110 Meyerson Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6311

At the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, students study all aspects of fine, design and architecture. With programs in architecture, city and regional planning, fine arts, historic preservation, landscape architecture, real estate and urban design, Penn Design is a center of creative and innovative scholarship and instruction. University of Pennsylvania school of Design is dedicated to improving quality of life by designing and improving buildings, landscapes, cities and works of art.

No matter what program they are enrolled in, students at Penn Design take an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to their studies. Penn Design strives to balance artistic creativity with practical applications, and encourages its students to think about how their work affects and interacts with the world around them. The University of Pennsylvania school of Design is constantly looking at ways to update its curricula and keep it relevant to today's students, whether by adding programs in subjects such as digital media design or developing connections with other schools at Penn, such as the Wharton School of business. Dual degree programs and certificates are also offered.

Faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania school of Design include a range of influential scholars and practitioners. These teachers help their students work through new ideas about buildings, landscapes, cities and works of art by making use of both in-depth theoretical study and real-world projects. These projects are used to test a wide variety of new constructs and concepts and are a vital part of the learning process in all programs at Penn Design. Students create projects using both tactile materials and advanced computer programs, and their work may be completed singly or as part of a collaborative process. Whether they are focusing on landscape architecture or historic preservation, students combine this hands-on practice with studies in culture, content, narrative, representation and historical and contemporary issues in design.

Quick Facts:

The Graduate School of Fine Arts was renamed the University of Pennsylvania school of Design in 2003.

Courses in architecture were first offered at the University of Pennsylvania in 1868.

Penn Design is located in Philadelphia, a thriving city that is home to world-class artistic institutions such as the Philadelphia Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Design is constantly updating and adapting its curriculum to reflect changes and developments in technology and theory.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.