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What courses did Donald Trump take at UPenn in 1966-1968?
Executive summary
Available sources say Donald J. Trump transferred from Fordham to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and graduated in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in a business/economics-related field described variously as “B.S. in real estate” or “B.S. in economics” [1] [2]. The assembled reporting and university statements give degree title and dates but do not list a course-by-course transcript or specific classes taken in 1966–1968 in the provided material [1] [3].
1. What the university and mainstream reporting say about degree and dates
The clearest institutional statement cited in reporting is that “Donald J. Trump earned a B.S. in real estate, which was awarded on May 20, 1968,” a formulation quoted from Ron Ozio, Penn’s director of media relations [1]. Other mainstream summaries and biographical profiles state he graduated from the Wharton School in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in economics or a B.S. in economics [2]. Multiple sources consistently place his transfer to Wharton in 1966 and his graduation in 1968 [3] [2].
2. What the sources do not provide: no course list or transcript in reporting
None of the supplied sources reproduce a semester-by-semester course list, syllabi, or official transcript for Trump’s years at Penn (available sources do not mention a course list). Penn officials cited in reporting say they can provide degree verification but will not release grades or detailed academic records without the student’s consent, and the articles do not include such detailed records [1] [4].
3. Conflicting language about the degree’s label — “real estate” vs. “economics”
Reporting and summaries use slightly different descriptions: the University of Pennsylvania quote used by Philly magazine identifies the diploma as a “B.S. in real estate” [1], while other profiles and encyclopedic entries describe Trump’s degree as a B.S. or bachelor’s in economics from Wharton [2]. This is a difference in emphasis between the formal Wharton notation (some Penn materials and alumni references note a “real estate” concentration) and how biographies generalize the credential as an economics/business degree [1] [2].
4. Admissions and class-rank claims: context and disputes
Sources note disputes about Trump’s later public claims about class standing and academic rigor. James Nolan, the Penn admissions officer who interviewed Trump in 1966, characterized admission at that time as less selective and disputed later claims that Trump was “first in his class,” while commencement programs and graduate lists from 1968 show award and honors recipients without Trump’s name among top honorees [5] [6]. Newsweek and The Daily Pennsylvanian underscore that Penn will not release grades without consent, leaving some claims unverified in the documents cited [4] [6].
5. Allegations about how he was admitted — reporting and limits
Some reporting raises questions about the 1966 admissions process: a Penn professor renewed calls for investigation after tapes and recollections suggested family assistance around testing and admission; the admissions officer who interviewed Trump said he was not struck by exceptional academic prowess [3] [5]. Mary Trump’s published claim that someone else took the SAT on Donald Trump’s behalf is reported by news outlets but is not corroborated by university records in the supplied materials [6].
6. What a researcher would need to establish a course list
To compile an authoritative list of courses Trump took at Wharton in 1966–1968 one would need primary documents not included in these sources: the official student transcript from the University of Pennsylvania archives or Wharton course catalogs from those years cross-referenced with any released student records (available sources do not mention those items). Penn archives (commencement program) are cited in coverage for honor rolls, but the articles do not reproduce detailed class schedules or syllabi [6] [1].
7. Why this matters: degrees, concentrations, and public claims
The discrepancy in terminology (real estate vs. economics) and the absence of public transcripts feed debates about what Trump’s Wharton degree signifies and about the veracity of public statements he later made about class rank and academic honors [1] [4]. Reporting shows strong interest in admissions context and later claims, but also shows institutional limits on releasing detailed student academic records without authorization [5] [4].
If you want next steps: I can draft exact requests and archive targets (Wharton/University Archives, 1966–1968 course catalogs, or how to request a historical transcript) to try to obtain the specific semester course listings not contained in these articles.