A college of arts and sciences or school of arts and sciences is most commonly an individual institution or a unit within a university that focuses on instruction of the liberal arts and pure sciences, although they frequently include programs and faculty in fine arts, social sciences, and other disciplines such as humanities. They are especially found in North America and the Philippines.
In contrast, an "art school" or "college/school of arts" usually refers to a unit or institution that cultivates visual or performing arts; a "liberal arts college" usually refers to a standalone institution; and a "college/school of (applied) arts and technology" typically refers to places for vocational education.
There are many alternative names, of which the most common include College (or School) of
- Arts and Sciences
- Arts and Letters
- Arts and Social Sciences
- Humanities
- Letters
- Letters and Science
- Liberal Arts
- Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Natural Sciences
- Science
- Social Sciences
- Social Sciences and Philosophy
University
These are "Arts and Sciences" units that are part of a larger post-secondary institution.
Typically, Colleges of (Liberal) Arts and Sciences at a non-specialized university include a rather large number of departments offering a significant number of majors/minors or courses of study. Such departments/majors commonly include mathematics and "pure sciences" such as biology, chemistry, and physics for which B.S. and maybe M.S. degrees are offered, as well as a significant selection of liberal arts. The "liberal arts" may include social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and other social studies such as history, geography, political science, etc. and language studies including English and other languages, linguistics, writing, literature, and communication arts and a variety of humanities and other fields of study. The sciences may offer B.S. and maybe M.S. degrees, and the other majors may offer B.A. and maybe M.A. degrees. Humanities may include such fields of study as philosophy, classical studies, theology or religious studies, and certain others. Other fields of study may be lumped into a college of (Liberal) Arts and Sciences; however, certain specialized and professional fields are taught in more specialized colleges or schools such as a College of Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Education, Public policy school, or a College of Fine Arts and certain graduate level schools such as law schools, medical schools, dental schools, etc. The situation may also vary between continents and their various countries.
In many non-specialized universities, the college of (Liberal) Arts and Sciences is one of the largest colleges on the campus, and many students even from other colleges or schools take and are even required to take courses offered by the college of (Liberal) Arts and Sciences, such as mathematics and sometimes certain sciences. A college of (Liberal) Arts and Sciences commonly has a core curriculum which all students in the college must take, regardless of their major in the college. Such a core curriculum may specify that certain courses by their students must be taken, or may require elective courses to be taken within certain areas to provide a well-rounded education for each student. Other colleges or schools within a university could have different core curriculum requirements for their students. For each major and minor field of study, certain minimum courses and usually some electives must be taken within that area for a degree.
Australia
- Australian National University, College of Arts and Social Sciences
- University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences
- University of Queensland, School of Social Science
- Western Sydney University, School of Social Sciences
Canada
- College of Arts & Science, University of Saskatchewan
- School of Arts & Science, Seneca College
Japan
- National
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus
- Faculty of integrated human studies, Kyoto University
- School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation, Kyushu University
- School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University
- School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, University of Tokushima
- Faculty of Liberal Arts, Saitama University
- Public
- Faculty of Liberal Arts, Tsuru University
- International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama City University
- Private
- College of Liberal Arts, International Christian University
- College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University
New Zealand
- University of Auckland, School of Social Sciences
Philippines
- Ateneo de Davao University, School of Arts and Sciences
- Ateneo de Manila University, School of Humanities
- Ateneo de Manila University, School of Science and Engineering
- Ateneo de Manila University, School of Social Sciences
- Bicol University, College of Science
- Bicol University, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
- Bulacan State University, College of Arts and Letters
- Bulacan State University, College of Science
- Bulacan State University, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
- Cavite State University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Cebu Normal University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Central Luzon State University, College of Arts and Social Sciences
- Central Luzon State University, College of Science
- Central Philippine University College of Arts and Sciences
- De La Salle University College of Liberal Arts
- De La Salle University College of Science
- Don Honorio Ventura State University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Don Honorio Ventura State University, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
- Far Eastern University – Institute of Arts and Sciences
- Isabela State University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Manila Central University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, College of Arts and Sciences
- Mapua University, School of Social Science and Education
- Mariano Marcos State University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Mater Dei College, College of Arts, Sciences and Technology
- Mindanao State University-General Santos City, College of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, College of Arts and Social Sciences
- Mindoro State University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
- Pampanga State Agricultural University, College of Arts and Sciences
- Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Arts and Letters
- Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Science
- Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Social Sciences and Development
- Saint Louis University (Philippines), School of Natural Sciences
- Saint Louis University (Philippines), School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts
- San Beda Manila, College of Arts and Sciences
- Silliman University College of Arts and Sciences
- Tarlac State University, College of Arts and Social Sciences
- Tarlac State University, College of Science
- Technological University of the Philippines, College of Science
- University of Antique, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of Asia and the Pacific, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of Batangas, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of Caloocan City, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- University of San Carlos, School of Arts and Sciences
- University of Santo Tomas College of Science
- University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters
- University of Southern Mindanao, College of Arts and Social Sciences
- University of the Cordilleras, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of the Philippines Baguio, College of Social Sciences
- University of the Philippines Cebu, College of Social Sciences
- University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Arts and Letters
- University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Science
- University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
- University of the Philippines Los Baños, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of the Philippines Manila, College of Arts and Sciences
- University of the Philippines Mindanao, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Visayas State University, College of Arts and Science
- Wesleyan University Philippines, College of Arts and Sciences
- Western Mindanao State University, College of Social Sciences
- Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, College of Arts and Sciences
Russia
Singapore
- National University of Singapore, College of Humanities and Sciences
Sweden
- Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Taiwan
United Kingdom
- Aston University, School of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Birmingham City University, School of Social Sciences
- Cardiff University, School of Social Sciences
- London Metropolitan University, School of Social Sciences
- Sheffield Hallam University, College of Social Sciences and Arts
- Swansea University, College of Arts and Humanities
- University College London, UCL Arts and Sciences
- University of Aberdeen, School of Social Science
- University of Birmingham, College of Social Sciences
- University of Bradford, School of Social Sciences
- University of Brighton, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- University of Dundee, School of Social Sciences
- University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- University of Glasgow, College of Social Sciences
- University of Greenwich, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- University of Lincoln, College of Social Science
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences
- University of the Arts London
- University of Westminster, School of Social Sciences
United States
Independent
A number of independent institutions, almost entirely postsecondary, also refer to themselves as a college of arts and sciences. These include the following:
Canada
- Arts and Science Academy of Canada, in Vaughan, Ontario
- Canadian Arts & Sciences Institute, in Vancouver, BC
- La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science, in North York, Toronto, Ontario
India
- Alpha Arts & Science College
- Dr.N.G.P. Arts and Science College, Coimbatore
- Dr. MGR-Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women
- GTN Arts & Science College
- Ideal College of Arts and Sciences
- KG College of Arts and Science
- Kongu Arts and Science College
- Arts and Science College, Honnavar
- Mar Gregorios College of Arts and Science, Chennai
- Mary Matha Arts & Science College
- MES's M. M. College of Arts and Science, Sirsi
- MVM Arts and Science College
- PSG College of Arts and Science
- R. Shankar Memorial Arts and Science College
- Rathinam College of Arts and Science
- Shri Nehru Maha Vidyalaya College of Arts & Sciences
- T S Narayanaswami College of Arts and Science
- V.O.C. Arts & Science College
- Aditanar College of Arts & Science
- University Arts and Science College, Warangal
Nigeria
- Rivers State College of Arts and Science in Port Harcourt
- Akwa Ibom State College of Art and Science in Ikono
United States
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences
- Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
References
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- "School of Arts & Science - Seneca, Toronto, Canada". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- "Colleges, Schools and Institutes". Isabela State University. 2019-03-12. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- Jacksonville University College of Arts and Sciences Archived 2021-07-09 at the Wayback Machine (Archived)
- "Colleges | Academics | Johnson & Wales University". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- "Home | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences". Archived from the original on 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- "College of Arts & Sciences | Kent State University". www.kent.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
- "Arts and Science Academy of Canada". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- "About Us | Canadian Arts & Sciences Academy". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- "La Citadelle". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.