Ready to Launch Your Legacy?

Learn what a Liberal Arts degree can do for you.

The College of the Liberal Arts is the place to find your place.
Unlimited options and unwavering support to prepare you for life and any career you choose.
It all starts here.

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Meet our community

Get to know some of our talented Liberal Arts students, alumni, and faculty members. These stories highlight the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of our community and the impact they are making.

A passion for immigrants’ rights takes student to Chile

Luisina Kemanian-Leites spent her fall semester in Chile in a program focused on politics, social justice, and language. In addition to taking classes, the Paterno Fellow interned at a school working with students who were immigrants from vulnerable communities.

Learn more about education abroad opportunities

Building the future of Liberal Arts

The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building—the first new Liberal Arts building at Penn State University Park in more than fifty years—will be an innovative hub of social science teaching, research, and outreach activity when it opens in fall 2024.

Learn more about the Welch Building

Alumna credits Liberal Arts for her success

Catherine Delage, a 2018 Comparative Literature and Japanese alumna, currently lives and works in Japan as a manga translator. She credits her majors and resources in the College of the Liberal Arts for her success. “I admit I was pretty lost about how to go about achieving my goals after university, but the guidance I received was irreplaceable. I couldn’t possibly hold the Career Enrichment Network in higher esteem.”

Learn more about our Student Services offices

Scholarship recipient helps donors invest in the lives of other students

After receiving two Liberal Arts scholarships, Samantha Escobar applied for an internship at the University where she’s able to give back by helping donors invest in the lives of other students.

Make a gift to support students like Samantha

Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity offers support

“I would not be here had it not been for Mr. Merritt. He has helped me from a financial standpoint and has alleviated the burden of finances for me and my family,” said Michael Garza, a second-year student double majoring in Criminology and Sociology. “I also meet with him at least once a semester to discuss where I’m at in my academic path and go to him if I have any concerns or need any advice.”

Learn more about the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity

Liberal Arts student empowers diverse communities at Penn State

Janae Sayler is co-founder and president of Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts, a student organization dedicated to “bridging the gap between everyone—minorities and allies—not only networking-wise, but through community that makes the University smaller.” Janae is a fourth-year student majoring in Psychology and Advertising/Public Relations with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies.

Explore Liberal Arts student organizations

Literature course focuses on polar communities and climate change

Through the spring of 2024, the College of the Liberal Arts’ theme, “Moments of Change: Creating a Livable Planet,” is focusing on the ongoing work of Liberal Arts students, faculty, staff, and alumni in support of sustainable futures. Professor of English Hester Blum’s fourth-year seminar this semester studies the impact of the climate crisis on human communities—specifically at the two “ends of the Earth.”

Learn about the college's sustainability efforts

Pursue your passions

The College of the Liberal Arts is home to nearly 150 undergraduate majors, minors, integrated undergraduate-graduate degrees (IUGs), associate degrees, and certificates.
There is truly something for everyone.

Explore by Interest

Social Data Analytics

Anthropology
Anthropological Science
Communication Arts and Sciences
English
Psychology (Life Sciences Option or Neuroscience Option)
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL)
Women’s Studies

A liberal arts major helped recent graduate John Miller develop a greater worldly perspective, improve his communication skills, and see how people experience life in different ways—traits that have benefitted the Paterno Fellow on his unique path to medical school. Read his story.

Explore by Discipline

Students in the humanities study how people process and document the human experience. Most majors in the humanities build widely transferable skills that employers appreciate and go on to be writers, counselors, event organizers, social media managers, fundraisers, travel bloggers, and more.

Explore humanities majors

The social sciences examine the relationships between individuals and societies, as well as the development and operation of societies. The critical thinking, research, and analytical skills gained in a social science major help prepare graduates for diverse job titles, including economist, psychologist, political scientist, historian, postsecondary teacher, museum curator, and social worker.

Explore social science majors

Intercultural communication, critical thinking and reasoning, cultural adaptability, information and trend analysis, and the other skills that drive the global economy, are in high demand today. Language graduates find jobs in tourism, international development, marketing, policy making, journalism, government, and more.

Explore language majors

Mark your calendar

The College of the Liberal Arts hosts more than 200 events
throughout the year for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the community.
Visit our events calendar to see the full list of upcoming events.
Below are the annual student events.