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The Final Stretch

Good luck to all of the 16,400 students who are taking a class in the College of Arts and Sciences this term. We are home to more than 50 departments and programs covering the humanities, the natural sciences and the social sciences. Meet with an advisor today to find your next adventure in a CAS class.

Find Your Next CAS Adventure

News from CAS

BIOLOGY - New University of Oregon research in tiny worms is unpacking some of the ways that reproductive cells get used differently to make sperm and eggs. A team from the lab of UO biologist Diana Libuda in the College of Arts and Sciences reports their findings in a paper published Oct. 5 in the journal eLife.
ENGLISH - In The Sisterhood: How A Network of Black Women Writers Changed American Culture, Courtney Thorsson, an associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, tells the story of a group of Black women writers and thinkers in a critically acclaimed book that has been called a model for literary histories.
NORTHWEST INDIAN LANGUAGE INSTITUTE - The Northwest Indian Language Institute, a part of the College of Arts and Sciences, received more than $1.7 million in funding from the US Department of Education to establish a resource center aimed at the revitalization of Indigenous languages.

All news »

We Love Our Supporters

students walking and holding possessions during Unpack the quack day

Your Gift Changes Lives

Gifts to the College of Arts and Sciences can help our students make the most of their college careers. To do this, CAS needs your support. Your contributions help us ensure that teaching, research, advising, mentoring, and support services are fully available to every student. Thank you!

Give to CAS

Student and professor analyze ash particles

What’s Happening in CAS?

While sailing around the Lau Basin with marine biologists from the College of Arts and Sciences’ Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and other universities, University of Oregon student Marcus Chaknova saw 1.5 feet of fresh ash from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai’s 2022 eruption.

Read about Chaknova’s research and what it meant finding this ash in the inaugural issue of CAS Connection, the college’s new publication. You’ll also find stories about CAS rethinking Russian studies, Associate Professor Ernesto Javier Martínez turning his pain into power, including mindfulness in your daily routine—and more.

two friends

Undergraduate Studies

Wherever your academic goals eventually take you at the UO, all Ducks begin their journey with foundational courses in CAS. More than 60 percent of students go on to pursue a major in a CAS department or program. With more than 50 departments and programs, there’s an intellectual home for almost any interest, talent, or career aspiration.

Student with Light

Graduate Studies

The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 30 master's programs and more than 20 doctoral programs across a diverse range of disciplines. Both as contributors to research teams and through their own scholarship and teaching, our CAS graduate students are indispensable to the vitality of the UO academic mission.

Student Support Services

We provide our students with a variety of resources to help you thrive inside and outside the classroom. Through Tykeson Advising, we provide comprehensive academic and career advising from the start of your journey at the University of Oregon. Learn about career preparation and get assistance in selecting the very best classes. Connect with labs, libraries, IT and tutoring. Find your community on campus.

World-Class Faculty

Professor teaches students in front of projector screen

The College of Arts and Sciences faculty members are a driving force of the high-output, high-impact research activity that has earned the UO membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Our world-class faculty members are inspiring teachers.

Among them are five members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, four members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 10 Members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are committed to helping students discover their academic passion. Every day, they work to expand students’ intellectual horizons, preparing them for life after college with real-world knowledge and skills.

 

Spotlight on CAS Academics

Choose Your Path

The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 50 majors and nearly 70 minors across multiple departments and programs in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. We also offer 36 master’s programs and 25 doctoral programs.

dean chris poulsen posing in front of Tykeson hall

Meet our Dean

In the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), we are committed to excellence in research and teaching, student success, and diversity, equity, and belonging. 

A liberal arts education—one that offers a breadth of intellectual approaches and perspectives and depth in a major discipline—is the foundation to a purposeful life as a life-long learner, engaged citizen, and leader. The skills you will learn here—from written and verbal communication to analytical and quantitative reasoning, to compassion and understanding—are those that employers seek and will open the door to a wealth of opportunities. 

You will find more than 50 majors and a multitude of minors within CAS, and seemingly endless opportunities for personal exploration and discovery. Whether you are an incoming first-year student, a grad student or a transfer student, you can map an exciting future and be part of a fun, warm, engaged liberal arts community here. Come join us. And go Ducks! 

More from Dean Chris Poulsen

The College of Arts and Sciences includes:

50+
undergraduate degree programs
30+
masters programs
25
PhD programs
10,000+
Undergraduate students in CAS Majors
795
faculty members
1,295
masters and PhD students in CAS

Happening at CAS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

UO College of Arts & Sciences (@uocas) • Instagram photos and videos

Dec 6
Explore Oregon 10:00 a.m.

Experience the dynamic forces that shape Oregon’s landscapes, climate, and ecosystems. Meet giant salmon, Ice Age sloths, and other amazing animals from across the...
Explore Oregon
January 14–December 31
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Museum of Natural and Cultural History

Experience the dynamic forces that shape Oregon’s landscapes, climate, and ecosystems. Meet giant salmon, Ice Age sloths, and other amazing animals from across the millennia. Through interactive displays and rare specimens, you’ll go deep into Oregon’s past and join a conversation about our collective future.

Dec 6
Oregon: Where Past Is Present 10:00 a.m.

Delve into Oregon’s story, from the archaeology of the First Americans to the dynamic cultures of today’s Tribes. Combining interactive displays with world-class...
Oregon: Where Past Is Present
January 13–December 31
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Museum of Natural and Cultural History

Delve into Oregon’s story, from the archaeology of the First Americans to the dynamic cultures of today’s Tribes.

Combining interactive displays with world-class anthropological collections, Oregon—Where Past is Present shares 14,000 years of Oregon stories, and invites you to tell your own. Explore the galleries, try your hand at ancient weaving styles, test your skills as an archaeologist, and much more.

Dec 6
Outliers and Outlaws: Stories from the Eugene Lesbian History Project 10:00 a.m.

In the 1960s – 1990s, hundreds of young women who identified as lesbians came to Eugene. They founded organization's central to the city and provided leadership for...
Outliers and Outlaws: Stories from the Eugene Lesbian History Project
January 28–December 31
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Museum of Natural and Cultural History

In the 1960s – 1990s, hundreds of young women who identified as lesbians came to Eugene. They founded organization's central to the city and provided leadership for community service agencies. They created lesbian magazines, photographs, music, films, dance performances, theater, and art. They influenced Oregon's political landscape and contributed to the larger LGBTQ movement.

Come discover stories about the Eugene lesbian community from the women who created and sustained it.

Dec 6
Surreal-Iris 10:00 a.m.

Prepare to be enchanted by the allure of the “Iris-Surreal” exhibit, a stunning collection of 25 Iris photographs by photographer, Greg Geisy, that fuse botanical...
Surreal-Iris
September 15–December 7
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Dom Vetri

Prepare to be enchanted by the allure of the “Iris-Surreal” exhibit, a stunning collection of 25 Iris photographs by photographer, Greg Geisy, that fuse botanical elegance with artistic imagination. This exceptional exhibit is a celebration of vibrant colors, intricate details, and a touch of surrealism that will transport visitors into a world of artistic wonderment. Law School Gallery