Students earning a bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business choose from 20 concentrations, including Global Analysis, Managing Electronic Commerce, and Business and Public Policy, or they can create an individualized program with the consultation of their academic adviser. Social Impact and Responsibility is one of five concentrations that can only be a second concentration after selecting a primary concentration. Students must compete all required core courses, including Management 100, which all students must take in their freshman year. Students are encouraged to take on two concentrations or pursue a dual degree because the Wharton School encourages interdisciplinary scholarship. For the final project, groups of 10 plan and execute a community service project for a Philadelphia nonprofit. Undergraduates also can choose to submatriculate, which means they can complete an M.B.A. and their Bachelor of Science in five years or, in conjunction with the Law School, complete a J.D. and their Bachelor of Science in six years. Students can matriculate if they score well on either the GMAT for the M.B.A. program or the LSAT for the J.D., as well as maintain an outstanding GPA for their first three years. The Office of Admissions sets no minimum GPA or SAT requirement; but out of an average of 5,500 applications, Wharton admits only 500 students.
Wharton School of Business
University of Pennsylvania
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
1 College Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-898-7507
wharton.upenn.edu
Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business offers the following eight tracks in which undergraduates can specialize their degree: Computing and Information Technology (CIT), Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Management, Graphic Media Management, International Management, Manufacturing Management, and Consulting and Marketing. All students must complete 11 core business courses, the majority of which students take during their junior year. The Tepper School wants its graduates to be prepared for an always changing business climate, so students must fulfill their Breadth Requirements, which include Introduction to World History, Interpretation and Argument and five other courses in a wide range of disciplines. All sophomores can elect to minor in Business Administration. Those following the CIT track can elect to minor in Supply Chain Management. Carnegie Mellon's Admissions Office judges each applicant individually based upon his high school GPA, SAT scores and letters of recommendation. There are no set minimum scores; but as of 2009, the average admitted Tepper freshman had a high school GPA of 3.64.
Tepper School of Business
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-268-2268
tepper.cmu.edu
Most freshmen taking courses from the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) have not yet chosen one of the seven following majors: Accounting, Actuarial Science, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain, and Information Systems. Before their junior year, when they complete the most of the core curriculum, Smeal College students choose a major and one of four minors: Information Systems Management, International Business, Legal Environment of Business, or Supply Chain and Information Sciences Technology. Students first take a host of required courses, including the First Year Seminar, which prepares students for life at Smeal College and a career in business. PSU's Admissions Office largely judges applicants on high school GPA. As of 2010, the middle 50 percent of the students PSU admitted had between a 3.52 and a 3.97 GPA. Other admission factors include SAT scores, class rank, personal statement and activities list.
Smeal College of Business
202 Business Building
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-1947
smeal.psu.edu