Submatriculation at Penn

One really unique aspect of the Penn curriculum is the ability to submatriculate. Essentially, this means to graduate in four years with both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree. Some students also choose to do this program over a five year period. Many different majors offer the ability to submatriculate, something that I decided to pursue in Biology. 

The Biology sub matriculation program involves several semesters of independent research projects, which count for course credit. Each week, I spend approximately ten to fifteen hours in the lab working with my mice and E. coli. Specifically, I am interested in the gut microbiome and how bacteria colonize in the intestine. Research has taught me how to think like a scientist, and how to adapt experiments based on the results. 

In addition to a heavy research curriculum, the program also requires several upper-level Biology seminars. These seminars have been some of the best classes that I have taken at Penn. Held in a small group setting of fifteen students, these classes operate on a graduate level curriculum. Each week, we read two research papers for homework, and come to class prepared to discuss the findings, methods, and anything else we don’t fully understand. The classes attract a nice mixture of graduate and undergraduate students, offering a unique blend of perspectives. 

Biology seminars often involve some sort of presentation aspect, which has strengthened my public speaking abilities in science. For example, in my Biol 480 seminar, or Advanced Cell Bio, my partner and I taught the class for the full ninety minutes, where we discussed a research paper on endocytosis. 

Some of these classes also involve a research paper on a unique topic of our choosing. In my Biol 404 seminar, or Immunobiology, each student chose a different field of immunobiology to pursue in the form of a review paper. 

Many of our departments at Penn offer not only submatriculation programs, but also these incredible opportunities for learning outside of simply large lecture classes. Ultimately, I have gained more from research and seminar classes than I ever expected. 

- Kaitlyn B.