The College of Arts and Sciences provides both a general education to all undergraduate students of the University, and a particular education in a variety of disciplines and fields of concentration to students wishing to pursue degrees in the humanities and the social and physical sciences. A basic aim of the College is the formation of students in the spirit of Christian humanism.

The College has developed a core curriculum to provide that general culture which distinguishes the educated person. This curriculum challenges each student to read, write, analyze, reflect, discuss and persuade; to evaluate learning with discernment and compassionate understanding; to explore the past for the light it casts on the present and future; to create works of the imagination; to practice ethical decision making; and to develop a foundation for fashioning a career.

The student's major field or field of concentration offers an opportunity for specialized work and original investigation. This development allows the student to come into direct contact with the methods of the scholar and to learn to do original work in the laboratory, studio or research library. Under the guidance of a skilled professor, the student's exploration in his or her major field is the crown of a liberal education and the foundation for graduate or professional study.