For Parents

hachen_classroom

You are encouraged to explore the College of Arts and Letters website to learn more about everything the College offers students—from majors, minors, and special academic programs to resources such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.

We also invite you to read the College’s Viewbook for potential students, watch this short video featuring the dean of the College, or browse the rest of our online video library.

Arts and Letters Student Skills

No matter which courses of study they select, students in the College develop the ability:

  • to write clearly and effectively
  • to speak confidently and persuasively
  • to analyze data and problem solve

In partnership with the College, the Career Center assists students with career planning and networking as well as program such as the Arts and Letters Summer Internship Fund, Arts and Letters Business Bootcamp, and Notre Dame Industry Externship and Job Shadow Programs.

Arts and Letters Alumni Accomplishments

The combination of academic exploration and skills development prepares Arts and Letters students to succeed in the careers of today—as well as those of tomorrow. As demonstrated by the Class of 2011, the paths young alumni take are many:

  • 43% are working full time
  • 31% have enrolled in graduate or professional school
  • 20% are engaged in service programs or independent projects
  • 4% have joined the military

In fact, just six months after graduation, a full 98% of 2011 Arts and Letters graduates had successfully launched their post-college plans, despite the difficult economy.

Want to know more? Check out these recent alumni highlights. You can also read about the accomplishments of current Arts and Letters students (and more alumni) in the news section of our website.

Note: “independent projects” include activities such as writing a novel or doing a film or fine arts project, traveling the world, caring for a family member, etc.

Learn More >

Admission, Aid, Housing, Employment
The Arts
Calendars
Special Links for Parents
Stay in the Know
Supporting Notre Dame
Visiting Campus

Admission, Aid, Housing, Employment

The Arts

Calendars

Stay in the Know

Support Notre Dame

Visit Campus


Arts and Letters Viewbook

Read more about academic programs and life in the College.

Liberal Arts at Notre Dame: An Investment for Life

Skills development and outcomes for the Class of 2010 and beyond

The Liberal Arts at Notre Dame

Video: Exploring the Liberal Arts



In Support of Students

Video: Fighting to Inspire the Mind and Spirit


Arts and Letters News

  • History Major Explores Work of Missionaries in Colonial Peru

    It is widely known that Spanish missionaries played a significant role in introducing Catholicism to the peoples of the Andes throughout the colonial period. Notre Dame senior history major Joseph VanderZee traveled to archives in Lima and Rome to dig a little deeper and find out what these early missionaries thought of the indigenous population—and how their attitudes affected the development of the Peruvian Church. Read More >

  • Theologian Gary Anderson Elected to American Academy of Jewish Research

    Gary Anderson, Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Notre Dame, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research (AAJR). The AAJR is the oldest organization of Judaic scholars in North America, and fellows are nominated and elected by their peers. The group has approximately 100 members in the United States—and Anderson is one of a select few who are not Jewish. Read More >

  • Solving a Fascinating Puzzle

    Robert Goulding, an associate professor in the University of Notre Dame’s Program of Liberal Studies, was recently awarded a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) to support a research project that combines mathematics, philosophy, and Renaissance science. Goulding, who also teaches in the History and Philosophy of Science graduate program, says his work focuses on English scientist and mathematician Thomas Harriot (1560–1621), whom he calls “a really unusual figure” in intellectual history. Read More >

  • Microfinance Yields Mixed Results in Thailand, Economist Joseph Kaboski Finds

    Large-scale microfinance programs are widely used as a tool to fight poverty in developing countries, but a recent study by University of Notre Dame economist Joseph Kaboski and MIT colleague Robert Townsend suggests that microfinancing can have varying results for participants and may not be the most cost-effective use of funds for many situations. The study was published in a recent issue of Econometrica. Kaboski and Townsend used the Thai Million Baht Village Fund, one of the largest government microfinance initiatives of its kind, to evaluate and understand the benefits and disadvantages of microfinance interventions. Read More >