Who We Are

When you’re the best at what you do, you choose the school of nursing.

Leaders in nursing

Practical experience

Nursing is, without a doubt, a hands-on profession. No nursing education is complete without hours of careful, mentored practice. You’ll have the opportunity to work in our state-of-the-art simulation lab, in the best teaching hospitals and clinical environments, and alongside a team of healthcare professionals working together to provide the best patient care. And unlike most nursing schools, we arrange your clinical placements for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Research for today and tomorrow

The level of nursing research we do here at Penn is almost unparalleled in academia today. Students have the ability to work closely with top faculty to shape the way we care for patients in a real and tangible way. Through research collaborations here at the school, students not only develop the skills to perform their own studies, but establish the kind of professional connections that see them stand beside their former mentors as colleagues.

In and of the community

We actively work to foster diversity on our campus, and to give our students maximum exposure to the kinds of interactions that build empathy and awareness of how social determinants of health—like poverty, racism, and class—impact patients’ lives. Through engagements here in Philly and robust global opportunities, we strive to make it possible for students to broaden their experience of what it means to be human.

Educational flexibility

We know that our students are some of the most talented and motivated in the country. This is why we offer a diverse array of flexible programs to tailor each educational experience as closely as possible to the needs of our students. We offer undergraduate and graduate dual degree programs with other Penn schools, an accelerated program, study-abroad options, and a variety of BSN and MSN minors to make sure that everyone who studies with us gets the curriculum they need.

Bright futures start here

Our graduates are leaders in every sector of healthcare—policy, practice, operations, research, teaching, and beyond—and it is through them that we shape the future of nursing for tomorrow.

Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, FAAN, Former Dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Passes Away at Age 97

She served as dean of Penn Nursing for 15 years from 1977 to 1992, during which time she transformed the school into a world-renowned education, research, and clinical development enterprise, established landmark education programs and increased the number of standing faculty seven-fold. In addition to her deanship, Fagin served as the interim president of the University of Pennsylvania from July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1994.

Claire M. Fagin, PhD, FAAN, RN Professor of Nursing and Dean Emerita

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