Study Everything. Do Anything. — The College of Arts & Letters at Notre Dame
&. Just a symbol. The shortest part of the College of Arts & Letters.
Easy to overlook.
But & defines our students — what they do in their time at Notre Dame and where they go after graduation.
Their intellectual curiosity is insatiable. They want to study everything. They major in Economics & English or Music & Neuroscience. They dabble in courses in Philosophy & French & Art History. They add a minor in International Development Studies or Japanese or Collaborative Innovation because they’re fascinated by the subject. They do research with professors in Anthropology & American Studies because they want to learn more. They take seminars in Latino Studies & Film & Sociology to enhance their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.
As they carry those abilities and that passion for knowledge into the world, their potential is limitless. Arts & Letters students get exciting first jobs, enter prestigious graduate programs, or make the world a better place through full-time service programs. But their journey doesn’t end there. Their Arts & Letters experience has prepared them to do anything — to add more &s as they become leaders at work, in their communities, and around the world.
Majors & Minors Majors Minors
Politics, Law & International Affairs
Political Science M
Constitutional Studies
Hesburgh Program in Public Service
International Security Studies
Economics and Business
Economics M
International Economics M
Business Economics
Economic and Business History
Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society
Social Sciences
Anthropology M
Psychology M
Sociology M
The Arts
Art History M
Design M
Film, Television, and Theatre M
Music M
Studio Art M
Collaborative Innovation
Musical Theatre
Humanities
English M
History M
Program of Liberal Studies M
Medieval Studies M S
Classics M S
Greek and Roman Civilization M S
Classical Studies: Civilization
Classical Studies: Heritage
Faith & Reason
Philosophy M
Theology M S
Philosophy & Theology M
Catholic Social Tradition
Liturgical Music Ministry
Philosophy, Religion, and Literature
Interdisciplinary Programs
Africana Studies M S
American Studies M
Gender Studies M S
Latino Studies S
Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Sport, Media, and Culture
Africana Studies American Studies Anthropology Arabic
Art, Art History & Design Classics Computer Science
Global Languages & Cultures
French M S
Italian M S
Spanish M S
Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
Romance Languages and Literatures M S
Chinese M S
Japanese M S
Korean
German M S
Russian M S
Russian Studies
Arabic M
Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Greek
Latin
Irish Language and Literature
Irish Studies
Linguistics
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Globally Engaged Citizens Program
Science, Technology & Digital Studies
Arts & Letters Pre-Health S
Computer Science M
Mathematics M
Neuroscience and Behavior M
Computing and Digital Technologies
Data Science
Health, Humanities, and Society
Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics
Science, Technology, and Values
M Major Minor
S Supplementary Major
Programs across campus open to Arts & Letters students
Business
Accountancy
Digital Marketing
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Real Estate
Global Affairs
Asian Studies S
Global Affairs S
Peace Studies S
Civil and Human Rights
European Studies
International Development Studies
Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Science
Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics S
Environmental Sciences S
Mathematics S
Physics S
Statistics S
Compassionate Care in Medicine
Energy Studies
Science and Patient Advocacy
Sustainability
Engineering
Reilly Dual Degree Program in Engineering and A&L
Centers & Institutes
Education, Schooling, and Society S
Poverty Studies
Tech Ethics
Program of Liberal Studies & service & sustainability & Portuguese & economics & student body president & film & climate change research & varsity football & guitar
LIBERAL ARTS When
he got to Notre Dame, Corey Robinson didn’t know what to study — and that’s because he wanted to major in everything.
He met with advisors in more than 20 departments, considering everything from Arts & Letters pre-health to Irish language and literature to aquatic biology. But he still wasn’t sure.
That’s when his advising dean suggested the Program of Liberal Studies.
“It’s a holistic liberal arts major where you get to study history, literature, theology, and politics. You get to study opera, film, and art,” he says. “It’s everything I wanted in one major, and it’s been the best decision of my life.”
He’s also added a minor in sustainability, studied Portuguese and economics, and taken classes in film, television, and theatre. A broad liberal arts education has strengthened his ability to see connections between disparate fields and better understand other perspectives.
“It’s expanded my horizons. It’s taught me to think critically, to analyze and interpret data,” he says. “And the liberal arts have shown me that there are many sides to every argument. If you can appreciate someone else’s perspective, you can establish common ground and work together toward a solution.”
Corey has already put those skills to use in the world. He spent a summer doing service work in Brazil. He’s studied abroad in South Africa and Israel. And he’s interned with the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, compiling data on climate change and researching improper agricultural land use.
He built a senior thesis project on that research, applying the philosophy he studies in PLS to the practical, real-time issue of deforestation in Brazil.
On campus, Corey serves as student body president, championing issues of sustainability, diversity, and community engagement. He starred as a wide receiver on the varsity football team. He plays guitar in an indie rock band. And he founded a nonprofit in which college athletes encourage children to pursue higher education.
Now, Corey is considering a career in sustainable investing — but his experiences in Arts & Letters will continue to serve him no matter where he goes.
“The most valuable thing about a Notre Dame liberal arts education is that it doesn’t just train excellent doctors or consultants or scholars,” he says. “The liberal arts train excellent young men and women who will go into whatever field they choose and do the right thing and live lives of excellence and integrity.”
Whether the subjects you’re passionate about focus on the past, the present, or the future, the liberal arts unlock endless opportunities to be curious, creative and collaborative.
They’re your gateway to studying fossils and ancient civilizations. They’re your ticket to exploring global cultures and
modern philosophical, political, and economic issues. They’re your passport to analyzing depictions of other worlds in literature, film, and television.
Through a Notre Dame liberal arts education, you’re encouraged to grapple with the enduring questions and current challenges that confront society. You’ll learn to read critically and analyze data, to write crisply and speak persuasively — all in preparation for becoming the
professional, community, and Church leaders our world needs.
With the freedom to study what you love and explore new topics — through interdisciplinary coursework, seminarstyle classes, and close interaction with world-class faculty — you will broaden your view of the world, find a greater sense of purpose, and develop a skill set that will help you flourish no matter where your path leads.
Sara Abdel-Rahim found her voice in the liberal arts — and she amplified it through research, internships, and leadership roles on campus.
“The College of Arts & Letters has helped me build confidence in so many different ways — academically, socially, and personally,” she says. “The liberal arts teach you to engage with issues and to be part of conversations you might not otherwise. I wouldn’t have this inquisitive nature — or the ability to act on it — if I hadn’t been here.”
As a first-generation American citizen, the political science and Arabic major wants to battle against cultural and religious discrimination.
She’s delved into issues of immigration and integration through research projects, studied public policy during a semester of classes and internships at think tanks in Washington, D.C., and
worked side-by-side with a professor analyzing concepts of citizenship after the French Revolution.
For Sara — a Dean’s Fellow and president of the Muslim Student Association — the College’s emphasis on community fostered countless opportunities for her to engage in intercultural and interreligious dialogue with her peers.
As she’s heading to Greece after winning a Fulbright research grant, her voice is stronger and more confident than ever.
“Don’t be afraid of what makes you different,” she says. “At Notre Dame, that can be what allows you to flourish — to forge your own path and become a leader.”
The College of Arts & Letters is home to more than 3,000 undergraduates and 1,100 graduate students.
70%
35
Choose from nearly 70 different majors and minors in the College.
Faculty members often invite classes to visit their homes for food and fellowship.
The College fosters research and study that further social justice and serve the common good.
Collaborative innovation is one of many interdisciplinary programs for Arts & Letters students.
500 employers visit campus every year to recruit students.
of Arts & Letters classes have fewer than 20 students.
student clubs focus on the performing arts, in addition to opportunities in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, the Department of Music, and Shakespeare at Notre Dame.
The College offers instruction in 20 different global languages.
Political science & Italian & international law & food security & study abroad & internships & service work & interhall sports & theatre & boxing
GLOBAL Rachel Ganson’s
path in the College of Arts & Letters has led her to China, India, Iceland, Italy, and Spain — and to exactly where she is meant to be.
“Visiting these places has challenged me and helped me grow as a person — intellectually, spiritually, emotionally,” she says. “When you experience different cultures and have conversations with people from different backgrounds, you start to figure out what you’re most passionate about and what you hold dear.”
For Rachel, a political science major, that passion is food security and sustainability.
She’s spent summers doing service work in Beijing at a foster home for disabled children, interning at a think tank in New Delhi focused on education policy and entrepreneurial activity, and in Reykjavik researching an interest she developed in sustainable fishing practices.
Each of these experiences — all funded by Notre Dame — helped her find her niche.
“I’ve been able to go from a broad desire to explore other cultures, to an interest in international justice, to a passion for international food security,” she says. “And I am so in love with what I’m doing now. This just fits me so well.”
Rachel, who also has minors in Italian and philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE), set her sights on the Mediterranean —
one of the most overfished areas in the world. She spent part of her junior year and the following summer taking classes and researching the issue in Notre Dame’s Rome International Scholars Program.
That work, along with further research in Spain over a fall break, forms the basis for her senior thesis on the environmental consequences of overfishing and the efficacy of international law and interstate cooperation.
A Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar, Rachel also volunteers at the South Bend Center for the Homeless, plays on interhall sports teams, acts in student theatre productions, and competes in Baraka Bouts, a women’s boxing club that raises money for Holy Cross Missions in East Africa.
After graduation, she will join a full-time service program before beginning
law school and preparing for a career in international law.
“Having such diverse experiences and support along the way has really encouraged me to think about where I want to be — and given me the confidence to continue pursuing that after college,” she says. “And when I get to where I feel I can do the most good, I’m going to be the most effective leader I can be.”
Your Arts & Letters experience doesn’t stop at the edge of campus. It extends across the country and around the world.
Through Notre Dame’s unique network of Global Gateways, you can live and learn in major international cities. The academic and intellectual hubs allow scholars, students, and leaders from universities, government, business, and the community to gather and discuss issues of topical and enduring relevance.
Notre Dame’s study abroad programs take students to more than three dozen locations, from Dakar and Berlin to Santiago and Hong Kong. About 70 percent of Arts & Letters majors spend a semester or a summer abroad studying or conducting research, learning to see the world in new ways.
International experiences open up a world of opportunities. The College, as well as
centers and institutes across campus, offer generous funding for students to pursue research, language learning, and internship opportunities around the world. Significant support is available to students applying for prestigious fellowships — part of the reason the College of Arts & Letters is a top producer of Fulbrights, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
No matter where you end up, the Notre Dame global community will be there, with more than 270 alumni clubs across the U.S. and in 50 international cities.
Emmie Mediate learned a lot while she was traveling — and she learned even more when she got back.
An Africana studies and Arts & Letters pre-health major, Emmie made three trips to Uganda to conduct research, complete an internship, and enhance her senior thesis. Each experience was fully funded through Notre Dame grants and closely connected to her passion — global health.
“Traveling internationally really enlivened the work that I did back at Notre Dame. We’d be discussing Africa in class and I’d be able to connect it back to my experiences in the real world,” Emmie says. “Or sometimes, I’d study something that was contradictory to what I saw.
“That challenged my research and made me keep digging deeper.”
Emmie also studied abroad in London and traveled to the Netherlands and Sweden to conduct research during a winter break. Each experience helped her grow intellectually and helped pave the way for her next step — becoming a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
“The biggest thing Notre Dame has instilled in me is a sense of concern for others,” she says. “A lot of the passion I have for my work in Uganda and my future goals comes from a sense that there’s something bigger out there to fight for — and I want to be a part of that.”
Arts & Letters pre-health major Jesusislord Nwadiuko studied health care issues in China.
Italian major Andrew Guinan’s study abroad experience in Rome led to a summer internship.
Theology major Jenna Ahn received Notre Dame grants to spend two summers working with the Missionaries of Charity in India.
Notre Dame students can study abroad in 26 countries, including Brazil.
Political science and economics
major Daniela Cabada spent fall break in Havana, Cuba, attending a conference hosted by Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies.
Chinese major John Fox spent an immersive summer studying at Peking University and exploring cultural sites in Beijing.
The Berlin Summer Program offers students the chance to spend six weeks in Germany’s capital and cultural center.
Study everything.
Landscapes of Urban Education
Constructing a Good Life
Unsolved Historical Mysteries
Robot Ethics
Design for Social Good
Sociology of War and Terror
The Roots of Human Trafficking
Saints, Relics, and Sacred Sites in Late Antiquity
Game Theory
Storytelling, Memory, and Place
Rich, Poor, and War
Tale of Two Depressions
Buried History of Ancient Cities
Birth and Death of Democracies
Beginning Quechua
American Public Opinion and Voting Behavior
Cultures of Fear: Horror Films
Beginning Creole
Moral Problems
Christianity, Commerce, and Consumerism
Ballads to Hip-Hop
Extreme Photography
Fashioning American Identities
Great Speeches
The Stories of Medieval Ireland and Wales
Discipleship: Loving Action
Home and Dome
Experimental Printmaking
Humor and Power
That Eighties Class
History of Medical Sciences
Japanese Pop Culture
French Tensions: Graphic Novels
Society and Spirit
Death in America
Media and Presidential Elections
China’s Long 20th Century
Christianity and the Challenge of Buddhism
Oil in American History
Sex and Gender in Antiquity
God and the Good Life
Ancient Japan
Creature Poetry
Latinos in the Future of America
Notre Dame and its Artifacts
Beauty, Being, and the Infinite
Health, Medicine, and Society
Art in Chicago
From Plato to Pope Francis
Ecologies of the Self
Programming for Video Game Development
Western Art: Leonardo to Warhol
The Roots of the Ring: Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien
Russia in Revolution
Bioarchaeology
Medieval Monstrosity
History of Television
Science
Fiction and Reproduction
The Geopolitics of Energy
In the College of Arts & Letters, every class is a chance to expand your intellectual horizons. No matter which one of our 40 majors you choose, you’ll have the flexibility to explore topics outside your discipline — just because they sound fascinating. Whether it’s a requirement or an elective, all of our courses broaden your knowledge base, expose you to new ways of thinking, and shape the way you see the world.
La Telenovela
American Ruins
Booked: Prison Literature
Humankind Unplugged
Confronting Homelessness
The Christian Imagination
From Rasputin to Putin
History of Detective Fiction
Wisdom of Folk Tales
Classical Heroes Revisited
Satire: Jonathan Swift to Jon Stewart
Soundscapes of African-American Literature
Dying for Love in Two Genres
Collaborative Product Design
Sociology and Violence
One Jesus and His Many Portraits
Athenian Acropolis in Context
Mysteries of the Past
Europe in the Age of Revolution
Inner City America
The Making of Market Society
Roman Criminal Law
Witnessing the Sixties
Metaphysics and Epistemology
Food and the Brain
Psychology of Personality
Metamorphosis of Journalism
Sustainability: Principles and Practices
Caribbean Diasporas
Police Cultures
On Humor: Understanding Italy
Architecture Which Hurts and Heals
Digital Culture, Digital Self
Youth Sports and the Urban Poor
Philosophy of Physics
Health Economics
Humor and Power
Greek and Roman Mythology
Utopian and Dystopian Literature and Politics
Arabic Short Stories
Love Stories from Africa
Ancient Wisdom and Modern Love
Artificial Intelligence
Jim Crow Fiction
The Hamilton Phenomenon
Theatre and Theology
Italian Renaissance Art
Nasty, Brutish, and Short
Broadway Theatre Experience
Conjuring the Americas
Sports and American Culture
Dystopias and the Family
Religion and Musical Drama
Power, Privilege, and Oppression
Trojan War Tragedies
Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley
Tokyo Stories
Unlocking Human Potential
Science and Pseudoscience in Psychology
Theology of Poverty
Theology & German & medieval studies & tuba & honors program & marching band & senior thesis & spiritual life
One visit to the Hesburgh Library’s medieval manuscripts collection, and Luke Donahue was hooked.
“I saw them and thought, ‘This is it. This is what I want to study,’” Luke says. “I was intrigued that there are all these manuscripts from the Middle Ages that no one has researched, and I was determined — I wanted to help fill that intellectual gap.”
That experience in his first-semester German class significantly shaped his Notre Dame education. While he initially planned to study physics, Luke decided to major in theology and German and minor in medieval studies. He studied abroad in Germany and received University funding to spend two more months there examining medieval manuscripts.
Now, his academic interests are culminating in a senior thesis, in which he translates a set of medieval German prayers to Mary and investigates the lives of the nuns who wrote them.
“This is exactly what the College of Arts & Letters is — and should be — all
about,” he says. “I think interdisciplinary connections are something we really benefit from. For me, that has meant seeing how Western history and literary tradition have been shaped by theology.”
Luke’s research experience helped him learn field-specific skills in paleography as well as broader skills that will be valuable in graduate school and beyond.
“Research takes a lot of discipline,” he says. “It also increased my critical thinking and taught me how to engage with texts on a broader, interdisciplinary level.”
Luke, a member of the Glynn Family Honors Program, participates in a Marian devotion group on campus. He plays tuba in the marching band and hockey pep band. And he spent two summers participating in service programs, working with the homeless and providing spiritual education for children and teens.
Through it all, he sees Notre Dame’s Catholic identity as a common thread.
“My work is distinctly connected to and informed by my faith,” he says. “But anything you do at Notre Dame can be
part of the Catholic mission and our commitment to Catholic social justice and education.”
Maybe you already know what topics excite you. Maybe you’ll discover them once you’re here. Either way, Arts & Letters is the place to delve into them.
“If there’s something you’re interested in, explore it. Your faculty advisers can help you find ways to pursue any subject in depth,” he says. “Connecting with my professors for my research gave me greater insight into who I am and what I want to do.”
In the College of Arts & Letters, you’re learning from the best— faculty at the forefront of their fields, from Shakespeare to the philosophy of religion to quantitative psychology.
But they’re not just teaching you what they know. They’re teaching you how to create knowledge — ways to blend your interests and skills to conduct original research that expands our understanding of the world around us.
A culture of research excellence flows through the College. Our faculty have won more National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships than any other university since 1999. Our students win major awards, from the Rhodes and Truman scholarships to Fulbright grants and Beinecke fellowships.
On-campus grant programs fund student research all around the world — and about 40% of our undergraduates complete a senior thesis every year.
Through research, our students pursue original projects that combine all of their interests. Perhaps it’s using sociology and Spanish to examine education policy in urban schools. Or drawing on coursework in psychology and theology to study how concepts of God help people cope with trauma.
No matter what the topic, the College of Arts & Letters is the place to study everything you love — and undergraduate research offers you the chance to put that passion into practice.
Economics major Melanie Wallskog walked into her professor’s office hours with a question. She walked out with a job — and the start of a promising future in research.
After her professor hired her to work on a development economics project in Nicaragua, Melanie served as a research assistant at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities and wrote her senior thesis on the relationship between demographics and savings in Ireland.
“Going from the classroom — where I had only studied theoretical models — to actually working in the field gave me a much more comprehensive view of what economists actually do,” she says. “It made me very excited about the power of research.”
Later, Melanie co-authored a paper with two Notre Dame economics
professors on the effectiveness of a homelessness prevention program in Chicago. Their work was published in Science — the first time anyone from Arts & Letters had appeared in the prestigious journal.
Thanks to her Notre Dame research and coursework, Melanie began her Ph.D. at Stanford with full funding from a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship and an article in Science with her name on it.
“I would never have thought to pursue a Ph.D. if I was not doing research,” she says. “My experiences showed me how much research can make a difference in the world.”
Molly Seidel blended research in sustainability and environmental anthropology in studying the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.
A team of students used design thinking skills to place second in a Walt Disney Imagineering competition.
Romance languages and literatures and political science major Christina Gutierrez spent time in Costa Rica researching food policy.
Arts & Letters pre-health students work in the lab during a study abroad program in Puebla, Mexico.
and farming practices.
Greek and Roman civilization major Joseph Strasz researched medieval Italian poetry while interning at the American Academy in Rome.
Political science and Arabic major Sienna Wdowik worked closely with Professor Michael Desch, studying international nuclear strategy.
Anthropology major Greg Yungtum went to Uganda to study rural culture
DO ANYTHING
The world is constantly evolving. With a foundational education in the liberal arts, you’re not only prepared to keep up with changing times — you’re prepared to thrive in them.
of Arts & Letters students find success just six months after graduation.
*
50% start full-time jobs
7% pursue other opportunities* 2% join the military Just 3% were still looking for employment 25% go to graduate or professional school 13% enter service programs
Source: Center for Career Development
Arts & Letters students are consistently in demand among top employers because they value liberal arts students for their abilities to think critically and solve problems creatively. They are strong writers and excellent storytellers. They have the ability to make complex concepts presentable to people not as well versed in a given subject. Most importantly, they are top-tier relationship builders. If the problems of the world are to be solved, we must lead with empathy. Employers understand this, which is why they are so eager to engage with our talented students, and Beyond the Dome is the conduit by which those employers and our students can engage.”
—Jared
Mrozinske Arts & Letters Beyond the Dome career program manager
Do anything.
Chris Renner ’84 ► President, Helios Partners global sports marketing consulting agency
French and Economics
Carlos Lozada ’93 ► Opinion columnist, The New York Times
Pulitzer Prize winner
Economics and Political Science
◄ Linda Wilbert Parish ’77
Senior VP, Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
American Studies
◄ Mary Boyer ’07
Disaster Risk Management Specialist, The World Bank
Anthropology and Peace Studies
◄ Evelyn Diaz ’92 President, Heartland Alliance
English
Brian Hainline ’78 ► Chief Medical Officer, NCAA
Philosophy and Arts and Letters Pre-Health
MacKenzie Isaac ’20 ► Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University Sociology
◄ Tess Gunty ’15 Author, The Rabbit Hutch National Book Award winner
English
◄ Alan Page ’67 Retired Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court Political Science
◄ Betsy Bohlen ’90 Chief Operating Officer, Archdiocese of Chicago Economics
No matter what they studied, Arts & Letters graduates go on to find success in a wide variety of fields, all around the world.
Hannah Storm ’83 ► Anchor, ESPN’s SportsCenter
Government and International Studies
Patrick Vassel ’07 ► Supervising Director, Hamilton: An American Musical Political Science
◄ Chris Stevens ’74 Co-founder, Keurig Premium Coffee Systems Economics
◄ Stephen McFeely ’91 Screenwriter, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame English
◄ Michael Swanson ’93
Emmy-winning producer and studio executive
Film, Television, and Theatre
Paul Appleby ’05 ► Professional opera singer Music and English
Nikole Hannah-Jones ’98 ► Correspondent, New York Times Magazine
MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ and Pulitzer Prize winner History and Africana Studies
◄ Wendy Wang ’06
HR Business Partner, BlackRock Political Science
◄ Anna Scott ’06 Head of Footwear Design, Marc Jacobs Design
◄ Sean Reardon ’86
Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education, Stanford University Program of Liberal Studies
“There are many things taught at this University, but at the heart of all of them is the liberal arts. My dream was to make liberal arts the center of all living, which I think it is — because the liberal arts teach us how to be human, in the best intellectual and moral sense.”
—Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, 1952–1987
