About the College of Liberal Arts

Driving change through the Liberal Arts

Impact Report for Liberal Arts
Panoramic view of south campus, featuring Frandsen Humanities

Our mission

The College of Liberal Arts educates and inspires students to be engaged, flexible, and critically literate global citizens. Our students learn to evaluate, synthesize, communicate, experiment, and create in order to produce solutions to a range of known and future problems. Our ambitious, innovative, and community-engaged research and creative work in and across the Creative Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences focuses on the varied contexts and expressions of the human condition. We aim to create a community of diverse and agile thinkers, makers, and doers who thrive in a challenging, changing world. Ultimately, we seek to better society and elevate humanity.

Discover the College of Liberal Arts
— a hub for arts, humanities, and social sciences education.

What is “liberal arts”? It refers to the studies that are intended to offer general knowledge and build a foundation of logic and reasoning rather than to provide professional or vocational skills. In the College of Liberal Arts, we foster critical thinking, effective communication, and analytical prowess. Our focus includes solving intricate problems, grasping ethics, and embracing adaptability. With us, you experience the essence of enhancing humanity.

Find your liberal arts degree program
Six people stand on a stage in front of a giant screen that reads "Unity in Diversity."

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

From community collaborations to the Diversity Speaker Series, interdisciplinary affinity working groups to real-world initiatives, the College of Liberal Arts is dedicated to advancing the mission of elevating humanity.

Diversity and inclusion

Who are we?

Interim Dean Cassie speaking with students and facultyThe College of Liberal Arts encompasses the disciplines of the arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as housing the School of the Arts and the School of Social Research and Justice Studies. It also is a key partner in exciting interdisciplinary programs such as computational linguistics, bilingual media and journalism, cybersecurity and six dual majors with the College of Education. With the recent acquisition of the Lake Tahoe location, we have gained two self-sustaining MFA programs, both complementing the existing high-residency, MFA programs: Creative Writing and Interdisciplinary Arts.

With a little under 3,000 undergraduate students, 420 graduate students, 265 faculty members, and 35 staff members, the College of Liberal Arts plays a key role in the education of all students at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Guided by the College's strategic plan, as well as the University's strategic plan, we will continue to focus on educating and inspiring students to be engaged, flexible, and critically literate global citizens through programs taught by faculty who are ambitious, innovative, and community-engaged in their research and creative work in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We will maintain our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, to student success, and to our focus on the Applied Liberal Arts curriculum.

College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board

From left to right, back row first. Slocum, Trachok, Missall, Walters, Brown, Garcia-Cahlan, Colling, Melcher, Harvey; Boisson, Behnke, Damon, Isabelli (Interim Dean).

From left to right, back row first: Cathy Trachok, Lucia Missall, CJ Walters, Sara Beth Brown, Teresa Garcia-Cahlan, Dennis Colling, Ann Marie Melcher, Sheena Harvey; Bob Boisson, Deena Behnke, Doug Damon and Casilde Isabelli (Dean). Absent from this photo are members Dan LoFrese, Nancy Fennell, Chris Galli, Jane Nichols and Bruce Shively.

*Former member

Applied Liberal Arts

Applied Liberal Arts pairs the rigorous academic foundation of liberal arts majors with opportunities for personal and professional growth to ensure students graduate with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to succeed in the modern world. Select one of the many great majors in the College of Liberal Arts and pair it with applied opportunities or cross disciplinary coursework to find a field that you love.

Explore Applied Liberal Arts Pathways

Our departments

Explore our 15 departments, from Anthropology to Theatre and Dance.

Our schools and centers

The College is home to the School of the Arts, the School for Social Research and Justice Studies, and several centers, including the Center for Basque Studies.

Our programs

The College houses several specialized programs, including Military Science, Core Humanities and more.