Wharton was established in 1881 as a business school for students within the University of Pennsylvania. Wharton was founded by Joseph Wharton and the current Dean is Erika H. James. The Wharton school of business has a campus in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Beijing. Key departments include accounting, business economics and public policy, finance, health care management, legal studies and business ethics, management, operation information and decisions, marketing, real estate, statistics and data science. The main focus of Wharton is to transform business education and use business to transform society as a whole creating a sustainable and equitable society.

Wharton is an institution for students to study at and offers many social impact courses. Additionally, Wharton regularly engages in research and publishes articles on entrepreneurship and innovation. Key examples include research into gender diversity in venture capital and private equity, as well as racial equity within investing. Wharton is at the forefront of educating future generations in how business can embrace sustainability and equity.

A key area of research that Wharton engages in is risk management, climate and the environment. This has included research on how to manage Philadelphia’s flood risk in a changing climate as well as risk ratings. Another key area of research is within Social Impact. This focuses on the benefits of impact investing and how embracing social initiatives can lead to greater profits for businesses. Wharton also offers a range of programs for professionals to deepen their understanding of sustainability. This includes the Total Impact Portfolio Challenge (TIMPC) and the Turner MIINT (MBA Impact Investing Network and Training) program. Both programs challenge participants to examine the importance of sustainability in investing.

Our founder Joseph Wharton had a vision for a business school focusing on rigorous analysis, actionable knowledge, and responsible leadership. Our senior leadership continues that vision to advance Wharton as the foremost research-led business school in the world.

The Wharton business school accepts funding from the university of Pennsylvania. They accept donations which can be given by individuals and firms. Funding is also received through student tuition.