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COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

College of

LIBERAL ARTS AND
SCIENCES

DISCOVER YOUR PASSION

Biology professor and student working with high-resolution microscope.

The oldest and largest of Villanova’s colleges, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers more than 40 academic programs and cultivates knowledge, understanding and intellectual courage for a purposeful life in a challenging and changing world.

CLAS undergraduate and graduate students can find opportunities for collaborative research and learning with faculty who are dedicated teacher-scholars and among the most distinguished in their fields. From pinpointing a protein that could hold a key to cancer screenings, to testing the impact of industry on local waterways, to critiquing creative writing alongside published novelists, each experience elevates learning and yields insights.

The College’s dynamic, integrated curriculum encourages creativity and innovation, developing critical thinkers, strong communicators and ethical leaders well positioned for diverse and interesting careers. With an emphasis on faculty-student engagement, experiential learning and a global perspective, CLAS is where students find their passion, path and purpose.

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS

BACHELOR'S

Pursue a degree from among more than 40 programs in the humanities, social sciences, math and sciences.

MASTER'S

Choose from more than 20 degrees, including online options in the humanities, social sciences, math and sciences.

DOCTORAL

Find out about our funded, full-time programs in philosophy and theology, and a part-time option in theology.

CERTIFICATE

Enhance your career with graduate certificates in humanities, social sciences, math and sciences, including online options.

MINOR

Complement your major and enjoy an even more interdisciplinary and diversified academic experience by adding a minor.

CURRICULUM

Prepare for a purposeful career with our undergraduate core curriculum, a foundation emphasizing communication and critical thinking.

THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Deal Adele Lindenmeyr sits at her desk.

DEAN'S WELCOME

A male student experiences virtual reality in the Center of Excellence in Enterprise Technology.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

A student works with her advisor writing a resume

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Graduate students walking Villanova's campus

GRADUATE STUDIES

This is a photo of a student outside the Vatican in Rome.

STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES

A female graduate student works side-by-side with her faculty mentor in a biology lab.

RESEARCH

A student works the camera behind the scenes of a news broadcast.

INTERNSHIPS

STORIES OF DISCOVERY

"NARRATIVES OF NORTHERN IRELAND"

For Jennifer Joyce, PhD, and her “Narratives of Northern Ireland” class, going virtual means that some very special guest lecturers could join. Irish authors like Owen McCafferty and Glenn Patterson shared their insights with the class about growing up during The Troubles and how it influenced their art and writings. Dr. Joyce emphasized that the ability to converse with these writers, “gives a whole other dimension to the course. When you can step inside the texts but also draw from perspectives outside of them, it shows a fuller picture.” MORE...

ENGAGING IN ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY

While the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has meant that many research labs across the country are unable to continue their work, Adam Langley, PhD, ecosystem ecologist and professor of biology at Villanova University is one of the lucky ones. Dr. Langley’s outdoor research experiment, along with his willingness to adapt to the needs of his students, has made his Global Change Ecology class an impactful experience for students— despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic. MORE...

"KENSINGTON REMEMBERS"

Violence, poverty and drugs have been consistent themes in the media’s coverage of the Kensington section of Philadelphia. But there’s another story behind these headlines: the ways in which the neighborhood remembers those who have lost their lives. These memorial sites appear throughout the area in the improvised shrines, graffiti, mural art and in a variety of other material forms. Gordon Coonfield, PhD, associate professor of Communication, start a project dedicated to documenting and studying these memorials. MORE...

COFFEE AND TRUE CRIME

Bess Rowen, PhD, a faculty member in both Theatre and Gender and Women’s Studies, connects America’s "true crime" obsession with gender and performance, Dr. Rowen crafted a course that examines the stories we hear and the stories we tell about victims and law enforcement, and why it’s mostly women who consume the content. MORE...

COLLEGE NEWS

Massimo Faggioli, PhD, left and the cover of his book, "Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States," on the right.

Theology Professor's New Book Provides In-depth Exploration of Joe Biden’s Catholicism in the Context of American Politics

Massimo Faggioli, PhD, professor of Theology and Religious Studies, offers the first in-depth exploration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Catholicism in the context of American politics. Titled Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States.

JANUARY 14, 2021

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Hannah Khalil

Playwright and Writer Hannah Khalil named 2021 Charles A. Heimbold Jr. Chair of Irish Studies at Villanova University

Award-winning Palestinian Irish playwright and dramatist Hannah Khalil is the 2021 Charles A. Heimbold Jr. Chair of Irish Studies for the spring 2021 semester. The visiting writer-in-residence program offers Irish Studies students the enriching experience of a close classroom experience with one of Ireland’s finest authors.

JANUARY 4, 2021

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Dean Adele Lindenmeyr and the cover of her book "Citizen Countess: Sofia Panina and the Fate of Revolutionary Russia"

Dean Adele Lindenmeyr’s Book Recognized by National Endowment for the Humanities

Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD, Dean of Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships Open Book Award.

DECEMBER 3, 2020

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Warrior Class

Villanova University Social Justice Documentary Follows Philadelphia Veterans' Experiences, Transition to Civilian Life

Warrior Class, a new documentary produced by Villanova University students, focuses on three veterans from Philadelphia and their transition from service to civilian life.

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

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MORE NEWS

AT A GLANCE

60+

GRADUATE STUDENTS PRESENT AT ACADEMIC CONFERENCES EACH YEAR

  

95.4%

SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT RATE
FOR CLASS OF 2019

  

25

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS IN 2019-2020

  

77.3%

OF THE CLASS OF 2018 
COMPLETED AN INTERNSHIP

  

200

STUDENTS COMPLETE A LAB OR FIELD RESEARCH PROJECT EACH YEAR

  

46%

OF THE CLASS OF 2019 STUDIED ABROAD

  

WHO WE ARE