Learning
In the College of Arts and Sciences, students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources and approaches to knowledge. Access to superb facilities and an expert faculty gives them a solid understanding of professional practice in their chosen fields.
The College of Arts and Sciences offers a rich abundance of options for exploration. Drawing from its 19 departments and more than 40 major fields, Valpo’s liberal arts curriculum encourages every student to explore and experience a variety of approaches to knowledge, to gain an understanding of the various methods scholars can apply to problems. Students graduate with insight into the scientific, quantitative, and humanistic modes of learning that shape our world.
At the College of Arts and Sciences, learning is also a process of self-exploration. While some students enter the College with well-defined career plans, many discover lifelong interests that lead to fulfilling careers by investigating ideas in Arts and Sciences courses. Because A&S professors know that every course counts, they employ multiple teaching strategies, ensuring that students have opportunities to engage in active and collaborative learning approaches.
See the world from more than one angle.
“Having taken courses ranging from biology and chemistry to geography and history, I learned to work on interdisciplinary projects and in teams with a plethora of diverse folks. This experience set me up for success no matter which direction I ended up taking.”
Michelle Lute, Ph.D.
Accept the challenge: pursue your passion.
Valpo offers the range of a comprehensive university, with a focus on instruction that is rare at larger schools. At Valpo, undergraduates have unusual access to resources, equipment, and, perhaps most important, the faculty.
While most large universities utilize graduate students for undergraduate instruction, undergraduates in Valpo’s College of Arts and Sciences benefit from the individual attention of teacher-scholars who have deep knowledge of their fields. Ninety percent of Arts and Sciences professors have achieved the highest degree offered in their fields, so students can be assured of expert guidance. Close, collegial relationships with faculty mentors support students who undertake rigorous and challenging courses.
This means that students can dig deeply into the fields that most fascinate and inspire them. A&S departments offer independent study and research courses that allow students to apply their theories to practical problems, and superb laboratory facilities and library resources support students’ ambitions. At the College of Arts and Sciences, students achieve real proficiency with the analytical tools the university offers.
One of my undergraduate research teams, which worked out a model of disease transmission from mother to newborn, ended up co-publishing a paper in a journal with me.
Daniel Maxin, Ph.D.