The College of Arts & Sciences, Cornell University

Let curiosity be your guide.

Live, study and grow at the nexus of discovery and impact.

A home for exploration and discovery

Our research activities and academic programs are remarkably broad, but they share one characteristic: all are curiosity-driven. Exploring the unknown is central to our mission to be the nexus of discovery and impact.

Explore research and discoveries

Four people work at a plastic patio table in the midst of ancient ruins: they are archaeologists on an excavation site
Provided Caitie Barrett, in the foreground, works at the Casa della Regina Carolina site in 2023 with team members (left to right) Cole Warlick, GIS analyst and FileMaker database manage; Lee Graña, assistant director; and Joe Nigro, lead surveyor and iDig database manager.
Four people work at a plastic patio table in the midst of ancient ruins: they are archaeologists on an excavation site
Provided Caitie Barrett, in the foreground, works at the Casa della Regina Carolina site in 2023 with team members (left to right) Cole Warlick, GIS analyst and FileMaker database manage; Lee Graña, assistant director; and Joe Nigro, lead surveyor and iDig database manager.
Digital humanities

Modeling an ancient house and garden in 3D

A&S Communications

Read more A&S news

>2000

Courses offered in A&S of 4000 courses at Cornell.

41

Majors to choose in A&S. Design your education.

A crowd of about 75 people stands behind a low box full of dirt; six people in the front hold shovels with red handles during a ceremonial "groundbreaking" event
Provided Members of the Cornell community break ground on the McGraw Hall renovation project on Sept. 19.
A crowd of about 75 people stands behind a low box full of dirt; six people in the front hold shovels with red handles during a ceremonial "groundbreaking" event
Provided Members of the Cornell community break ground on the McGraw Hall renovation project on Sept. 19.
McGraw Hall renovation

Celebration kicks off McGraw Hall project

Cornell Chronicle
~4,800

Students in A&S, each with an extraordinary journey to tell.

65K

A&S alumni in our network. Go Big Red!

A&S Academic Diversity

Uncommon academic diversity abounds here

The innovative undergraduate curriculum at A&S has distribution requirements that range from global citizenship to physical sciences to ethics and the mind. Classes build upon each other and cross the boundaries of traditional academic fields. Extensive work occurs outside of your major and minors, and there are no required core courses. Work closely with inspiring faculty to develop the hallmark skills of a liberal arts and sciences education – the ability to read critically, write persuasively and think broadly.

Beyond Majors & Minors

Research and Scholarship

Research, scholarship and creative works to understand humanity and the cosmos

Curiosity is the driver for research in A&S. From the dendrochronology lab where archaeologists analyze tree-ring growth to understand climate change to the linguistics department where students created a new language for a Captain Marvel movie, our students and faculty take full advantage of all that our world-class research university encompasses.

With opportunities spanning the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, research here takes place in laboratories, museums, field sites, libraries, hospitals, greenhouses, performance spaces and archives.

Explore our research, scholarship and creative works

Public Engagement

Engaging our community and our world

two women sitting on stage
Chris Kitchen Anderson, left, and Peraino, right traced the arc of Anderson's multi-decade career.

Open your mind

Arts Unplugged series

The College of Arts & Sciences’ Arts Unplugged series brings research and creative works into the public sphere for discussion and inspiration. These outreach events invite a broad audience to explore the work of scholars and faculty from all disciplines, all backgrounds and all time periods and to celebrate the impact that work continues to have on our daily lives.

Explore recent and upcoming Arts Unplugged events.

David Folkenflik ’91 (left) moderates the panel “Free Press in a Free Society: U.S. Newsrooms on the Front Lines” with Suzanne Mettler, the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in government, and Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune.
David Folkenflik ’91 (left) moderates the panel “Free Press in a Free Society: U.S. Newsrooms on the Front Lines” with Suzanne Mettler, the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in government, and Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune.

Engagement for an informed society

Distinguished Visiting Journalist Program

The College of Arts & Sciences' new Distinguished Visiting Journalist Program brings accomplished journalists to Cornell for extended visits. The program aims to recognize excellence in journalism and to provide opportunities for select journalists and the university community to engage with each other. 

Learn more about the program.

Faculty in the news

Bloomberg

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Gustavo A. Flores-Macías

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Government

10/01/2024

Wall Street Journal

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Economics

10/02/2024

New York Times

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Kate A. Manne

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Philosophy

10/01/2024

Vox

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Sarah Kreps

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Government

09/26/2024

A&S Events

Upcoming Events

Oct 09Wednesday 12:30 Anabel Taylor Chapel: Oct 09Wednesday 7:30 Rockefeller Hall: 201, Schwartz Auditorium Oct 10Thursday 5:00 Statler Hall: 196