Scott Coltrane, Dean
(541) 346-3902
114 Friendly Hall
cas.uoregon.edu
About the College
The College of Arts and Sciences is the academic and intellectual hub of the University of Oregon, providing a core liberal arts curriculum to the vast majority of UO undergraduates—even those who will go on to earn a degree in one of the professional schools such as journalism or business.
The University of Oregon was founded in 1876 on a liberal arts curriculum, which has evolved over time to meet the needs of contemporary students. Owing to the breadth and depth of the curriculum provided by the College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Oregon is known as the premier liberal arts institution among the state’s public universities.
The fundamental academic mission of the college is to foster a solid and broad general education, which includes the cultivation of quantitative, analytical, and communication skills; an understanding of social and intellectual history; an appreciation of literary and artistic expression; and habits of creative and critical thinking.
Building on its foundational undergraduate curriculum, the college offers forty-seven major degree programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Moreover, the College of Arts and Sciences is the heart of the university’s research enterprise. The college has nearly 500 faculty members, all of whom are engaged in active research programs and make original contributions to their respective fields of knowledge. Because of this, students have the opportunity to learn from leading researchers while receiving a liberal education that prepares them to be successful global citizens in the twenty-first century.
Liberal Education
Social, political, and economic change is accelerating at a phenomenal pace. Many careers exist today that did not exist ten or even five years ago, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that young people today will have had ten to fourteen jobs by the time they are thirty-eight years old. Those best prepared for the future will be those who have developed a capacity for resourcefulness, judgment, analysis, leadership, clear communication, and an informed global perspective—in other words, the skills and knowledge that come from a liberal arts education.
Even students who plan to move into specialized postgraduate careers will benefit from an educational foundation that emphasizes how values, history, and context combine with creative thought and informed inquiry to determine the best way forward, in both professional and civic life. Thus a liberal arts education provides an essential framework for a lifetime of work and growth in a world where many professions are undergoing profound, sweeping transformations.
Academic Programs
The College of Arts and Sciences offers numerous disciplinary and interdisciplinary degree programs and majors, a varied selection of minors, and several certificates. These are described in detail in the pages that follow. As part of the requirements for graduation from the University of Oregon, every student undertakes in-depth study in an area of specialization that is the student’s major. Many students find it advantageous to complete a minor or certificate in an area of specialization that complements the major. Some minor programs offer a student whose major is in the College of Arts and Sciences the chance to gain expertise in subjects offered by a professional school.
Preparatory Programs. The college has preparatory programs for professional specializations. Information about these programs—those offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and those offered elsewhere in the university—is in the Academic Resources section of this catalog.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities. Unlike many research universities, the University of Oregon does not have schools of agriculture, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, public health, or veterinary medicine. Because it is smaller than most public research universities, it can offer a learning environment scaled for faculty-student interaction that is more like a private liberal arts college than a large research institution.
Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in faculty research projects. Arrangements must be made with the individual faculty member and the department.
Advising
Students who have declared a major, or who are premajors in a particular field, plan their programs with advisers in their major departments. Majors should be chosen by the middle of the sophomore year. Many entering freshmen—and some students at more advanced stages—have not decided on a major or even the general direction of their academic work. These undeclared students are assigned academic advisers by the director of college advising and the Office of Academic Advising.
Preparation for Kindergarten through Secondary School Teaching Careers
Students who complete a degree in a College of Arts and Sciences department are eligible to apply to the College of Education’s fifth-year licensure programs in middle-secondary and elementary teaching. More information is available in the College of Education section of this catalog; from College of Arts and Sciences education advisers, who are listed under their home departments; or by visiting geography.uoregon.edu/edge/teachercert/ecat.htm.
Professional Distinctions Program
Students in the Professional Distinctions Program add to their degree a set of skills and knowledge that complements the major in a distinctive way. Participants develop a professional demeanor in career workshops, apply what they have learned in the classroom to internships and other participatory learning experiences, and profile and present their knowledge and accomplishments for prospective employers in electronic résumés.
Admission. To be admitted to the program, a student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 and 60 credits of completed course work. Applicants must develop and propose a plan for earning a professional distinction. Assistance with the application is available by e-mailing a request to uodistinctions@cas.uoregon.edu.
Preadmission Planning. Prior to formal admission, students may begin planning for a professional distinction and propose a preliminary plan to integrate general-education, major, and professional distinction requirements.
Required Elements
1. Program Proposal. Each student creates content and coherence for an individualized program in a proposal, written interactively online at the program’s website
2. Area of Concentration. A focused set of academic skills achieved through 16 credits of upper-division course work or completion of a minor or second major
3. Internship. Participants complete an internship that entails at least 100 hours of experience.
4. Career Workshops. Students hone their skills in these workshops led by local employers and staff members of the UO Career Center
5. UO Professional Résumé. Each student presents his or her abilities to prospective employers in a professional résumé
Recognition. Upon completion of program requirements, the student receives a professional distinction certificate, signed by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
For more information, visit uodistinctions.uoregon.edu/site.
Honors Program
Society of College Scholars
The Society of College Scholars provides an opportunity for high-achieving and motivated students to enrich their undergraduate education through intensive interaction with some of the college’s finest faculty members, unique course offerings, and specialized research. The society attracts and challenges academically strong and gifted students, and fosters excellence by enhancing the core elements of a liberal arts education: critical reasoning; curiosity; written and oral communication; literary and artistic expression; ethical and moral judgment; and philosophical, historical, scientific, and other forms of inquiry.
Admission. A student is eligible to enroll in the program if he or she enters the university with the criteria in place for receiving a Dean’s Scholarship: a high school GPA of 3.75 or comparable performance on standard tests such as SAT or ACT. A student may apply for admission any time before spring term of the sophomore year. Students who enter later in their university careers may develop with the director a written plan for completing the required elements of the program.
Required Elements
• College Scholars Colloquium. Entering freshman college scholars are introduced to the nature of academic inquiry, interact with distinguished faculty members, and are closely guided in planning a course of study. Participants earn 1 credit in each of three terms. Students need to complete two of these colloquia during their first year at Oregon.
• General-Education Courses. College scholars have the opportunity to enroll in special courses that satisfy UO general-education requirements needed for graduation. These courses are typically limited to thirty-five students and taught by esteemed members of the research faculty. Participants are expected to enroll in four of these special general-education courses during their first two years at Oregon.
• College Scholars Circle. Sophomore-level college scholars take one or more discussion-oriented research seminars in a yearlong series led by a prominent faculty member. Participants earn 1 credit in each of three terms. Students need to complete two of these seminars during their second year at Oregon.
• Internships. Scholars have access to a variety of paid internships both on and off campus, in the United States and overseas. For more information, please visit the program website listed below.
• Department Honors. College scholars participate in a departmental honors program, which typically includes completion of a research project or other capstone project. Students who complete the departmental requirements graduate with honors.
Recommended Elements
• Professional Distinctions Program. College scholars are encouraged to participate in the Professional Distinctions Program, which enhances the liberal arts degree with skills and abilities of particular value when the new graduate enters the employment setting.
• Honors Residence Hall. College scholars may choose to live in the Honors Residence Hall, which has an atmosphere that encourages
intellectual and personal growth; resident assistants in the honors hall are drawn from the College Scholars Society and other honors programs.
Recognition. Upon graduation, each college scholar who completes all requirements of the program receives a commendation from the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, a certificate of completion, and the distinction of wearing a Society of College Scholars cord at commencement.
For more information, visit scs.uoregon.edu.
Other Options for Honors
There are several other ways to pursue an honors degree at the University of Oregon, which are described in the Honors at Oregon section of this catalog. Consult individual program listings for specific requirements for honors in specific majors.
Arts and Sciences Courses (CAS)
110 Humanities College Scholars Colloquium (1R) Introduces fields in the humanities to freshman honors students. Faculty members discuss their research, the nature of their fields, and career opportunities. Pre- or coreq: acceptance into the Society of College Scholars program. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
120 Science College Scholars Colloquium (1R) Introduces fields in the sciences to freshman honors students. Faculty members discuss their research, the nature of their fields, and career opportunities. Pre- or coreq: acceptance into the Society of College Scholars program. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
130 Social Science College Scholars Colloquium (1R) Introduces fields in the social sciences to freshman honors students. Faculty members discuss their research, the nature of their fields, and career opportunities. Pre- or coreq: acceptance into the Society of College Scholars program. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
210 Humanities College Scholars Circle (1R) Lecture and discussion on conducting student research in the humanities. Students present research based on academic course work. Invited faculty members model effective presentations and interaction. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
220 Science College Scholars Circle (1R) Lecture and discussion on conducting student research in the sciences. Students present research based on academic course work. Invited faculty members model effective presentations and interaction. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
230 Social Science College Scholars Circle (1R) Lecture and discussion on conducting student research in the social sciences. Students present research based on academic course work. Invited faculty members model effective presentations and interaction. R twice for a maximum of 3 credits.
399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)
401 Research: [Topic] (1–12R)
404 Internship: [Topic] (1–12R)
407 Seminar: [Topic] (1–12R)
409 Practicum: [Topic] (1–12R)