Mariam Vahradyan

After Mariam Vahradyan (Master of Applied Positive Psychology `24) completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she spent a few years working in education management: first for the largest children’s book publisher, Scholastic, then for a nonprofit in Yerevan, Armenia—the city where she was born and where she was excited to return after residing in New York City for most of her life. “I’d been in that corporate culture for a few years, and I really missed learning and talking about ideas and concepts in nuanced ways,” she reflects.

The College of Liberal and Professional Studies welcomes Dr. Yvette Bordeaux as Director of Graduate Programs

Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) is pleased to welcome Dr. Yvette Bordeaux as the new Director of Graduate Programs, where she will oversee the directors of LPS’ graduate and post-baccalaureate programs as they develop innovative program delivery and programmatic academic excellence. She will also serve as the faculty liaison to LPSGov, our graduate student government, and will work with departments and programs to develop new master’s and certificate programs.

Pre-Health Programs alumna Alex Miller honored this year with a clinical teaching award ahead of starting her dream job(s) at Penn Medicine

This past spring, Penn alumna Dr. Alex Miller was recognized with the Perelman School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching. The honor is something she couldn’t imagine possible when she left the education field and enrolled in Penn LPS’ Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Programs back in 2013.

I-MPA ’23 alumnus and three-time graduate student award winner Kaixi (Alex) Yang encourages incoming students to get involved in Penn student life

This past May, Kaixi (Alex) Yang (International Master of Public Administration, December ’23) attended the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) graduation ceremony. He donned the traditional cap, gown, and academic hood, plus a plethora of colorful cords and stoles—each ornament denoting a different honor and affiliation.

Applied Positive Psychology Programs: On-Campus Employee Info Session

For Penn employees only: Positive Psychology Programs on-campus information session

Whether you are a lifelong learner seeking personal benefit, a student seeking academic credit, or a professional looking to transform your workplace, you can study positive psychology at the institution where this innovative field was founded. Penn employees can use tuition benefits for these programs, which are designed and led by world-renowned researchers and practitioners at the University of Pennsylvania.

My IGSP experience: Cultural diversity in action

Hi, Quakers! I’m Ruoxuan Chen, one of the IGSP Ambassadors for Fall 2024. I’m from CUHKSZ (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen), and though it has been almost three months since I returned to my home university, my exchange experience at Penn still feels like a dream. Every moment - my initial nervousness upon arriving on campus, the excitement of meeting my roommate Bianca from Puerto Rico, and the thrill of attending orientation with students from all over the world - remains incredibly vivid in my memory.

Helping college-bound youth reach their potential through applied positive psychology

During the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, students work in small groups to partner with organizations from around the world and put their positive psychology expertise to work. Each service learning project studies the organization's structure, mission, and goals and develops an actionable plan to make an immediate impact and advance the mission.

Fall 2025 Penn LPS events and information sessions announced

The faculty and staff of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies invite you to join us for our upcoming fall information sessions and program events. Join us to learn about our undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and certificate programs.

Meet program directors and recruitment staff to get your questions answered about curricula, advising, and how our programs can help you reach your personal and professional goals. We look forward to answering your questions and helping you get started on the application process.

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