSSP+DA students must take MSSP 6390, a non-credit, no-tuition course for the MSSP+DA Internship that includes resources and monthly meetings.

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(opens in a new tab) 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.

SP2 Independent Study Policy
I. Independent studies should only be considered when a student is unable to take an appropriate regularly scheduled course. For MSW students, an independent study may also be considered when necessary to meet a specific MSW degree requirement or approved area of study that cannot reasonably be fulfilled through available course offerings.
II. Independent studies count as elective credits. For MSW students, an independent study may also count as research credit.
III. A student may count a maximum of one independent study toward degree requirements, regardless of whether the independent study carries 0.5 or 1.0 credit unit.
IV. Independent studies must be supervised by a standing SP2 faculty member who serves as the primary supervisor.
V. Non-SP2 faculty and adjunct faculty may participate as co-supervisors but may not independently supervise an independent study.
VI. Faculty receive no additional compensation for supervising independent studies.
Approval Process
Independent Study Course Approval Form
Arranging an independent study requires approval from both the student’s academic advisor and a faculty member who agrees to serve as the faculty sponsor. The process is:
1. Discuss the independent study with the academic advisor.
The student discusses their interest in pursuing an independent study with their academic advisor.
2. Obtain the advisor’s approval and identify potential faculty sponsors.
If the academic advisor concurs with the student’s proposal, the advisor and student discuss potential faculty sponsors.
3. Secure an eligible faculty sponsor.
The student identifies a standing SP2 faculty member who is willing to supervise the independent study.
4. Develop the independent study plan.
The student and faculty sponsor develop the specific plan for the independent study, including: learning objectives, course content, and course structure.

Complete final approval and registration.

Once the independent study has been approved, the academic advisor informs the Registrar so that the independent study can be processed.

Independent Study Course Approval Form(opens in a new tab)

MSSP 6300 Waiver Exam

MSSP students may choose to take a waiver exam for MSSP 6300: Quantitative Reasoning. The exam is offered just prior to the start of the academic year. Students who pass the waiver exam may replace MSSP 6300 with a pre-approved SP2 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 waiver exam.

Other Course Waivers

In rare cases, students may petition to waive no more than one core required MSSP or MSSP+DA course in favor of another SP2 course. Petitions must be discussed with a student’s academic advisor and submitted to the MSSP Faculty Director for review. If approved, a pre-approved, equivalent SP2 course may 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 students are required to complete 250 hours (minimum) toward the policy internship. MSSP+DA students are required to complete 150 hours (minimum) toward the policy internship. All students should work with their internship mentors/supervisors if an absence is required to ensure they complete the required internship hours. Should students encounter difficulties completing their internship hours as planned, they must contact the MSSP Internship Coordinator as soon as possible.

Students should submit this form(opens in a new tab) 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.