College of Arts and Sciences

Interim Dean
Jeanette Altarriba, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)

Associate Dean
Susanna Fessler, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for Facilities Management
Elizabeth J. Gaffney, M.A.

Vice Dean
Kathleen H. Gersowitz, M.B.A.

Assistant Dean for Planning and Tenure/Promotion
Marie Rabideau, M.S.

Assistant Dean for Public Engagement and Director of the University in the High School Program
Debernee Privott, Ph.D.

The presence of research faculty and graduate students in the programs of the College affords undergraduate students the opportunity to study with scholars and researchers working at the cutting edge of their disciplines. Qualified advanced undergraduates, in accordance with University policy, may enroll in appropriate graduate courses.

Fields of study leading to majors in the College are actuarial and mathematical sciences, Africana studies, anthropology, art, art history, atmospheric science, biology, chemistry, Chinese studies, communication, East Asian studies, economics, English, geography, history, human biology, Japanese studies, journalism, Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino studies, linguistics, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, psychology, sociology, Spanish, theatre, urban studies and planning, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.

In addition, the College is responsible for Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Majors with concentrations in biochemistry and molecular biology, documentary studies, environmental science, globalization studies, Medieval and Renaissance studies, and religious studies. There are opportunities for students to propose Student-Initiated Interdisciplinary Majors, faculty-sponsored and drawing upon two or more fields in the College.

Most major programs also offer a minor. Other minors through the College include acting, bioethics, cognitive science, creative writing, electronics, film studies, French, forensic science, geographic information science, Hebrew, international studies, Italian, Judaic studies, Korean studies, Latin American and Caribbean studies, law and philosophy, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies, medical anthropology, musical theatre, neuroscience, organizational studies, Portuguese, Russian, Russian and Eastern European studies, statistics, sustainability, and theatrical design/technology.

For purposes of degree requirements for the B.A. and B.S. degrees, the following undergraduate courses offered by the College are defined as liberal arts and sciences: all courses except A EAJ 423, A ECO 495, A HEB 450, A MAT 204, A MUS 315, A THR 315.

Courses under the College of Arts and Sciences are preceded by the prefix letter A.

Foreign Language Study Placement Policies
Foreign language placement is based on a student’s current level of competence, as determined by placement procedures developed by the University’s foreign language departments. Regulations covering foreign language placement and credit may be obtained from departmental offices offering the language in question.

The department, through a departmental representative, will assess the active skills in that language and will make a final placement decision for each student no later than the second class meeting of the course being recommended. A student may not earn graduation credit for a course in a language sequence if it is a prerequisite to a course for which graduation credit has already been earned.

Students earning advanced placement credits from high school will be expected to register for the next course in the language sequence. Those earning credit in University in the High School course work must consult with the appropriate department chair for placement in the next course in that language’s sequence.