Lara Merriken

Lara Merriken (Master of Applied Positive Psychology ’23) always thought of herself as a positive person. Believing in hers and others’ strengths created a throughline in her careers—from working as a social worker with at-risk youth, to founding LÄRABAR, to serving as an adviser after the company’s acquisition by a Fortune 500 corporation. “Human flourishing is what I’ve always been about,” she says. Although Lara studied psychology as an undergraduate, she first heard of positive psychology at her son’s school, where she is a board member.

Ethan McLear

“When I was at Penn, I would never have thought that I would wind up in a Master of Divinity degree program,” begins Ethan McLear, a former Penn Post-Baccalaureate Studies program student. He enrolled in the Post-Bacc shortly after finishing his undergraduate degree, looking for clarity about his future—both in terms of a career and a discipline for graduate studies. Two semesters of advanced coursework and the network he built at Penn helped guide Ethan on his journey to a master’s program at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Seeking energy solutions with an opportunity mindset

“While I was earning my chemical engineering degree in India, I always looked through the lens of sustainability; asking, how do we make this industrial process more sustainable so that there are no effluents?” begins Shrey Mehta (MES ’25). While many of his classmates entered traditional careers in the oil and gas industries, Shrey chose to forge a path toward a career in sustainable and equitable energy solutions.

Marjorie Aunos

Before she discovered positive psychology and Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, Dr. Marjorie Aunos (MAPP ’25) was at a difficult point in her life. For nearly a decade, the psychologist and researcher had been managing living with an acquired disability alongside raising her son and sustaining her career. The convergence of challenges left her burnt out and depressed.

Submatriculation

If you are a current on-campus undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, you may begin the MAEDS program while completing your undergraduate degree via submatriculation. Undergraduates in online programs are not eligible for this option. Students may enter the MAEDS program as submatriculants during the first semester of their senior year. They may take up to two c.u. of MAEDS courses as undergraduates: one c.u. in the fall semester of senior year, and one c.u. in the spring semester of senior year.

Admissions Event: Fels Executive MPA Meet & Greet

Are you interested in learning directly from Fels students and alumni about the Executive Master of Public Administration (Executive MPA) program? We invite prospective students to join a virtual Meet & Greet on March 4 from 12 – 1 p.m. ET via Zoom to hear from a Fels faculty member, current Executive MPA student, and recent alum. You”ll gain insight about the student experience, from the coursework to the culture, and learn more about how the Fels focus on context, analysis, and practice will enhance your career and prepare you for public leadership.

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Virtual Information Sessions

We invite you to join us for a virtual information session about the Penn LPS Online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree. Members of our BAAS program team will present an overview of the BAAS degree, including foundational requirements and degree concentrations. Get your questions answered about the online learning experience as well as advising and student services that are available to BAAS students. Learn about the application process and how you can “prove your way in” if you do not meet the standard admission requirements.

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