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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 nearly 50 departments and programs, there’s an intellectual home for almost any interest, talent, or career aspiration.
Graduate Studies
The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 40 masters’ 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
The College of Arts and Sciences faculty 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.
The College of Arts and Sciences includes:
Happening at CAS
9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
The question of what defines a nation continues to be hotly disputed around the globe. The formation of a nation, and its sustainable transition to a modern entity, must involve the selection of key parts of a shared past that do not conflict with key elements of modernity but are unique enough to create a distinct identity based on cultural affinity. Framed by several assigned short readings, this seminar will examine a number of “nations”, discuss their significant elements, and assess their chances of a sustainable survival. Participants will each choose a “nation” to research and report on for class discussion (Kurds, Taiwanese, Tibetans, Navajo, Fulani, Quebecois, etc.), leading to a deeper understanding of both histories and contemporary events.
We will look at major components of identity formation (e.g., language, literature, dress, food, history, religion?) and examples of transition paths to modernity in different regions of the world. Participants will each choose a ‘national identity’ to consider its formation basis and consequences in different regions of the world including Asia (east, south and southeast), Central and Western Europe, North America, Arab and non-Arab Muslim regions, Native America, Japan, China, and Indian regional sub-nationalities. Class time will be used to report components of identity and its use to transition to (or impede) a viable modernity, share relevant readings and current events in their particular area, and culminate in class discussion.
A central reading will provide the context for this discussion, applicable at various scales from the multinational region to discrete sub-national entities. Other readings will underlie regional examples across the globe.
Session 1: Define “nation”, “state”, “national identity”, “development” and “modernity”. Discuss sources drawn upon, evolutionary paths, and consequences will be illustrated examples. Post possible case studies from which students can choose their project topic, selected by students.
Session 2: First group presents case studies. Discussion regarding similarities and differences among examples, and comparison to Session 1 basic national identity characteristics and example paths.
Session 3: Second group presents case studies. Discussion regarding similarities and differences among examples, and comparison to previous sessions’ basic national identity characteristics and example paths.
Session 4: Third group presents case studies. Discussion regarding similarities and differences among examples, and comparison to previous sessions’ basic national identity characteristics and example paths. Conclusion focuses on looking ahead to conjecture most successful/sustainable cases and anticipate troubles of other groups.
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Susan Walcott is Professor Emerita of Geography at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Dr. Walcott now resides in Eugene and has been a presenter at OLLI-UO since 2015.
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.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 millennia. Through interactive displays and rare specimens, you’ll go deep into Oregon’s past and join a conversation about our collective future.
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Welcome to the world of medieval spirits and sorcery! Through spellbinding stories, objects, and imagery, MAGIC will take you to the roots of everyday superstitions and conjurings, delving deep into the phenomenon of magical thinking—past and present.
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.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 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.