UO History 101: College of Arts and Sciences
When the University of Oregon began instruction in 1876, there were only five courses of study: Latin, Greek, philosophy, theology, and math. Unlike today, there weren’t separate colleges for different majors and minors until 1884, when the School of Law and the College of Business were established.
The UO was founded with a liberal arts curriculum, meaning that students take a variety of courses in different subjects, in addition to their declared major coursework, to receive a strong general education foundation. With the College of Arts and Sciences housing subjects in social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and the School of Global Studies and Languages, most UO students will take a general education course in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college on campus, with more than 10,000 students and 750 faculty members. There are 50 majors housed in the college, including psychology, human physiology, and biology, which are three of the top five most popular majors at Oregon.
Since the College of Arts and Sciences’ establishment, 131,241 total alumni have earned a degree from the college, and an additional 14,668 students have majored in a CAS subject but did not complete a degree.
In addition to its 50 majors, CAS houses 70 minors, 40 master’s programs, and 26 doctoral programs.
In fall 2023, the College of Arts and Sciences is looking forward to opening the School of Computer and Data Sciences.
To learn more about the College of Arts and Sciences, explore their website.