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College of Arts and Sciences
Email: cas@uwrf.edu
Phone: 715-425-3777
Location: 136 Kleinpell Fine Arts
College of Arts and Sciences
Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences. We’re known as CAS around campus and we’re home to a diverse selection of majors and minors. Our course offerings are broad, but one thing is consistent: we’re committed to developing all our students’ essential liberal arts skills. Those are the foundational skills that will serve you well no matter where life or your career takes you. As a Falcon, you’ll cultivate those skills through personalized high-impact experiences, whether you’re a political science major interning at the statehouse, a physics student conducting research in Antarctica or a stage and screen arts major working set design for a campus theatre production.
500+
Students in Honors Programs
94%
Grads Employed or Attending Grad School
Our Academics
With a wide variety of academic offerings, CAS has something to offer everyone. From our art studios to our student-run radio station, our on-campus observatory to our creative theatre productions and our well-equipped lab spaces to our long list of music ensembles, there is no limit to what you can discover.
Academic Departments
- Art: UWRF’s Art Department provides a creative environment for students to develop aesthetic skills, conceptual thinking, visual awareness and technical expertise. Learn More
- Biology: The Biology Department offers several degree options with a heavy emphasis on undergraduate research and opportunities for internships and study abroad. Learn More
- Chemistry and Biotechnology: With an innovative “Organic-first” curriculum, the Chemistry and Biotechnology Department introduces you to advanced instrumentation in your first semester of college. Learn More
- Communication and Media Studies: Home to three majors, the Communication and Media Studies Department prepares students with solid foundational and forward-thinking digital skills. Learn More
- Computer, Information, and Data Sciences: Computer, Information, and Data Sciences students benefit from a hands-on education built to prepare you for the information technology field. Learn More
- English: Home to both English and Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) majors, our English Department offers everything from emphases to a TESOL graduate program. Learn More
- History and Philosophy: The History and Philosophy Department offers majors in history and broad field social studies and minors in history, philosophy and broad field social studies. Learn More
- Mathematics: Our mathematics curriculum is dedicated to nurturing and developing students’ creative mathematical talents as problem solvers. Learn More
- Modern Language: Study abroad opportunities, language clubs, cutting-edge resources and more are available to students in the Modern Language Department. Learn More
- Music and Stage and Screen Arts: UWRF's strong commitment to the creative arts is showcased through the wide variety of offerings and experiences in the Music and Stage and Screen Arts Department. Learn More
- Physics: The Physics Department uses a rigorous, high-quality curriculum, hands-on learning and a supportive environment to help prepare students for their future careers. Learn More
- Politics, Geography and International Studies: The Politics, Geography and International Studies Department draws on strong faculty experience to prepare students for ever-evolving career fields. Learn More
- Psychological Sciences: The Psychological Sciences Department specializes in providing an innovative cohort model and opportunities for collaborative undergraduate research, career planning and study abroad. Learn More
- Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology: The Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology Department encourages internship experiences to help reinforce skills learned in the classroom. Learn More
The CAS Experience
The broad academic offerings of CAS allow you to experience an interdisciplinary education. You'll learn foundational skills in the classroom while having the opportunity to apply them outside of the classroom. Whether you join a club related to your major, take a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad trip or land an impressive internship, we're here to support all your experiences.
Are the creative arts your calling? With our rich catalog of arts offerings, you’ll be able to unleash your creative genius while receiving an excellent education. Art majors are welcomed into a vibrant community with incredible emphasis options ranging from graphic design and ceramics to glass (we have one of the oldest glass degree programs in the country!) and printmaking. Stage and screen arts students hone their collaboration skills through student-led productions. Music majors are taught by working musicians and not only do we have an amazing on-campus music scene, we’re minutes away from the incredible Twin Cities music community.
In addition to STEM and arts offerings, CAS is home to many majors in the humanities and social sciences. Whether you’re interested in communication studies, English, criminology, history or one of our other offerings, we’re committed to helping you develop flexible, adaptable lifelong skills. Your education will be filled with impactful experiences like internships, research, capstone projects, study abroad opportunities and so much more. Come see what opportunities are waiting for you in the College of Arts and Sciences!
Dream of being a doctor? A lawyer? UWRF has a variety of pre-professional programs built for students who will eventually transfer to professional schools and colleges. These programs are designed to help students fulfill general education and pre-professional courses needed for their eventual professional school or college.
We also offer several affiliation agreements with external colleges. The affiliated schools provide academic credit to students who transfer into their programs from UWRF. In most cases, students begin their academic careers here at UWRF and then received a B.S. from UWRF following one year of study at the affiliated school.*
*Since pre-professional requirements vary, programs are suggested curricula only and students and their advisers must carefully understand the catalog requirements of the institution they intend to transfer to and make any necessary course adjustments. Details must be confirmed by you and your adviser and approved by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in advance. Contact the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office to receive a list of pre-professional program advisers.
We want you to succeed! We have lots of scholarship opportunities including dedicated awards for CAS students. Many majors have dedicated scholarships and some scholarships are even reserved for first-year students!
UWRF's Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech) will be a transformational facility, prominently located on the UW-River Falls campus, where students from a wide range of majors will engage in immersive high-impact learning experiences in biology, chemistry, physics and psychological sciences. We are currently in the design and engineering phase, with construction anticipated to start during fall 2023.
SciTech Quick Facts
- 32 undergraduate research spaces
- 12 instructional labs
- UW-River Falls/business collaboration innovation space
- Three wet bench research labs
- Prototyping space, makerspace, fabrication lab
- Collaboration area
- Conference rooms and offices
Interested in STEM fields? CAS may just be your new home! Our award-winning academic programs offer majors in the natural sciences, biomedical and health sciences, mathematics and more. Contemporary course offerings ready you for today’s careers and you’ll have access to cutting-edge technology in innovative classroom and lab settings. You’ll dive headfirst into research as early as your first semester and work right alongside our passionate faculty, studying everything from laser physics to advanced mathematical concepts.
From the Art Therapy Club to WRFW-FM and everything in between, there are loads of organizations and activities you can get involved in, including many that tie in with the college's academic programs. Visit FalconsConnect to learn more about how you can get involved.