Student Resources

Whether you are taking individual courses or enrolling in a certificate or degree program, your academic advisor can help you define and meet your academic goals. Your advisor is also available to assist you with selecting and registering for courses, clarifying university policies and procedures, addressing academic questions and problems, identifying resources and support services, and navigating certificate requirements, general degree requirements, or the transfer credit process.

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) students will have access to a general academic advisor with Penn LPS Online as well as a faculty contact in their program concentration. The name of the BAAS program director and the student’s assigned academic advisor will appear in Path@Penn, the University’s online student gateway to academic, financial, and profile information under Advisors. If no advisor name appears in Path@Penn, students should contact LPS Records by calling (215) 746-7040.

With career readiness at the forefront, Penn LPS Online connects students to career development and transition resources, as well as personal branding tools to succeed in today’s workplace.

Career services
All Penn LPS Online career services are program-based and delivered by Penn LPS Online career experts.

On-demand modules
The Penn LPS Online team has authored a comprehensive library of career development content that includes articles, videos, and web links that cover a broad range of topics just for Penn LPS Online students.

Career events
Employer-sponsored virtual career events, such as information sessions, can be located in the Penn Handshake Events section (available only to BAAS students).

Office hours
All Penn LPS Online students are invited to attend office hours to discuss brief, solution-focused career questions. For additional information, email lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu, and in the subject line note: Career Development: Your Name, Student ID Number, and PennKey. (Example: Job Searching: Ben Franklin, 123456, BFranklin)

Tools and technology
Penn LPS Online offers access to selected third-party platforms that provide career development support for online learners. See the career development section of the Student Information Site in our learning management system, Canvas, for a complete list.

Student Health and Counseling at the University of Pennsylvania offers free and confidential services to all Penn undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.* Students studying online at Penn can access Student Health and Counseling in a variety of ways:

• To consult with Student Health and Counseling, using our 24/7 phone line, call (215) 898-7021. In an emergency, you should contact local first responders.
• For additional information and online resources, visit the Student Health and Counseling website.

Students studying online have access to the following support:

• Support for urgent/immediate mental health issues: You can reach us at (215) 746-WELL (9355). If you have a life-threatening concern, please call 911, go to your local emergency room, or call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.
• Referrals for mental health providers: Access referrals to providers in your area through Welltrack Connect or contact our office at (215) 746-WELL (9355) for assistance with referrals.
• Support resources: We offer a variety of resources on the next two pages to support your mental health and wellbeing.

General provider searches:

• Welltrack Connect
• Better Help
• Psychology Today
• Talk Space

Identity affirming providers:

• Inclusive Therapists

Low-cost providers:

• Open Path Psychotherapy Collective

International therapists:

• International Therapist Directory 
• Psychological Care for Expats

Helpful information about the referral process:

• Before the referral
• During the referral
• After the referral

National mental health resources

Crisis support:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Crisis Text Line 
• The Steve Fund x Crisis Text Line (Support for young people of color)
• The Trevor Project (Support for LGBTQ youth/young adults) 
• Trans Lifeline (Support for trans people) 
• RAINN (Support for sexual assault survivors)
• International Suicide Hotlines
• International Help Center

Mental health organizations:

• American Association of Suicidology
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center
• Mental Health is Health
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 
• National Eating Disorders Association
• The Steve Fund 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

*Penn employees do not have access to Student Health and Counseling. Instead, employees should contact Penn's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health and other support services.

This handbook is for students enrolled in the BAAS and Gateway Program. The handbook provides details about the University and other information that will help you plan your course of study with Penn LPS Online: curriculum requirements, policies and procedures, and more.

Penn LPS Online BAAS and Gateway Students Handbook 2023-2024 (PDF)

This handbook is for students enrolled in certificate programs and individual courses. The handbook provides details about the University and other information that will help you plan your course of study with Penn LPS Online: curriculum requirements, policies and procedures, and more.

Penn LPS Online Certificate and Course-Taker Handbook 2024-2025 (PDF)

Founded in 1995 by a group of students, faculty, staff and alumni, the Kelly Writers House is a 13-room house at 3805 Locust Walk on Penn's campus that serves as a center for writers of all kinds, from both Penn and the Philadelphia region at large. Kelly Writers House also has a strong virtual presence with ongoing interactive webcasts. Via dozens of listservs and email discussion groups, they link writers and readers from across the country and around the world. Through its many programs and projects, Kelly Writers House promotes the full range of contemporary literature, addressing writing both as a practice and as an object of study.

The Penn Bookstore offers a range of options for purchasing course materials, including new, used, digital and rental versions, depending on the textbook. They also carry merchandise, school supplies, regular books, and magazines.

Since 1750, the Penn Libraries have served the teaching, research and learning needs of scholars. Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree students, certificate students, and course takers will have online access to library resources, including online databases and e-journals. Those in the Philadelphia area can access the University of Pennsylvania Libraries in person.

Confirm all computer technology is up to date and meets system requirements. Review current system requirements for all Penn LPS Online students.

There is 24/7 technical support available for your course. If you encounter technical difficulties and need immediate assistance, please call (toll-free) 1-833-283-2987. You can access our Knowledge Base Penn LPS Online Helpdesk to try troubleshooting on your own or live chat with a technical support staff member. In addition, you can reach out to us via email at online-learning-help@sas.upenn.edu and we will respond to you within 24 hours.

Please review the current system requirements for Penn LPS Online students.

Students in Penn LPS Online courses have access to Brainfuse via Canvas course sites. Brainfuse tutoring and writing support services are available to students free of charge, though students must be currently enrolled in a course to access them.

Brainfuse offers live tutoring via a synchronous whiteboard-and-chat platform in the following subject areas:

• Computers and tech: Excel, PowerPoint, Windows, Word
• English: college-level reading and writing
• Math: calculus, college algebra, geometry, liberal arts math, pre-algebra, pre-calculus, statistics, trigonometry
• Science: anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics

The Brainfuse Writing Lab helps students become better writers by providing constructive feedback on writing assignments within 24 hours. Students submit their papers via the Brainfuse extension in Canvas.