Departments, Degree Programs and Courses

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

No one in twentieth century America has done more to advance the study of international relations or promote human understanding than J. William Fulbright. Committed to the idea that a free society and a peaceful world require, above all, an educated citizenry, he urged with unflagging energy the use of historical perspective, cultural relativity, and scientific objectivity in the study of human affairs. Senator Fulbright, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln before him, was committed to the belief that an educated, enlightened electorate will unerringly act not only in its own self-interest but also in the interest of all the people of the world.

In recognition of J. William Fulbright's contribution to the cause of liberal education and of his many services to his native state, the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas on November 20, 1981, resolved:

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, shall be named, henceforth, the J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. . . . His name will imbue that college, and the University, with his reputation and image for a devoted interest in higher education and its accomplishments through its scholars as reflected in its students. That name will endow the college in such a way as to make it a world-wide center for liberal learning in the general and for the study of international relations in particular.

The college, dedicated to implementing the Fulbright philosophy that liberal education is a prerequisite for enlightened citizenship in a democratic society, has adopted as its motto the following statement from Fulbright's writings:

. . . the highest function of higher education . . . is the teaching of things in perspective, toward the purposes of enriching the life of the individual, cultivating the free and inquiring mind, and advancing the effort to bring reason, justice, and humanity into the relations of men and nations.

Consisting of 20 departments and 14 interdisciplinary programs, Fulbright College has a twofold mission: to provide a broad, liberal education to all students within the University community and to furnish specialized knowledge at the upper division and graduate levels leading to a professional career. The general education curriculum within the college is designed to assure student's mastery of the English language; provide knowledge of the historical, social, intellectual, and linguistic bases of human culture; further understanding of the universe and the environment; provide habits of thought and investigation useful in later life; encourage exploration and development of aesthetic, political and ethical values; and offer the necessary foundation for professional competence or further training in professional or graduate schools. The general education curriculum of the college is based on the Platonic assumption that the pursuit of knowledge is an intrinsically good activity and that it is incumbent upon all members of an enlightened society to engage in that pursuit.

Recognizing that its students must become as productive members of contemporary American society, Fulbright College offers undergraduate majors in 30 different fields ranging from chemistry and art, to journalism and German. In addition, the college, in cooperation with the Graduate School, offers course work leading to master's degrees in 29 fields and doctoral degrees in 11 fields. As a natural corollary of their instructional role, the faculty of the college pursue active research programs in their fields and programs that enable them simultaneously to provide state-of-the-art education to their students and bring national and international recognition to the University.

In sum, Fulbright College lies at the very heart of the University. The seat of liberal learning within the institution and the state, it is committed to providing excellent general education to all members of the student body and specialized instruction of the highest quality to its own majors.

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