Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The College of Arts and Sciences originated as the General Sciences Course. Beginning in 1884, students could earn a Bachelor of Science degree by taking courses rather than selecting majors—in subjects such as English and rhetoric, Latin, French, German, history, philosophy, physical science, mineralogy and geology, biological science, metallurgy, mathematics, and music. There were no departmental administrators or a dean until 1924, when the General Science Division was established. In 1953, applied arts were added to its title. Following the institution’s transition to university status, the Division of Science and Applied Arts became the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College of Arts and Sciences fulfills two key roles at the university: it provides instruction in the university’s general education core and offers disciplinary education in the arts and sciences.
Today, the College includes fifteen departments offering major and minor programs leading to one of three undergraduate degrees. Additionally, five departments in other colleges offer programs administered through the College of Arts and Sciences.