School of Arts and Sciences

Who We Are

The School of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the schools at St. John Fisher College, offering degrees in over 20 undergraduate disciplines, along with master’s degrees in International Studies and Math/Science/Technology Education. Our programs are home to over 1,000 undergraduate students majoring in the humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. In addition, the School of Arts and Sciences is primarily responsible for the college’s Core Curriculum, the program of liberal arts courses that all undergraduates take as central to their academic experience.

What We Do

All programs in the School of Arts and Sciences emphasize knowledge in their particular disciplines so that students have mastery over the content in their majors. At the same time, each department helps students further develop their fundamental skills of written and oral communication, critical analysis and interpretation, and ethical and moral judgment. Students have the chance to apply these skills in coursework both inside and outside their major: the School of Arts and Sciences offers a broad range of interdisciplinary means of study, as well as opportunities to study abroad and in Washington, DC. In addition, many programs offer service learning, internship, and experiential learning options that provide students the chance to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a professional setting, so that they can better understand the connections between what they study in the discipline and how their courses prepare them for a career after graduation.

What We Prepare You For

A 2009 survey for the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that more than 75% of our nation's employers recommend that students seek a "liberal education." These employers highlighted two distinct skills: the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing and critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills. Seventy percent of employers said they were on the lookout for the ability to innovate and be creative. In the Arts and Sciences at St. John Fisher, we are aware what employers are looking for, and we have constructed our coursework and our undergraduate experiences accordingly.

Graduates of the School of Arts and Sciences are well situated to locate positions in the workforce and in graduate school. Through their coursework, students combine an increasing body of content knowledge with a sophisticated intellectual and communications skill set. Each major and program constructs an intentional progression of courses that helps students develop the intellectual and practical capabilities of critical and analytical thinking, oral and written communication skills, and digital adeptness. Moreover, through the broad range of experiential learning opportunities, students gain invaluable work and research experience and contacts in the local and national markets. In addition to attending graduate school in any number of disciplines, our graduates pursue careers in such fields as marketing, medicine, law, broadcasting, sales, human resource management, advertising and public relations, social work, media relations, information analysis, and scientific research and analysis.