Sector Descriptions
All undergraduates in the School of Nursing are required to enroll in sector, or general education, courses.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee believes that the liberal arts are essential to the education of
the Penn nurse. The sectors for Nursing students in the Class of 2012 and later are:
Arts and Letters: Any course numbered 499 or below that provides breadth in an area of the
arts – applied or theoretical – or in the humanities. Literature from linguistic traditions other
than English should be in translation, as literature in the original suits the Global and Cultural
Studies.
Society and Social Structures: Any course numbered 499 or below that provides breadth in an
area of sociology, social psychology, social structures, and studies of material including but not
limited to individuals in groups, group behavior, organizations, systems, and institutions using
contemporary sources.
Histories and Traditions: Any course numbered 499 or below that provides breadth in an area
of history, comparative history and historical methods and historical traditions in cultures and
societies using historical sources.
Global and Cultural Studies: Any course numbered 499 or below that provides breadth in an
area of culture, cultural studies and interpretation including but not limited to current cultural
traditions, folklore, literature in the original language and text that is not English, and any
comparisons of literature and other cultural documents using contemporary sources.
Reasoning, Systems, and Relationships: Any course numbered 499 or below that provides
breadth in an area of study that addresses logical, mathematical, and quantifiable relationships
among any entities including ideas, people, groups, systems, and other social or technological
structures. Specialized research approaches including field work, advanced statistics, and other
methods further fulfill this aim.
For a complete list of sector courses, please refer to the following website:
http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/students/registration/Pages/Quick-Links.aspx
Please note that this sector list is constantly under review and is therefore subject to change.