W3i courses immerse students in an industry or business culture through dynamic engagements with leading firms, universities, and industry experts.
Led by world-class faculty of the Wharton School, these half-credit courses are offered in the spring and take place during school breaks. Students will earn 0.5 course units that can be used towards Business Breadth or elective credits.
W3i: International Courses (WH2980)
Known as the Wharton International Program (WIP), these short-term business courses feature interactive business site visits, lectures at partner schools, cultural excursions, and networking opportunities with alumni and other business leaders from the destination countries.
W3i: International courses are designed to:
- Provide an understanding of a region’s business and cultural environment
- Help students gain a working knowledge of local business practices through lectures at partner schools and direct interaction with business managers
- Explore the value of different business models
- Promote intercultural awareness and communication
- Help prepare students for careers in the global economy
W3i: Domestic Courses (WH2970)
W3i: Domestic courses — known as the Wharton Industry Exploration Program (WIEP) — connect undergraduate students with leading firms across the United States to explore industries, engage directly with alumni and other professionals, and gain insight into current and developing business challenges and practices.
W3i: Domestic course participants will:
- Challenge assumptions about industries, business functions, and talent pipelines;
- Learn how company values, strategy, and culture shape organizational success;
- Apply their knowledge in immersive, hands-on projects; and
- Refine professional interests, skills, and aspirations.
Eligibility
- All Penn undergraduates are eligible to apply.
- Students must be in good academic standing.
- Students may only participate in a maximum of two W3i courses during their tenure at Penn.
- Graduating fourth-years are not eligible for W3i May courses.
Selection is through a highly competitive application process. Financial assistance is available.
Application Timeline:
- Opens: September 14, 2026
- Closes: September 27, 2026 (by 11:59 pm ET)
- Decisions Released: October 21, 2026
Spring 2027 Course Offerings
Miami: January 6-11 | Luxury-Branded Real Estate: A Miami Perspective | Prof. Barbara Kahn | Brochure and Application
- Students will explore the strategic, financial, and experiential dimensions of luxury-branded real estate in Miami through company visits, executive discussions, joint programming with the University of Miami, and field experiences. Only open to second-, third-, and fourth-year students.
Los Angeles: March 7-12 | The Media and Entertainment Industry in Los Angeles | Prof. Marissa Sharif | Brochure and Application
- This program will feature visits to businesses, panel discussions, extracurricular activities, and networking opportunities with alumni and other business leaders in the Los Angeles area.
Sweden: May 23-29 | Doing Well By Doing Good in Stockholm | Prof. Cait Lamberton | Brochure and Application
- This course will allow students to explore and analyze the “Nordic model” of the market, through activities like engagement with the Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm-based startups, civic and philanthropic organizations, and thriving global companies with their roots in Sweden.
San Francisco: May 24-29 | Bay Area Entrepreneurship Lab | Prof. Daniel Kim | Brochure and Application
- This course is a week-long immersion experience that will expose students to entrepreneurship through an interactive hackathon and a series of visits to frontier companies in the Bay Area.