The Faculty of Arts

Who We Are

We are an innovative Faculty that has been serving students and launching careers since 1908. Our 50,000 alumni make an impact in communities everywhere and contribute greatly to our cultural lives. They enjoy challenging careers in every sector of the economy, including oil and gas, business, government, IT, education and nonprofit organizations.

As one of the university’s largest Faculties, Arts is a highly respected hub of research and creativity by both faculty members and students.

What We Do

The Faculty of Arts supports your discovery and learning by offering almost 900 distinct courses in the social sciences, fine arts, humanities and interdisciplinary studies. Arts is about applying rigorous critical thinking to solve complex problems. You can take courses that will allow you to discover the relationship between literature and texting; the economics of financial markets (e.g., how much risk should be in your portfolio); how people learn a language; and the connection between power, politics and political activism, just to name a few.

Arts is about discovery, exploration and developing research skills. We empower your career with undergraduate, master’s and PhD level degrees, as well as a range of certificate programs to complement your skills and aspirations. We offer more than 60 areas of focus, ranging from industrial design to economics. Our undergraduate degrees offer opportunities for experiential, hands-on learning:

Arts Work Experience connects you with employers, offering paid work terms related to your area of study.
In Community Service-Learning courses, you engage in volunteer work in the nonprofit sector and apply classroom knowledge to real world problems.
Roger S Smith awards allow you to engage in a summer paid research project with a professor in your area of interest.
In international study abroad programs around the world, including Arts’ own school in Cortona, Italy, you gain global experiences while earning university credits.

Arts students also have access to a large scholarship pool totaling more than $450,000 annually.

Our graduate programs attract outstanding students from around the globe, and their talents greatly enrich our teaching, research and campus communities.

Faculty Awards and Accomplishments

Our track record of excellent research and teaching could not happen without award-winning faculty. Arts is home to six University Cup recipients, which is the highest honour the University of Alberta bestows on its academic staff.

Our reputation is also acknowledged nationally and internationally:

Award winning teachers, including eight national 3M Teaching Fellowships.
Global academic ranking systems consistently recognize Faculty of Arts departments as among the best in the world.
Outstanding researchers with high success rates in national granting competitions, and a higher than national average for SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) research grants.
Top ranked scholars with 37 Royal Society of Canada fellows and two members of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
13 Canada Research Chairs and a Canada Council Killam Research Fellowship.