The Ideas that Shaped Us
Through its 150 years, the University of Oregon, its students and faculty have been driven by discovery. The College of Arts and Sciences has been there from the start.
Our faculty have worked to advance scholarship that continues to make a difference. They created the nation's first physical education school in 1920 that still fuels human performance a century later as the Department of Human Physiology. They established the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology that grew from a handful of tents to a year-round marine station. They created archeological field work that put students in the action of scientific discovery.
News from CAS
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We Love Our Supporters
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!
The CAS Experience
The College of Arts and Sciences experience is more than classroom lectures and lab experiments — it’s about putting ideas into action. Our students spend time in the classroom and then go out to the real world to apply their knowledge. A lifetime of curiosity, learning and engagement starts here at CAS.
Undergraduate Studies
Small classes. Big ideas. More than half of the University of Oregon’s student population is pursuing a College of Arts and Sciences degree. But what you’ll find at CAS is an intimate liberal arts experience at an R1 institution. With a median class size of 23 students per classroom, CAS is an environment where you can work closely with faculty dedicated to research and mentorship. With more than 50 departments and programs, we have a program where you can transform curiosity into action.
Graduate Studies
You’ve got ambition, and you’re ready for the next step: graduate school. Whether your goals are to expand scholarly knowledge or level up your professional capacities, CAS has more than 30 master’s programs and more than 20 doctoral programs, all span a range of disciplines. Our faculty members are here to support you on your academic journey, to guide you through research and advance your professional skills.
What’s Happening in CAS?
It turns out the sky isn't the limit for CAS physics alum Manju Bangalore (pictured). The physics alum is on her way to lead a research mission in space on a 2027 Virgin Galactic spaceflight. The October issue takes a look at what some of our researchers have received federal grants to study, faculty reviewing the hot topics of the 2026 midterm election, a CAS alumni couple working at Meta — and more.
Student Support Services
We’re here for you. As a CAS student, you have access to plentiful resources that can help you thrive inside and outside the classroom. Through Tykeson Advising, we provide comprehensive academic and career advising from the start of your journey. Learn about career preparation and get assistance in selecting the very best classes that resonate with you and offer the opportunity to grow. Connect with labs, libraries, IT and tutoring. Find your community on campus.
World-Class Faculty
Our faculty go beyond the frontiers of science. Whether it’s green technology of tomorrow or tackling centuries-old philosophical questions, our College of Arts and Sciences faculty are in forward motion to tomorrow.
And they’re just as committed to the classroom. They’re here to help students like you discover their academic passion so you can become the next generation of professionals and scholars. They are here to coach you, inspire you and prepare you as you enter the professional world as critical thinkers and ethical global citizens.
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!
Life at Oregon
As a CAS student, your next home could be set in the lush Willamette Valley in the city of Eugene. Set between mountain ranges, two rivers and the Pacific Ocean, your adventure awaits. In between your studies, the UO is a place where you can forge lifetime friendships and connections with an exciting backdrop — whether that’s yelling “Go Ducks” during gameday at Autzen Stadium or a quiet hike in an old growth forest.
The College of Arts and Sciences includes:
Happening at CAS
OHC Work-in-Progress Talk: "Capitalism, Indebted Subjects, and Latin American Critique(s)"
noonNov
13
noon
The Oregon Humanities Center hosts weekly Work-in-Progress Talks to showcase the humanities research of its many fellows. This week, Gonzalo Bustamante-Moya presents his research on "Capitalism, Indebted Subjects, and Latin American Critique(s)."
As capitalism has come to determine the organization of our societies and shared planet, humans have become distinctly capitalist beings. This project presents a history of capitalism that focuses on its effects in the ordinary existence of individuals and communities. By investigating how capitalist power governs us from within and exploring past and present efforts to resist it, this account contributes analytical and practical tools to collectively create a different form of living.
Join us for this Work-in-Progress Talk in the OHC Conference Room (Prince Lucien Campbell Hall 159) at noon on Fridays. These events are free and open to the public. Please register for this event online at ohc.uoregon.edu.
Sustainable Bicycle Transportation in Europe Information Session
noonNov
13
noon
Ready to explore Europe on two wheels? Join the information session for Sustainable Bicycle Transportation in Europe to learn about this exciting study abroad opportunity! Travel through Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden to discover how these countries have become some of the world's best places to bike. Explore the cities of Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Utrecht while experiencing their innovative bike infrastructure, transportation systems, and cycling culture firsthand. Get ready to see how European cities are shaping the future of sustainable transportation!
This event is part of International Education Month (IEM) programming. View the full calendar of IEM events here: https://international.uoregon.edu/IEM.
ICSP Global Views Presentation
1:00 p.m.Nov
13
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Friday the 13th! UO International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) students share superstitions, urban legends, folklore, or similar beliefs from their home cultures.
- Elif, Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) from Turkey
- Natalia, Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) from Brazil
- Leslie, Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) from Philippines
This event is part of International Education Month (IEM) programming. View the full calendar of IEM events here: https://international.uoregon.edu/IEM.
Myung Sup Lim Public Lecture: "Role of Traditions and Cultural Change in South Korea's Industrialization"
1:30 p.m.Nov
13
1:30–3:30 p.m.
Professor Ha will present a talk about his recent book Late Industrialization, Tradition, and Social Change in South Korea (University of Washington Press, 2024). This book is a path-breaking study of how the Korean miracle of industrialization could take place by relying on traditional social structures. Prof. Ha will discuss in particular the phenomenon of "neofamilism" by which the Korean state promoted industrialization by relying on kinship networks to channel capital into chaebol corporations.
Guest speaker: Yong Chool Ha, Director, Center for Korean Studies, Korean Foundation Professor of Korean Social Science, University of Washington Event sponsors: Myung Sup Lim Lecture Series in Korean Studies, US-Vietnam Research Center, Department of Political Science, and Department of Sociology.