| Arts and Sciences at Washington University | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1853 |
| Type | Private |
| Dean | Gary S. Wihl |
| Academic staff | 600 |
| Undergraduates | 3,788 |
| Postgraduates | 1,589 |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Website | http://artsci.wustl.edu/ |
The Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis are composed of three divisions: the College of Arts & Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and University College in Arts & Sciences. The current Dean of the Faculty is Gary S. Wihl, Hortense and Tobias Lewin Distinguished Profossor in the Humanities, who began his tenure in the 2009-10 Academic year.[1] For the 2008-09 academic year, Ralph S. Quatrano was Interim Dean of Arts & Sciences, replacing Executive Vice Chancellor Ed Macias who has taken the role of Provost.[2][3]
Of Washington University's 11 Fulbright Scholarship recipients in 2011, 7 were recent alumni of the College of Arts & Sciences, and 3 were Arts & Sciences graduate students.[4]
Contents |
The College of Arts & Sciences is the central undergraduate unit of the University with 387 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 158 non-tenure track faculty (including lecturers, artists-in-residence, and visiting faculty), and 70 research scientists, serving about 4,000 undergraduates in 40 academic departments and programs divided into divisions of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics.[5] The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest undergraduate unit at Washington University, which is ranked 13th among national Universities by US News and World Report.[6]
Undergraduates in the other schools meet general education requirements by taking courses in the College of Arts & Sciences. Many of these students have double majors or minors in an Arts & Sciences discipline as well as in their professional field.
Beginning with the freshmen of 2001, Arts & Sciences students are required to satisfy the new Discovery Curriculum requirements.[7] Based on the Bowen Commission Report approved by the faculty in 1999, the Discovery Curriculum requires students to demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge across four discipline areas (Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, Textual and Historical Studies, and Language and the Arts), as well as satisfy requirements in Quantitative Analysis, Social Differentiation, Cultural Diversity, and writing.[8]
Undergraduates at the University are encouraged to participate in faculty research. Research is available in all areas of study in Arts & Sciences, and is available to students as early as their freshman year. An Undergraduate Research Journal is published semesterly, featuring the most outstanding projects from undergraduates. The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students find research opportunities that match their interests. Undergraduates can also apply for grants and awards from the University, which may be used towards their research endeavors.
Leading the College of Arts & Sciences from 1992 to 2011 was Dean James E. McLeod, who died Sept 7, 2011, of cancer. McLeod (b. 1944) had also served the University as Vice Chancellor for Students since 1995.[9][10]
The Graduate School serves over 1,500 students pursuing Masters and PhD degrees. It is ranked highly in terms of time to degree and the rate at which it places its graduates. Some of its many notable programs include Germanic Languages and Literatures, Creative Writing, Political Science, Anthropology and the interdisciplinary degree in Philosophy-Neurosciences-Psychology. Richard J. Smith is the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
University College at Washington University in St. Louis grants both graduate and undergraduate degrees, offering courses primarily in the evenings for adult and continuing education. It also oversees the primary summer school program for the University. "University College" is named after the urban adult-education centers founded in the 19th century by Oxford and Cambridge universities in England.[11] Robert E. Wiltenburg is the Dean of University College.
When the first classes began at Washington University in St. Louis on October 22, 1854, all courses were offered in the evening. As the University grew and added new departments, identical evening courses were offered for the education and training of adult students. The Division of University Extension was created in 1915 to manage part-time programs, and by 1923, had more students than the University's full-time enrollment. University College was created in 1931, and had the power to confer baccalaureate degrees and enroll students in full-time programs. Post-WWII expansion in 1948 saw a University College enrollment of 8,000 students, with enrollment peaking at 17,000 in the 1970s.[12]
Graduate degrees conferred by University College include Master of Arts in Human Resources Management, Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management, Master of Liberal Arts, Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in International Affairs, Master of Arts in American Culture Studies, Master of Arts in Biology, and Master of Health Science in Health Care Services. Undergraduate degrees offered by University College include Global Leadership and Management, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Managerial Economics, and Political Science.