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Thank You for Rising with Us on Ducks Give

Thank you to everyone who gave to the College of Arts and Sciences on Ducks Give. Your gifts will make a difference to our current and future students through scholarships for academics and experiential learning. 

If you missed Ducks Give, you can still give! Donations to our Experiential Learning Fund provide support for students who are pursuing hands-on learning opportunities, such as campus internships, lab experiences, community-oriented volunteering — and more. Hear from CAS students about how experiential learning leads to once-in-a-lifetime moments. 

For Earth sciences senior Mia Luscher (pictured), the Experiential Learning Scholarship helped her attend field camp in Alaska, a trip that solidified her passion to become a volcanologist.  

Hear from CAS Students

Congratulations, Graduating Ducks!

The College of Arts and Sciences’ departments will hold commencement ceremonies on Monday, June 15, 2026.

CAS Commencement

News from CAS

NEUROSCIENCE, PHYSICS - PhD candidate Saumya Keremane's research, conducted in the labs of Richard Taylor, a professor and head of the Department of Physics, and Dr. Bala Ambati, an ophthalmologist and research professor in the Department of Bioengineering, focuses on understanding and preventing neuron degradation to treat inherited blindness.
MATHEMATICS - Tyler Jarvis, Brigham Young University professor, will be visiting the UO Math Department on May 13 and 14 and giving two talks as part of the Niven Lectures.
MATHEMATICS - Hannah Larson, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will visit the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Mathematics on May 7 and 8, and give two talks as part of the Association for Women in Mathematics’ Distinguished Speaker series.

All news »

We Love Our Supporters

Your gifts change lives

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

a collage of images from the april 2026 CAS Connection

What’s Happening in CAS?

Why is storytelling so important for College of Arts and Sciences students, whether they're pursuing creative writing or neuroscience? With the advent of AI and constant technological innovation, it's more important than ever to bring humans together. Find out more how the craft of storytelling is preparing students for an ever-changing world. 

Also in the April CAS Connection issue, an economist weighs in on why the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz leads to high prices around the world; alum, filmmaker and Olympic runner Alexi Pappas shares her perspective on ambition and failure; and a chemist shares research on how we can make labs more accessible for students — and more. 

exterior of Villard Hall on campus surrounded by trees

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.

a person throwing the "O"

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

a person leading a classroom

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. 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:

52
undergraduate degree programs
36
masters programs
25
PhD programs
11,000+
Undergraduate students in CAS Majors
800+
faculty members
1,200+
masters and PhD students in CAS

Happening at CAS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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

May 16
Tech for Good 1:00 p.m.

The University of Oregon Women in Computer Science Club, sponsored by the Department of Computer Science, will be hosting our annual Tech Together event with this year’s...
Tech for Good
May 16
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Knight Library 106

The University of Oregon Women in Computer Science Club, sponsored by the Department of Computer Science, will be hosting our annual Tech Together event with this year’s theme, Tech for Good. This event celebrates women in the technology industry who are dedicated to creating positive impact on the world through their work.

The event will feature a fireside chat with three inspiring women in tech driving meaningful impact, including an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and engage directly with the speakers. Guests will also enjoy a catered lunch, opportunities for networking, and a raffle prize drawing at the conclusion of the program. All majors and identities are encouraged to attend. 

Admission is free.

You can RSVP for the event at the following link to receive updates and reminder messages: https://forms.gle/JepnVYWh6nRSu5gP6. RSVP not required to attend.

May 19
Dept. of History and School of Law Present: "Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West, 1812–1924" 3:30 p.m.

Please join the Department of History and the School of Law for a talk by Katrina Jagodinsky on “Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West,...
Dept. of History and School of Law Present: "Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West, 1812–1924"
May 19
3:30–5:00 p.m.
McKenzie Hall 375

Please join the Department of History and the School of Law for a talk by Katrina Jagodinsky on “Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West, 1812–1924.”

Free and open to the public

Jagodinsky is Associate Professor of History at University of Nebraska Lincoln, where she is the founding director of the Digital Legal Research Lab and leads a Mellon-funded higher ed initiative in US Law and Race. She recently launched an award-winning database entitled Petitioning for Freedom: Habeas Corpus in the American West, 1812-1924 with support from the National Science Foundation and will complete her book based on the dataset with a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the coming academic year.

Jagodinsky will share findings from the Petitioning for Freedom dataset, particularly those coming out of Oregon archives, in addition to trends across the American West. These cases represent histories of petitioners who challenged enslavement, colonialism, coverture, deportation, incarceration, and institutionalization, demonstrating a remarkable range of legal mobilization among the most vulnerable.

May 19
CLLAS and Latinx Studies Celebration and Mixer 4:00 p.m.

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies and Latinx Studies Celebration and Mixer! CLLAS and Latinx Studies invite you to a vibrant...
CLLAS and Latinx Studies Celebration and Mixer
May 19
4:00–6:00 p.m.
McKenzie Hall Sunken Courtyard

Mark your calendars for the 2026 Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies and Latinx Studies Celebration and Mixer!

CLLAS and Latinx Studies invite you to a vibrant celebration honoring exceptional seniors and other undergraduate students who have completed outstanding coursework that sheds light on Latinx and Latin American issues around the world.

This is a free event. Enjoy music, delicious food, and drinks while learning about their remarkable work. This free event is open to everyone – we look forward to celebrating with you!

Download Event Poster

May 19
Pint of Science - Our Universe: From Molecules to Galaxies 7:00 p.m.

Pint of Science is an international science communication festival which aims to connect academic researchers with their surrounding community in an informal, low stakes setting....
Pint of Science - Our Universe: From Molecules to Galaxies
May 19
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Drop Bear Brewery

Pint of Science is an international science communication festival which aims to connect academic researchers with their surrounding community in an informal, low stakes setting. Two talks will be held under the theme of "Atoms to Galaxies" and audience participation is encouraged!

From tiny materials to vast galaxies, this event explores our place in the universe. One talk looks at replacing “forever chemicals” found in everyday products with safer, earth‑friendly materials. The other zooms out to the cosmos, using images from powerful telescopes to explain the scale of the universe, our solar neighborhood, and the search for planets beyond our own.

UO chemistry graduate Alex Rosen and Prof. Scott Fisher will be sharing their insights into these topics.

Check out the May 18 presentation: The Amazing Science of How Bodies Work.