The College of Arts and Sciences houses educational and research programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, physical and biological sciences, and mathematical sciences. Students in the college can choose a major or minor from almost 60 undergraduate programs, design their own courses of study, or enroll in integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree programs. In addition, the college offers graduate programs in several fields where small size and special expertise allow it to make a distinctive contribution to advanced education and research.

The college is organized into 21 academic departments and several interdisciplinary programs and centers, including Childhood Studies, International Studies, Evolutionary Biology, History and Philosophy of Science, and Women’s Studies. Undergraduates as well as graduate students are encouraged to conduct independent research, in their chosen fields or related ones, within the college, in other units of the university, or in nearby medical and cultural institutions. The academic experience can extend into the community in the form of service-learning projects as well as internships in research institutions, businesses, cultural institutions, and governmental agencies.

The college’s curricular offerings are enhanced by its affiliations with other University Circle institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Western Reserve Historical Society, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Cleveland Play House. The college itself offers many arts presentations, lecture series and symposia. It also provides abundant opportunities for students to participate in musical, theater and dance performances.

Students from across the university participate in the academic and cultural life of the college. For example, undergraduates in the Case School of Engineering, the Weatherhead School of Management, and the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing all enroll in SAGES, the seminar-based general education program administered by the College of Arts and Sciences.