Bachelor of Arts in a Life Sciences & Management

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Pennsylvania

Program Overview

The University of Pennsylvania’s Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management (LSM) is a four-year interdisciplinary dual-degree program combining bioscience with business and management, leading to a BA in a life science major from the College of Arts and Sciences and a BS in Economics from Wharton. It is designed for students interested in applying scientific knowledge to healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical research, public policy, and the strategic and financial management of life-science organizations.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their foundation in the life sciences while beginning their Wharton business and economics education, building the scientific and quantitative skills needed for interdisciplinary study. The program also introduces students to the intersection of science and management through its LSM coursework and the broader Penn curriculum.

Year 2: Students progress into more advanced life-science and business coursework while developing the ability to connect scientific discoveries with commercial and organizational decision-making. The curriculum is complemented by the program’s required scientific-research internship, giving students an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a professional setting.

Year 3: Students deepen their expertise in their selected life-science major and Wharton studies while completing the program’s second required paid internship in business or public policy. This stage strengthens practical understanding of how scientific innovations are evaluated, managed, financed, and brought toward real-world application.

Year 4: Students bring together their scientific and managerial training through advanced coursework and the LSMP 4210: LSM Capstone Course, which is a 1.0-CU Wharton capstone specifically designated for Vagelos LSM students. The capstone emphasizes applying knowledge to real-world life-science and healthcare challenges and completing an integrated project with practical and collaborative components.

Focus Areas: Bioscience and biotechnology, healthcare, biomedical research and development, agricultural and environmental R&D, public policy, financial management, strategic management, and life-science entrepreneurship.

Learning Outcomes: Scientific understanding, business and economic analysis, interdisciplinary problem-solving, research experience, strategic decision-making, teamwork, leadership, and the ability to connect scientific innovation with its practical and commercial application.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The official Penn materials identify LSM as a joint undergraduate degree program administered by the College of Arts and Sciences and Wharton; they do not state a separate professional accreditation specifically for the LSM program.

Reputation (Employability): Penn’s official materials describe LSM as preparation for careers in the rapidly growing life-sciences sector, and its program features required paid internships, an upper-level capstone, and interaction with life-science professionals. Penn also highlights LSM alumni working in industry and healthcare, including an alumnus whose LSM experience contributed to a career in pharmaceutical R&D strategy at Merck.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management (LSM) gives students a distinctly interdisciplinary learning experience by combining bioscience coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences with business and economics education in Wharton. Students can build practical skills through research, laboratory experiences, internships, mentorship, and exposure to the biotechnology, biomedical, healthcare, and life-sciences sectors, connecting scientific discovery with commercialization and management.

Practical Opportunities:

Laboratory Research: Students can gain hands-on exposure to biological research through Penn's extensive life-sciences research environment and laboratory facilities, supporting investigation of biomedical and bioscience questions.
Laboratory & Business Internships: LSM has an established experiential-learning model involving internships in both laboratory and business settings, giving students experience across the scientific and commercial sides of the life-sciences sector.
Research Projects: Students can engage with Penn faculty and research programs across bioscience, healthcare, biotechnology, and related fields, applying scientific knowledge beyond the classroom.
Healthcare & Life-Sciences Exposure: The program connects students with interests spanning healthcare, biomedical research and development, agricultural and environmental R&D, public policy, and strategic or financial management of biotechnology enterprises.
Mentorship: Penn's Educational Pipeline Program includes an LSM track focused on the development and commercialization of medical technologies, providing LSM undergraduate volunteers with an opportunity to work directly with students while exploring the science-to-business pathway.
Field-Based Exposure: Penn's life-sciences educational programs include field trips to local institutions in the medical, technology, and life-sciences sectors, providing exposure to professional environments beyond campus.
Professional Networking: Wharton and Penn provide international-learning and professional opportunities for LSM students, including programs that expose students to healthcare innovation and global life-sciences environments.
Cross-School Learning: Students work across the College of Arts and Sciences and Wharton, developing the ability to connect laboratory discoveries with business strategy, commercialization, and market access.
Research Presentation: Penn's Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Program gives eligible undergraduates opportunities to work on mentored health-services research projects, attend the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, and present their work at an end-of-program research symposium.
Specialized Penn Environment: Students benefit from Penn's broader life-sciences ecosystem, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton, Perelman School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, and related research and healthcare programs.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Vagelos Life Sciences & Management program combines life-science expertise with business training, preparing graduates for opportunities across biotechnology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consulting, finance, research, and strategic management. Penn specifically describes the program as preparation for careers in life sciences and for advanced training through MD, PhD, MBA, JD, and other graduate programs.

Typical Job Roles: Life Sciences Consultant, Healthcare Investment Analyst, Biotechnology Business Analyst, Pharmaceutical Strategy Associate.

Career Support & Employer Access:

Career Services: Penn Career Services provides employer information sessions through Handshake, career fairs, alumni networking, industry-specific job boards, and career resources for students pursuing life and physical sciences.
LSM Career Conversations: Students hear directly from leaders working at the intersection of life sciences and management, including executives from ADC Therapeutics, Arcus Bio, ByHeart, Transcend Therapeutics, Janssen, and healthcare investment organizations.
BioSciences Career Fair: Penn's BioSciences Career Fair connects students with employers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, consulting, science publishing, patent law, government, nonprofits, startups, and policy.
Required Internships: LSM includes two required paid internships—one focused on scientific research and another in business or public policy—giving students direct experience before graduation.

Employment Stats & Salary Figures:

Penn Undergraduate Outcomes: For the Class of 2025, 91% of Penn graduates were working full-time or continuing their education within six months of graduation.
Median Starting Salary: Penn reports a $103,418 median starting salary for 2025 graduates employed full-time across the undergraduate population; this is not an LSM-specific salary figure.
Career Outcomes Data: Penn Career Services provides an interactive undergraduate outcomes report that can be filtered by school, major/concentration, class year, employers, job titles, graduate schools, and salaries.
Current Life-Sciences Opportunity: A Penn Career Services listing for EVERSANA Management Consulting advertised an Associate Consultant position at $96,000–$112,000 annually and accepted a bachelor's degree in a life-science-related field among its qualifications.

University–Industry Partnerships: LSM's Career Conversations bring biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, investment, and life-science leaders directly into the student experience, while Penn's BioSciences Career Fair connects students with employers across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, consulting, startups, policy, and related sectors. LSM's capstone experience has also involved students presenting projects to biotechnology leaders and industry professionals.

Long-Term Accreditation Value: The LSM program is a coordinated dual-degree program between Penn's College of Arts and Sciences and Wharton, leading to a BA in a life-science major and a BS in Economics. Wharton is accredited by AACSB, providing an internationally recognized quality framework for the business component of the dual degree.

Graduation Outcomes: LSM graduates have moved into careers spanning biotechnology, healthcare, finance, consulting, and pharmaceutical strategy. Penn's official alumni profiles include LSM graduates working in healthcare investment banking and healthcare technology, while the program's interdisciplinary preparation also supports progression into advanced professional and graduate education.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the LSM dual degree, students can pursue advanced study such as an MD, PhD, MBA, JD, or other graduate programs, depending on their career goals. The program is specifically designed to provide preparation for advanced training while combining scientific knowledge with business and management expertise, creating pathways into medicine, scientific research, healthcare management, biotechnology, public policy, and related fields.