About

The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest, largest, and most diverse of all the colleges at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The College has occupied the central position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and in the University of Nebraska system of higher education since 1871.

We offer over 50 majors and minors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary areas through two degree programs (the bachelor of arts and the bachelor of science) and 16 pre-professional programs (such as Pre-Medicine, Pre-Law, and Pre-Dentistry). The College, encompassing a wide range of academic disciplines, comprises more that seventeen departments, schools, institutes, and centers with approximately 370 permanent faculty, 4,500 undergraduate majors and 1,200 graduate students. Virtually all UNL undergraduates take courses in the College.

Our key mission is to offer students a comprehensive education in which they learn about the human condition and the physical world. Students have the opportunity to explore, to create, to interpret, to weigh ideas, evidence and the claims of authorities, to analyze, to think logically, and to prepare to participate in a wide variety of personal, academic and professional activities.

The College strives to:

• educate undergraduate students to a high level of competence in their major fields through instruction that integrates formal course work with experience in research and creative activity.
• advance knowledge through research and creative activity at the national and international level.
• provide all undergraduate students with a range of knowledge and a broad intellectual experience that can form the basis for critical and imaginative thinking, thereby enabling them to become tolerant and responsible members of a global society.
• provide undergraduate and graduate students across the campus with courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences to meet their academic needs in their major programs.
• serve the university and community-at-large and provide educational leadership for the state and region.

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is home to nationally-known faculty, programs, facilities, and publications. Visit our Highlights and Possibilities pages for examples.

The faculty's role as 'scholar-teachers' is essential to the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences. The quality of their research and creative activities and their commitment to teaching enable them to expose their students to a wide range of knowledge and to the processes by which new knowledge is acquired.

Whatever you choose to study, we pledge to help you:

• Discover, develop, and appreciate your creative potential.
• Understand and value your cultural heritage and the diverse cultural heritages of others.
• Prepare to participate actively, responsibly, and knowledgeably in a world where science and technology are becoming increasingly complex.
• Obtain the formal knowledge and experience necessary for you to take the first steps in achieving your career goal.