Interim Dean's Welcome

Dear Students,

Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Joseph’s University, the cornerstone of Jesuit education at St. Joe’s. The College is the place where Jesuit tradition meets your plans for the future, opening new doors and putting new possibilities in context. 

Supported by tradition

The core curriculum is a hallmark of Jesuit education, as it has been for nearly five centuries. At colleges and universities all over the world, the Jesuit commitment to excellence in education is vibrant and well-recognized.

Many of the departments in the College house disciplines whose roots go back even further, to the beginning of the very idea of the university. The study of history, literature, politics, philosophy, and theology are part of that tradition, as are the natural and social sciences, all of which combine to create a curriculum that helps us understand and explore what it means to be a person living in the world.

Looking toward the future

The roots of our curriculum go very deep, but we are not looking toward the past. The College of Arts & Sciences is using what we have learned to prepare students for a future along many paths. Our graduates use what they have learned to succeed in public service, business, philanthropy…to list all the fields where CAS graduates have succeeded would go on for pages. Many build on their Saint Joseph’s education at the top graduate, medical, and law schools in the country (and around the world). 

The classroom is the heart of a university education, but CAS has embraced a classroom that is the entire world. Internships, experiential learning, study abroad, service learning…all of these are essential parts of studying the Arts and Sciences at Saint Joseph’s. 

Compassion and accountability

When I first came to St Joe’s more than 20 years ago, I heard a lot about cura personalis and the Jesuit mission. What I have come to understand in my time on Hawk Hill is that these two concepts are at root about caring. CAS faculty care deeply about their students: about teaching them in their chosen discipline, of course, but also about helping students reach their potential. This happens in every academic department, but goes far beyond as well. Whether that is through formal programs like the Women’s Leadership Initiative, or the informal conversations that take place in faculty offices or hallways, Saint Joseph’s faculty take the time to care and to challenge, providing a framework of compassion and accountability that will help you to find your path and reach your potential.