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The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is a business school founded in 1881 by Joseph Wharton, who hoped the School would produce graduates who would become "pillars of the state, whether in private or in public life." The School is considered one of the world's leading business schools.

Wharton offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as executive education programs. The school offers majors in Accounting, Business and Public Policy, Finance, Health Care Systems, Insurance and Risk Management, Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Management, Marketing, Operations and Information Management, Real Estate, Retailing and Statistics.

The School owns Wharton School Publishing which publishes books, audio books, e-documents, CD-ROMs, and videos that have received what the publisher calls "the Wharton seal of approval."

Wharton has 2,340 undergraduate, 1,690 MBA and 200 doctoral students, and an alumni network of more than 81,000 in 140 countries around the world. The school has 304 standing and associated faculty, 11 academic departments and 20 research centers and initiatives *

The institutional mission of the Wharton School: to apply unparalleled intellectual resources to prepare business leaders who fuel the growth of industries and economies throughout the world.

Patrick T. Harker became the school’s 12th dean in February 2000.

History

The Wharton School, the world’s first collegiate business school, was founded in 1881 by Philadelphia industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Wharton. A native Philadelphian, Wharton became a leader in industrial metallurgy and built a fortune through his American Nickel Company and Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The anvil, a School symbol, reflects Wharton’s pioneering work in the metal industry. Joseph Wharton envisioned creating a new collegiate foundation that would produce educated leaders of business and government. From the beginning, he defined the goal of the Wharton School of Finance and Economy (its original name) to be: "to provide for young men special means of training and of correct instruction in the knowledge and in the arts of modern Finance and Economy, both public and private, in order that, being well informed and free from delusions upon these important subjects, they may either serve the community skillfully as well as faithfully in offices of trust, or, remaining in private life, may prudently manage their own affairs and aid in maintaining sound financial morality: in short, to establish means for imparting a liberal education in all matters concerning Finance and Economy."

Setting an early standard for innovation, Wharton published the first business textbooks, established the first research center at a business school, created the first center for entrepreneurship, created the first program in international management, established the first MBA in health care and real estate, and developed the first executive education program. To this day, it is regarded as one of the world's leading business and management schools, and employs the world's largest, most cited faculty with 304 standing and associate members.

Academics

Eighteen majors are available to Wharton MBA students, who can also elect to pursue double majors or individualized majors. During their first year students pursue a required core curriculum. After completing the first year, electives are available. The MBA program offers nearly 200 electives within Wharton's 11 academic departments, the largest selection of any business school*. Thousands of other University electives are also offered through other Penn schools.

Wharton's required Pre-term includes coursework, waiver testing, and the "Learning Team Retreat". Coursework includes introductory and review courses in financial accounting, microeconomics, statistics, and financial analysis. Preparatory courses cover material not included in Fall coursework that students are expected to understand. In addition, Pre-term includes classes on business history and languages, as well as short seminars in communication skills, computing technology, trading simulations, and career management.

Offered on a quarterly schedule throughout the first year, core courses cover traditional management disciplines finance, marketing, statistics, and strategy, as well as the leadership, ethics, and communication skills needed at senior levels of management.

Wharton MBA Program for Executives (WEMBA)

The Wharton MBA Program for Executives is a two-year, weekend residential program built on the same curriculum as Wharton's full-time MBA program. Students from a diverse range of industries and organizations earn an MBA degree from Wharton while continuing their careers. The program is offered in two locations: on the Wharton campus in Philadelphia and at Wharton West in San Francisco. The application process, curriculum, and program services are the same — Wharton faculty travel to the West Coast to lead their courses in San Francisco. The program attracts students from throughout the U.S. and North America; some have also traveled from Europe, Asia, and South America.

The two-year program begins in late May, and runs throughout each year. Students attend classes on Fridays and Saturdays on alternate weekends, with approximately five additional extended sessions and a one-week International Study Seminar abroad. Students spend approximately 20-25 hours of study outside of class each week. All program-related housing and meals are included in the tuition fee.

International study

Options for international study and experience include Wharton's alliance with INSEAD, the Global Immersion Program, Wharton's Global Consulting Practicum, and exchange programs with schools in 11 countries around the world.

Dual and joint degrees

Wharton Undergraduates may pursue a dual degrees in engineering through the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology (M&T) and international business through the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business (ISB).

Wharton MBA students may pursue a dual degree with Lauder Institute, Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies or in one of the 12 graduate and professional schools at the University of Pennsylvania:

Student Life

The birthplace of American democracy and commerce, Philadelphia is steeped in four centuries of history. The footsteps of Benjamin Franklin could be followed through Independence Hall, past the Liberty Bell, and along Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously occupied street in the U.S. Important chapters of U.S. history were written at nearby sites such as Valley Forge and Washington's Crossing. The city is home to the world's largest collection of Impressionist art and America's first art museum. The music scene ranges from opera, classical, and chamber music to original jazz, rock, folk, and hip-hop. The city is also filled with second-hand bookstores, jazz clubs, open-air markets, and a renowned international film festival.

Wharton students enjoy a thriving, eclectic Philadelphia restaurant culture that includes world cuisines, haute cuisine, small BYOBs, reinvented pub grub, and Philly's famous cheesesteaks. Nearby Fairmount Park, the largest urban park in the world, maintains running, cycling, and riding trails and offers boat rentals on the Schuylkill River, the site of Philadelphia's picturesque Boathouse Row and the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in the country. State-of-the-art Pottruck Health and Fitness Center is right across the street from Wharton's Jon M. Huntsman Hall.

Wharton students enjoy a wide array of choices for sports activities, with professional football (Eagles), baseball (Phillies), basketball (76ers), and hockey (Flyers) teams, as well as pro lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, and even the U.S. Pro Cycling championship. In amateur sports, Penn's own Palestra is home to Big Five college basketball, while the University's Franklin Field is the site for the Penn Relays, a collegiate and professional invitational meet that has been dazzling track fans since 1895 — longer than the modern Olympics.

Alumni network

Wharton alumni network has 81,000+ members in 142 countries around the world. There are eighty-two alumni clubs providing support to the School. In addition to the annual campus-based Wharton reunion, Wharton partners with its alumni clubs to mount three annual Global Alumni Forums around the world. Notable alumni include (source):

Industry

  • Anil Ambani, Chairman/Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited
  • Geralyn Breig, Former President, Godiva International
  • Julian A. Brodsky, CEO and Chairman, Comcast Interactive Capital
  • Charles Butt, Founder, CEO and Chairman, H-E-B Grocery Company
  • Robert Castellini, owner, Cincinnati Reds.
  • Robert B. Cavanaugh, CFO, J.C. Penny
  • Frank Cerminara, CEO and CFO, Hersey
  • Art Collins, Chairman and CEO of Medtronic
  • Stephen Cooper, Interim CEO, Enron
  • Robert L. Crandall, Chairman and CEO of American Airlines, Inc
  • Donny Deutsch, Chairman and CEO of Deutsch Inc.
  • Mike Eskew, Chairman and CEO, UPS
  • Jerome Fisher, Founder, CEO and Chairman Emeritus, Nine West Group
  • Rakesh Gangwal, CEO and Chairman, US Airways Group
  • C. Christopher Gaut, CFO, Halliburton
  • Robert B. Goergen, Founder, CEO and Chairman, Blyth
  • Stanley Goldstein, Founder, CEO and Chairman, CVS
  • Paul R B Harner, Chairman, Berkmont Industries
  • Luiz Augusto Heeren, CEO, British-American Tobacco
  • Robert M. Hernandez, Vice Chairman and CFO, USX Corporation
  • Lee S. Hillman, Chairman, CEO, Bally Total Fitness
  • Donald D. Humphreys, COO, Exxon Mobil
  • Jon Huntsman, Sr., Founder, Chairman and CEO, Huntsman Corporation (see photo)
  • Regonald Jones, Former Chairman and CEO, General Electric
  • W. Leo Kiely, III, President and COO, Coors Brewing Company
  • Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman and Co-CEO, Fuji Xerox
  • Michael Kowalski, President and CEO, Tiffany
  • Dwayne Lamont Rayner, CEO, Renaissance Capital Management
  • Leonard A. Lauder, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Estee Lauder Companies
  • Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco
  • William E. Macaulay, Chairman and CEO, First Reserve Corporation.
  • Alan Miller, Founder and CEO, Universal Health Services
  • Aditya Mittal, President and CFO, Mittal Steel Company
  • Robert S. Morrison, Chairman and CEO, The Quaker Oats and ex-CEO of Kraft
  • Arnold J. Palmer, Chairman and CEO, Hudson Industries Corporation
  • Manuel Pangilinan, CEO and Chairman, First Pacific
  • Ronald O. Perelman, Chairman and CEO, MacAndrews & Forbes Group
  • Lou Platt, Chairman and CEO, Boeing
  • Robert Potamkin, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Planet Automotive Group
  • Edmund T. Pratt, Jr., CEO and Chairman Emeritus, Pfizer
  • John Richards, President, Starbucks
  • Jean-Pierre C. Rosso, CEO and Chairman, CNH Global N.V.
  • Rick Simonson, President, Nokia
  • Mallika Srinivasan, Director, Tractors and Farms Equipment Ltd.
  • Susan M. Stalnecker, Vice President, Du Pont
  • Howard R. Suslak, Co-CEO and Chairman, Mac Donald and Company
  • Nicholas F. Taubman, CEO and Chairman, Advance Auto Parts
  • James S. Tisch, CEO, Loews Corporation
  • Laurence A. Tisch, Chairman, Loews Corporation
  • Gary L. Wilson, CEO and Chairman, NorthWest Airlines
  • Kenneth L. Wolfe, CEO and Chairman, Hersey Foods
  • Richard D. Wood, CEO and Chairman, Eli Lilly and Company
  • Peter T. Worthen, CEO and Chairman, Schreiber Corporation
  • William Wrigley Jr, CEO, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co
  • Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman and CEO, Deutsche Post AG
  • Sean Hill, President and CEO, 8th Wonder Airlines

Finance

High Tech

Media:

Nonprofit, law and government

Real Estate

Consulting

Rankings

On December 5, 2003 Wharton enacted a policy of declining to actively participate in the rankings of business school programs. The School cited concerns for alumni and students' privacy as well as beliefs that the survey might interfere with the School's own efforts to survey them.

Some recent rankings were:

2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994
Business Week (MBA/USA) 3 5 1 1 1 1
Business Week (Undergraduate/USA) 1
Financial Times (MBA/Worldwide) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
US News (MBA/USA) 3 2 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 2 3 3 2
US News (Undergrad/USA) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Wall Street Journal (MBA/USA) 6 4 1 5 18

Safety and Security

Students at Wharton have safety concerns similar to those of students in any major city. Wharton operates under the careful eye of the Division of Public Safety at the University of Pennsylvania, which is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the campus community and operates a fully commissioned police force with state-of-the-art safety and security technology. In 2005, Penn was one of two institutions of higher education selected to receive the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award in recognition of its innovative technology and campus and community patrols. For more information, visit *Safety and Security at Penn's website.

Books on Wharton

  • Nicole Ridgway, Running with the Bulls, Gotham, 2005.
  • Charlotte Kelly and Alan Rowe Kelly, Wharton: Images of America, Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
  • Stephen L. Sass, Pragmatic Imagination: A History of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Press,1983.
  • Emory Richard Johnson, The Wharton school: Its fifty years, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1931.

External links and references

Official university sites

Wharton history

Student life

Publications

Campus Links

Association of American Universities | Business schools in the United States | Universities and colleges in Philadelphia | University of Pennsylvania

Wharton School | Wharton Business School | Wharton school | וורטון | Wharton School | Школа Уортона | 沃顿商学院

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania".

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