The Faculty of Arts

Who We Are

The Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta has been a foundational part in an inspiring story stretching over 100 years. As a result of a century of adapting and growing with change, the Faculty of Arts has become a diverse, inclusive faculty - a place for individuals to thrive or ideas to be explored within the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences. Whether through skilled artistic expression, breakthrough research, strong community partnerships, or a passionate dedication to teaching and learning, Arts faculty, staff, and students act as a catalyst for societal change.

The Faculty of Arts actively creates new opportunities to deliver on our incredible potential to drive change. We ask our nearly 6000 students to see their world as a textbook and embrace practical ways of learning; we push them to engage in research and in the creation of new knowledge; our globally-recognized faculty actively inspire them to challenge conventions; we give them opportunities to think about their programs differently and chart their own exciting, bold path. We take every opportunity to foster the individual transformations necessary to transform our world as a whole.

What We Do

The Faculty of Arts offers rich academic experiences in the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences; engages in teaching, research, and creative activities that enhance our understanding of the world; and develops the skills and qualities essential to imagining and realizing our personal and collective potential.

In the Faculty of Arts, students get to create their own unique path through university and beyond; they will dive deep into the hearts and minds of people past and present, near and far, to build a stronger society. And as they take that journey into a rewarding career, they will be making a difference every step of the way.

The Faculty empowers students with undergraduate, master’s and PhD level degrees, as well as a range of certificate programs to complement skills and career aspirations. We offer diverse programs, ranging from industrial design to economics, with over 900 distinct courses and 31 majors and minors to select from. Our undergraduate degrees offer opportunities for experiential, hands-on learning, including:

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

and many more! Arts undergraduate 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 many University Cup recipients, which is the highest honour the University of Alberta bestows on its academic staff.

Our reputation is recognized nationally and internationally, including multiple national 3M Teaching Fellowships; outstanding researchers with high rates in national granting competitions; top ranked scholars with Royal Society of Canada Fellows and New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists; Canada Research Chairs; Killam Research Fellows; Trudeau Fellows; and a Canada 150 Research Chair.