Wharton Research Services (WRDS)

Wharton Research Data Services, often referred to as WRDS is web-based platform that provides researchers access to financial, economic, and marketing data. WRDS services are for academic and non-commercial research purposes only. Users may not use data downloaded from the WRDS database for any non-academic or commercial endeavor.

Who is eligible for a WRDS account?

All current faculty, staff, and students at a WRDS subscribing institution are eligible for access to WRDS. Individual accounts for Faculty, Ph.D., Research Assistant, Masters/ Undergraduate, Staff, and Visitor may be provided at the discretion of the university’s WRDS Representatives.

Our WRDS policy prohibits undergraduate/masters students from accessing WRDS during the extended break between semesters. Once the new semester begins, these students will again be able to access their WRDS accounts.

Who is not eligible for a WRDS account?

Alumni and community members, research colleagues and co-authors from other institutions, and those not actively employed or enrolled in Penn State courses.

Eligible Penn State affiliates may register for a WRDS account at https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.edu/

The following users can request an individual WRDS account:

• Faculty: Faculty accounts are available to all standing permanent faculty. The default expiration for faculty accounts is 5 years. Accounts can be renewed. Faculty who need to transfer an account from a previous institution can use the Account Transfer Request Form.
• Ph.D Students: PhD accounts are available to all current PhD candidates. Additional information may be needed to process your request. The default expiration for PhD student accounts is 2 years.
• Master's & Undergraduate Students: Master's/Undergrad accounts are available to all full‐time master's and undergraduate students. Master's and undergraduate students have access to WRDS during the academic year, but access will be paused during extended breaks. The default expiration for student accounts is 2 years. 
• Research Assistants: Research Assistant accounts are available to students who are working on research with faculty. If registering for this type of account, please include the name of your faculty sponsor in the form to expedite account approval. The default expiration for research assistant accounts is 2 years. 
• Staff Accounts: Staff accounts can only be requested by support personnel such as librarians, IT support staff, or other staff. The default expiration for staff accounts is 5 years.
• Visitor Faculty: Visitor accounts are available to visiting visitor faculty (non‐permanent or part‐time position, or those on a limited appointment). These accounts are subject to additional review and may not be used after the visiting appointment ends.The default expiration for visitor accounts is 1 year. Please note: Lecturers are not eligible for faculty accounts but may apply for a visitor account.
• Class Accounts: Faculty can request a class account for student use in a specific course. Requests must include the class start and end date. Students will only have access to WRDS during that specified time. Students who have difficulty setting up or using their class account should contact WRDS Support, not their instructor.

Eligible Penn State affiliates may register for a WRDS account at https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.edu/ 

NOTE: The sharing of username and password is strictly prohibited. Violating this rule will lead to the loss of your individual account and may result in loss of access for all Penn State University users. 

For questions about WRDS accounts or requests, contact ul-buslib-fac@lists.psu.edu for more information.