Leading Across Differences, BS
The Leading Across Differences concentration allows students to understand and build a skillset required to navigate, integrate and harness differences in perspectives, experiences and identities within organizations. Students will take courses that enable them to understand how differences in perspectives shape decision-making, collaboration, and performance across teams and organizations. As a consequence, students can build a curriculum that spans courses across these topics.
This concentration enables students to develop expertise well-suited to leadership roles that require managing teams with differing viewpoints, fostering constructive dialogue, and driving coordination, as well as to advisory roles in consulting and related fields where aligning stakeholders and navigating organizational dynamics are imperative.
4.0 credit units are required beyond the Wharton core for the Leading Across Differences concentration.
Students must take at least 1.5 credit units from foundational courses. The semester or quarter in which each class will tentatively be offered can be confirmed through the undergraduate course schedule.
For more information: https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/undergraduate/lad-concentration/
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Other Wharton Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Foundations | ||
| BEPP 1000 | Introductory Economics for Business Students 1 | 1 |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| or MATH 1070 | Calculus: Mathematics of change, Part I | |
| Critical Writing Seminar | 1 | |
| Business Fundamentals | ||
| Leadership Journey | ||
| WH 1010 | Business and You | 0.5 |
| WH 2010 | Business Communication for Impact | 0.5 |
| or WH 2011 | Global Business Communication for Impact | |
| MGMT 3010 | Teamwork and Interpersonal Influence | 0.5 |
| Senior Capstone | One course with attribute WUCP required 2 | 0.5 |
Please visit https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/senior-capstone for more information. | ||
| Fundamentals 3 | ||
| ACCT 1010 | Accounting and Financial Reporting | 1 |
| ACCT 1020 | Strategic Cost Analysis | 1 |
| BEPP 2500 | Managerial Economics (or Honors) | 1 |
| FNCE 1000 | Corporate Finance (or Honors) | 1 |
| FNCE 1010 | Monetary Economics and the Global Economy (or Honors) | 1 |
| LGST 1000 | Ethics and Social Responsibility (or Honors) | 1 |
| or LGST 1010 | Law and Social Values | |
| MGMT 1010 | Introduction To Management | 1 |
| MKTG 1010 | Introduction to Marketing (or Honors) | 1 |
| OIDD 1010 | An Introduction to Operations, Information and Decisions | 1 |
| STAT 1010 | Introductory Business Statistics (or Honors) 4 | 1 |
| or STAT 4300 | Probability | |
| or ESE 3010 | Engineering Probability | |
| STAT 1020 | Introductory Business Statistics (or Honors) | 1 |
| or STAT 4310 | Statistical Inference | |
| or ESE 4020 | Statistics for Data Science | |
| Flex Fundamentals | ||
Global Economy, Business & Society | ||
| One course unit with attribute WUGE required | 1 | |
Technology, Innovation & Analytics | ||
| One course unit with attribute WUTI required | 1 | |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | 7 | |
Foreign Language Requirement | ||
Two semesters at the beginner level of a language other than English or demonstration of equivalent proficiency required 5 | ||
Humanities | ||
Natural Science, Math & Engineering | ||
Social Science | ||
Flexible Gen Ed | ||
Three course units of approved undergraduate coursework taken outside of Wharton required | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives | ||
Three course units with substantial cross-cultural content required 6 | ||
| Business Breadth | ||
| Three upper-level course units from three different Wharton departments outside of the student's concentration required. Please visit https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/business-breadth/ for details. | 3 | |
| Unrestricted Electives | ||
| Five course units required 7 | 5 | |
| Total Course Units | 33 | |
- 1
For students who take ECON 0100 Introduction to Micro Economics and ECON 0200 Introductory Economics: Macro in place of BEPP 1000 Introductory Economics for Business Students: one of these courses can be used to satisfy BEPP 1000 on the degree audit. The second course may be used to fulfill a Liberal Arts & Sciences or Unrestricted Elective requirement.
- 2
Beginning with capstones offered in Fall 2027, all students must complete all business fundamentals as a prerequisite for the senior capstone, in addition to the Leadership Journey courses and any other required prerequisite course(s).
- 3
Course numbers for honors business fundamentals are: BEPP 2508 Managerial Economics, FNCE 1008 Corporate Finance (Honors), FNCE 1018 Monetary Economics and the Global Economy (Honors), LGST 1008 Ethics and Social Responsibility, LGST 1018 Law and Social Values, MKTG 1018 Introduction to Marketing, STAT 1018 Introductory Business Statistics, and STAT 1028 Introductory Business Statistics.
- 4
Dual-degree students majoring in SSE (Systems Science Engineering) and EE (Electrical Engineering) must take ESE 3010 Engineering Probability and ESE 4020 Statistics for Data Science.
- 5
Courses taken at Penn that satisfy the Foreign Language requirement may double-count as Humanities or Flexible Gen Ed.
- 6
Up to one course may be on U.S. cultural diversity. Please see course attribute WUCN for a list of non-U.S. courses and WUCU for a list of U.S. courses. Two CCP course units may double-count as Humanities; Natural Science, Math & Engineering; Social Science; or Flexible Gen Ed.
- 7
Students pursuing a second concentration may apply three course units of concentration courses to Unrestricted Electives.
Leading Across Differences Concentration
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| At least 1.5 credit units must come from these foundational courses: | 1.5 | |
| Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Leading Across Cultural and Relational Differences | ||
| Navigating Difficult Conversations in Business and Beyond | ||
| Leading and Managing Teams | ||
| Synchrony at Work | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| The remaining 2.5 credit units may also be selected from these courses: | 2.5 | |
| Employment Law: Practical Considerations for Managers | ||
| Diversity and the Law | ||
| Leading for Impact: Tackling the Biggest Societal Challenges | ||
| Negotiations | ||
| People Analytics | ||
| Decision Processes | ||
| With permission from the Management Department Faculty Advisor, up to 1 cu may be composed of relevant Global Modular Courses, Global Virtual Courses, Research Theses, Independent Studies with significantly related content, or related coursework from the College of Arts & Sciences | ||
| Other Wharton Requirements | 33 | |
| Total Course Units | 37 | |
For inquiries, contact Professor Sara Jane McCaffrey, Management Department Advisor.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| BEPP 1000 | Introductory Economics for Business Students | 1 |
| WH 1010 | Business and You | .5 |
| Math or Statistics Course | 1 | |
| 2-3 Other Courses | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| Math or Statistics Course | 1 | |
| Two Business Fundamentals Courses | 2 | |
| 1-2 Other Courses | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| WH 2010 | Business Communication for Impact | 0.5 |
| 2-3 Business Fundamentals | 2 | |
| 1-2 Other Courses | 2 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| 2-3 Business Fundamentals | 3 | |
| 1-2 Other Courses | 2 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MGMT 3010 | Teamwork and Interpersonal Influence | 0.5 |
| Courses towards Concentration and other Remaining Requirements | 4 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| Courses towards Concentration and other Remaining Requirements | 4.5 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Leadership Journey Capstone and Courses towards other Remaining Requirements | 4.5 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| Courses towards Remaining Requirements | 4.5 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Total Course Units | 37.00 | |