Preparing You To Succeed In A Diverse World
The UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts & Sciences departments, interdisciplinary programs, and applied research centers share a goal to educate critical and imaginative thinkers through inquiry and interdisciplinary engagement. Whether you’re a humanities major, an aspiring doctor or have a passion for our criminal justice, psychology or Africana Studies majors, you will gain universal skills that help you succeed no matter where your path takes you. Our students dream big, challenge themselves and take risks – where cultivating self-confidence, persistence and responsiveness in a world increasingly characterized by diversity and change is the reward.
Biological Sciences and Chemistry
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences offers science degrees like programs in biology and chemistry – as well as innovative opportunities for interdisciplinary study in ecology, health and medical humanities, nanoscience and biotechnology. Many students use these courses as a pre-med program, while others have gone into roles conducting cutting-edge research.
Career Fields:
- Medicine
- Cancer Research
- Environmental Protection
- Bioinformatics and Genomics
- Marine Science
- Biochemistry & Pharmaceuticals
- Patent Law
- Medical Ethics
- Health Communication
- Energy Research
- Art Restoration
- Water & Air Quality Protection
History, Cultural & Global Studies
Through their study of languages, history and racial and social justice issues, our students gain an understanding of others and of themselves that helps them succeed in fields that require sensitivity, cultural awareness and diversity of thought. College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students also explore courses in fields including Capitalism Studies, Latin American Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies, as well as our nationally recognized programs in Foreign Languages and Graduate Certificates in Language Translation.
Career Fields:
- Teaching English as a Second Language
- International Business
- International Relations
- Art Restoration & Museum Curation
- Cultural Advocacy
- Economic Development
- Stockbroker
- Law
- Human Rights Advocacy
Math, Physics & Earth Sciences
Our students explore pure mathematics, business math and statistics, and physics and physics engineering, as well as complex interdisciplinary studies in geology, meteorology, urban geography, and earth and environmental science. College of Liberal Arts & Sciences courses push students to go beyond the surface – to unite the study of physical, natural and social science topics and examine the concept of mathematics as a language, a science and an art form.
Career Fields:
- Geographical Information Science
- Data Interpretation
- Urban Planning
- Medical Laser Engineer
- Mathematical Modeling
- Actuarial Science
- Data Science
- Military and Airline Forecasting
- Atmospheric Science
- Computer Science
- Doctor
- Entrepreneur
Media, Communication & English
Strong communications skills give you an advantage in any field. College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students choose from programs in communication, English and writing, with concentrations, minors and certifications in health communication, public advocacy, international public relations, journalism as well as an interdisciplinary minor in writing, rhetoric, and digital studies. These studies focus on contemporary takes on social and racial justice, environmentalism, literacy, and medical and health and other societal issues and prepare students to take on communications roles in the field of their choice.
Career Fields:
- International Public Relations
- Digital Marketing & Advertising
- Multimedia Publishing
- Community Economic Development
- Journalism & News Broadcasting
- Technical Writing
- Law
- Teaching
- Human Rights Advocacy
- Film Editing
- Insurance
- Banking
Philosophy & Religious Studies
Our programs in philosophy and religious studies are designed for students who want to understand ethical decision-making and belief systems in their historical contexts. Students explore the origins and sustainability of diverse cultures, including class, race and gender power dynamics. Our graduates are critical-thinkers with the adaptable skills to succeed in the field of their choice.
Career Fields:
- Medical Ethics
- Corporate Law
- Foreign Affairs
- International Diplomacy
- Community Economic Development
- International Security
- International Law & Policy
- Business
- Human Resources
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences programs in political science and public administration, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and criminal justice, students examine the way the world works and the motivations behind human behavior. They become expert problem solvers with a deep will and the data skills to understand and tackle root causes of society’s most critical issues.
Career Fields:
- Public Administration
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Policy & Law
- Human Resources
- Criminal Law
- Forensic Psychology
- Urban Anthropology
- Project Management
- Market Research
- Archaeology
- Forensic Science
Living Better On Local And Global Scales
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students benefit from a number of academic centers of excellence and dynamic projects across a range of topics: ethics, teaching, optical science, applied geographic information science, human rights, the New South, legal studies and many others with global reach. You will learn by engaging with the world, while finding yourself.
Alumni
We have over 56,467 alumni, with leaders and staff at cultural, historical, military, business, government, and other diverse organizations across North Carolina and the world, including The International African American Museum, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the United Way of the Carolinas, Charlotte region government agencies, the FBI, law firms and others. Priyanka Grover, a recent graduate of UNC Charlotte’s doctoral program in biology, conducted ground-breaking cancer research with students from MIT, Harvard and Johns Hopkins, while other alumni including Michael Desjardins and Alexander Hohl of geography are responding to COVID-19. Still, other alumni are running small businesses, advocating for human rights, and designing communities for better living.
Faculty
You can appreciate the depth of insight and the breadth of interests by scanning recent faculty publications: the use of optics to shape mirrors and lights to light rail’s impact on low-income neighborhoods; Japanese Cinema; how geology influenced America’s Civil War; America’s love of poker; what cats teach us about the laws of physics. Our humanities, natural sciences and social and behavioral sciences professors engage students in interdisciplinary research that directly examines the pressing issues of today’s global world. Communications professor Min Jiang is currently working with colleagues from around the world to study personal data regulation and cybersecurity.
Research & Hands-On Projects
Research in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is connected to the world and its concerns, and supportive of the greater Charlotte region. English, languages and culture studies, Africana studies and history programs partner with local public libraries and museums on literacy and cultural literacy initiatives. Our Mount Zion archeological project examines cultural and religious transformation in Jerusalem – UNC Charlotte is the only American university currently licensed to carry out these excavations. The U.S. Intelligence Community has designated us one of the few national Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence to connect culturally and ethnically diverse, multi-disciplinary students with the intelligence community. Students research cancer, energy, climate change, marine life, food scarcity, racism, and other life-impacting topics.
Excellence Across The Disciplines
UNC Charlotte offers students top liberal arts and sciences programs in North Carolina, where you’ll find mentorship from world-renowned, connected faculty who are experts in their fields.
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$11.6MNew research funding awarded in 2019
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114New research awards in 2019
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2,053Scholarly publications and products produced, 2018-2019
Alumni Across the Carolinas
UNC Charlotte alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the state.
- Asheville, NC
- Charlotte, NC
- Concord, NC
- Durham, NC
- Fayetteville, NC
- Greensboro, NC
- Greenville, NC
- Jacksonville, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Rocky Mount, NC
- Wilmington, NC
- Winston-Salem, NC
Are You Ready To Learn What You Love?
Take the first step by contacting the UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts & Sciences to explore top liberal arts and sciences programs in North Carolina.