The Key — Penn’s Expanding Master’s Portfolio
Penn is rapidly expanding its master’s programs, a shift that reflects both opportunity and financial pressure.
During its winter meetings, Penn’s Board of Trustees approved two new master’s programs: a Master of Medical Science in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) and a Master of Applied Science in Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). These additions are part of an expansion of master’s programs across Penn, offering potential benefits while risking possible dilution of Penn’s mission of excellence by focusing too narrowly on revenue growth.
The pace of expansion is notable. In Spring 2025, the Trustees approved five new master’s programs across Annenberg, Wharton, Engineering, the School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2), and PSOM. This January, SEAS also announced a new online master’s in Engineering.
The longer-term trend is even more striking. Penn awarded 3,077 master’s degrees in the 2009–2010 academic year. By last year, that number had increased more than 45% to 4,473. Today, Penn offers 119 distinct master’s programs, and that number will be even higher for the 2026-2027 school year.
This expansion is not isolated just to Penn. Over that same 15-year period, master’s degrees granted rose by 24% at Harvard, 30% at Stanford, and 37% at MIT. Yale and Princeton saw even larger percentage increases, (100% and 63%, respectively), though from much smaller baselines (1,341 at Yale and 403 at Princeton to Penn’s 3,077 in 2009).
Financial pressures help explain this trend. During Penn’s Spring 2025 board meetings, Vice President for Budget Planning and Analysis Trevor Lewis noted that new academic offerings are partly driven by “proactive financial measures.”
Penn faces uncertainty around federal funding, higher endowment taxes, and rising operating costs. Its schools have already implemented budget cuts, hiring freezes, and reductions in PhD admissions.
In that context, expanding master’s programs is a logical response. The programs generate meaningful revenue given lower levels of financial aid and have the potential to boost Penn's reach and reputation, possibly attracting students, faculty, funding, and attention from across the country and around the world.
But expansion alone cannot be the goal.
New programs should first and foremost advance Penn’s academic mission, not just its financial position. As fields evolve and new areas of inquiry emerge, Penn should adapt. However, expansion driven primarily by financial considerations risks diluting academic standards and long-term institutional strength.
In recent years, master’s programs at elite universities have faced growing scrutiny as revenue-generating tools. Outcomes vary widely by field, and some students, especially in lower-earning disciplines, take on debt that significantly exceeds expected earnings at Penn and peer schools. Rising cost of attendance, often exceeding $100,000 annually, has amplified these concerns.
The financing landscape is also shifting. The phase-out of unlimited Grad PLUS loans introduces federal borrowing limits, while Penn’s move toward private alternative loans suggests that high tuition levels may persist, at least in the near term.
Against this backdrop, Penn’s expanding master’s portfolio should be evaluated against clear standards: strong employment outcomes in intended fields, earnings that justify the cost of attendance, and admissions profiles that reflect readiness for rigorous study. Most importantly, each program must deliver a curriculum that meets Penn’s academic standards.
Ultimately, Penn’s expanding master’s portfolio should be defined not by its growth, but by whether each program is rooted in genuine academic purpose rather than just financial returns.
The Almanac
Curated highlights from this week’s Penn news
Penn graduate student union officially ratified as part of United Auto Workers
Last month, Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania (GET–UP) ratified its first contract with the university after almost two years of negotiations, as we discussed here.
Last week, GET–UP was officially registered as chapter 5124 of the UAW, enabling it to begin collecting membership dues. Graduate students who work at Penn are encouraged to register as part of the union and begin paying dues.
In an Instagram post, GET–UP wrote that it will be “funded by workers via membership dues or fair share fees.” Although membership is optional, those who choose to opt out are still required to pay “fair share” fees. Both dues and fair share fees are currently a $10 initiation fee and 1.44% of gross pay.
So what? Joining the UAW formalizes GET-UP's structure and connects it to a broader network of graduate student unions at peer institutions like Harvard, NYU, and Columbia. While GET–UP’s first contract secured gains without altering academic governance, the union's long-term impact will depend on how it leverages UAW support in future negotiations and campus dynamics.
Employment-related Ombuds concerns increased for 2024-2025 academic year
Penn’s Office of the Ombuds is a confidential forum of members of the community to voice concerns and seek guidance to improve their learning and work environments. The office reported a 6% increase in visits during the 2024-2025 school year, continuing a steady rise from 150 total visits in 2020-2021 to 229 last year.
Of all visits, 38% came from staff, 21% from faculty, 17% from graduate students, 14% from undergraduates, and 4% from postdocs. Employment-related issues were the most common concern (39%), followed by academic issues (33%).
The office cited both the increased volume of visits and successful outcomes from its use of constructive dialogue across the university as markers of its success. It plans to expand training in conflict management and increase access to restorative practices and resolution strategies.
So what? The continued rise in Ombuds visits give the office a window into the challenges facing Penn’s workforce and academic community. While some growth likely reflects greater outreach and awareness of the office, it also suggests sustained demand for support navigating workplace and academic concerns. As Penn invests in conflict resolution resources, the key question will be whether the efforts create measurable improvements in campus climate and employee experience.
Penn appoints new leaders across Wellness at Penn, IT department, and compliance office
Timothy Susanin was chosen as vice president for audit, compliance and privacy, effective April 1st. Susanin comes most recently from the private sector, serving as Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s senior vice president and chief audit, compliance, and risk officer. Penn’s EVP Mark Dingfield emphasized Susanin’s skills in relationship management and collaboration, which will be key in working across the university and Penn Medicine.
Also effective April 1st, Joshua Beeman (G ‘96, GR ‘07), the current interim vice president for information technology and chief information officer, will become permanent VP. After a national search, Beeman, who has worked in the IT and information security department at Penn for more than 20 years, was chosen.
Erika Enk was named as the inaugural assistant medical director for gender and sexual health for Wellness at Penn, coming from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The new role is designed to improve student care and will combine clinical and administrative responsibilities. According to medical director of Student Health and Counseling Raymond Cattaneo, the school hopes Enk’s arrival will help facilitate a “more accessible, compassionate, and connected system of care.”
So what? These appointments signal new investment in leadership roles that directly shape student experience and continued focus on university operations and governance. While many fill existing vacancies, new positions like Enk’s suggest targeted expansion despite financial pressure.
Thank you for reading the Franklin’s Forum newsletter! We love connecting with our readers — send us your thoughts and questions, Penn news, and ideas for future issues. If you enjoyed this edition, please spread the word by forwarding it to friends and classmates.