College of Arts and Sciences

Shippensburg University's College of Arts and Sciences has 16 departments, which span the humanities and fine arts, sciences and mathematics, social sciences and interdisciplinary programs. We offer over 100 different undergraduate majors, minors, and certificate programs, as well as graduate programs.

We prepare you for employment in business and industry, public service, teaching or further graduate study through a variety of learning experiences in and out of the classroom, including: internships, faculty/student research opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as various clubs, activities and organizations designed to complement your educational experience.

Explore College of Arts & Sciences Programs

Junior Maria Drake's Ship experience takes her well beyond the classroom. Hands-on learning, student research and engaged faculty mentors define the student experience in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Be Ship Ready

Ship students become agile and adaptable, and graduate ready for the workforce, fully prepared to succeed. This is what it means to be Ship ready.

One-on-one attention meets experiential learning

You are unique. So are we. Dedicated faculty are interested in who you are, and how you learn. Graduates take on the world with a broad base of knowledge and know how to apply that in practical ways.

Focus on faculty

Teacher-scholars are a key component to student success. As students spend four years learning, faculty are also continuously engaged in activities that enhance their teaching, research and service, bringing new practices, discoveries and opportunities back to their classes. This is a core component of gaining relevant knowledge and skills that will support a student’s growth within the curriculum and the graduate’s success in their career.

Challenge yourself

Faculty and staff care about you and your success, and are dedicated to helping you grow academically, personally and professionally. When you are here, you can expect to:

• Receive one-on-one, individualized attention within a broad range of learning opportunities and experiences.
• Have opportunities to challenge, and be challenged, by peers as your world views broaden.
• Actively seek learning opportunities outside of the classroom where personal and professional growth benefits you.

Most importantly, the relationships you build with classmates, community members and faculty and staff, will serve you well as you transition to the next steps of life’s journey.

Internships and networking: Ground rules

We help all students identify and develop meaningful internship opportunities, some of which are paid, others for credit as part of your academic program. Either way, internships are an excellent way to start building the networks and skills required to enter and be a successful leader in the workforce. Internship opportunities include private and public organizations as well as NGOs. The arts and sciences are very broad, which means our internship opportunities are correspondingly very broad.

Alumni: Your friends in the job market

Our alumni are everywhere: state government, local industrial facilities, hospital systems, the state park system and national businesses such as Volvo, Ford and Google. Of course, many of our students choose to stay in the region. We believe you can be successful wherever you go. Networking is critical, and internships are one way to expand your network. These mentors will know the skills you bring to the table and advocate for you during the hiring process. The wide Shippensburg University alumni base across the nation means our graduates have family in their job searches when the time comes.

Reach out to research

Undergraduate research experience is available to all students, not just science majors, as is commonly thought. Humanities and social sciences are strong contributors to research across our various programs. When you do an undergraduate research project at Ship, and then go off to do an internship, you are already geared up to face the challenges of the real world. You are ready.

Mission Statement

Our college is founded upon the principle that a high-quality, professional education within a major, when combined with a minor emphasis, and a broadly based general educational experience, provides a firm foundation upon which to build a productive and enriched life and career pathway. Due of the nature of the disciplines comprising the college, we also provide excellent development of critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills – a set of “soft skills” that, when combined with disciplinary knowledge, is highly valued by employers, graduate schools and professional schools.