About A&S

The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is the largest of the University of Virginia’s 11 schools and is the institution’s intellectual core. Offering more than 50 undergraduate majors and concentrations and more than two dozen graduate programs, Arts & Sciences spans the liberal arts, stretching from the study of the birth of the universe to the latest scientific and technological advances and encompassing the literatures and languages, history and arts, economics and politics of the world's cultures. The College and Graduate School comprise more than 10,000 students and more than 750 faculty members.

The Value of a Liberal Arts Education

When he wrote about a “broad and liberal and modern” education, Thomas Jefferson could have been describing our goal here in the College: to provide students with the general knowledge and intellectual skills that allow them to become engaged citizens, versatile workers and creative decision makers.

Our students pursue specialties within their majors, but the walls between traditional majors are increasingly breaking down as interdisciplinary programs attract more people every year. An Arts & Sciences education should prepare a student to travel any road.

Multidisciplinary Majors

Students come to the University of Virginia with extremely high expectations — both of themselves and of this institution. In response, the University has introduced educational programs that reflect the emergence of new areas of study that tap into the strengths of our faculty and involve multiple disciplines.

Ex.1: Human Biology Major

An example is the interdisciplinary major program in Human Biology, which takes advantage of the University’s outstanding faculty in law, medicine, bioethics, public health, health policy and health evaluation.

Ex.2: Political Philosophy, Policy and Law Major

Likewise, the major in Political Philosophy, Policy and Law combines courses in history, economics, philosophy, law, politics and foreign affairs.

Ex.3: Computer Science Major

Arts & Sciences undergraduates now can pursue an interdisciplinary bachelor of arts degree in computer science that differs from the bachelor of science degree offered in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The major is the first to combine academic programming of the two schools.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The University of Virginia continues to excel in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. In August 2010, U.S. News & World Report’s latest (undergraduate) college rankings placed the University of Virginia as the:

• nation’s #2 public university (tied with UCLA)
• 25th (tied with UCLA and Wake Forest) among all (262) national universities.

Since U.S. News began a separate listing of the top 50 public universities in 1998, University of Virginia has never been lower than No. 2. In the 20-year history of the rankings, U.Va. has never dropped out of the top 25 listing.

Princeton Review Ranks U.Va. as Best-Value College

The Princeton Review ranked U.Va. first in its list of best-value public undergraduate colleges, which is based on a variety of factors, including academics, cost and financial aid. The Review noted that "The University of Virginia—founded by none other than Thomas Jefferson—seamlessly blends the academic advantages of the Ivy League with the social life and the price tag of a large state school."

U.Va. also received high recognition in the category "Great Financial Aid," where it placed at No. 2.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine Recognizes U.Va. Among Top-Value Colleges

January 2011 — Based on the quality of both its academic and financial aid offerings, the University of Virginia ranks third among more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities across the nation for "best value," according to an annual ranking by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. More.

U.Va. Leads Public Universities with Highest African-American Graduation Rate

September 2010 — The University of Virginia maintained the highest graduation rate for African-American students of any state-chartered institution in the nation for the 16th consecutive year. Every year, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education analyzes data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association on graduation rates at public and private colleges and universities. U.Va.'s black graduation rate of 87 percent tops flagship schools by a wide margin.

Forbes Magazine Ranks U.Va. No. 5 in list of America's Best Public Colleges

The University of Virginia came in at No. 5 on Forbes Magazine's list of the Best Public Colleges in America. The Forbes ranking takes into account the number of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America; student evaluations of professors; four-year graduation rates; enrollment-adjusted numbers of students and faculty receiving nationally competitive awards; and average four year accumulated student debt of those borrowing money. More.

Peace Corps Rates U.Va. No. 2

January 2011 — The University of Virginia came in second on the list of medium-sized colleges and universities that produced the most Peace Corps volunteers in 2010 (.pdf). The Peace Corps counts medium-sized institutions as those with an undergraduate enrollment of between 5,001 and 15,000 students. Last year, 71 U.Va. graduates made the 27-month commitment to serve in the corps, just one less than George Washington University’s total of 72.

The University of Virginia's Commitment to Diversity

Diversity stands with ethics, integrity, and academic excellence, as a cornerstone of University culture. The University promotes an inclusive and welcoming environment that embraces the full spectrum of human attributes, perspectives, and disciplines. When people of different backgrounds come together, they exchange ideas, question assumptions (including their own), and broaden the horizons for us all. A University of Virginia community rich in diversity affords every member equal respect – and provides a forum for understanding our differences as well as our commonalities.