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College of Arts and Sciences

The big picture

No matter what your interests, the College of Arts and Sciences has something for you. In fact, one third of all K-State undergraduates pick a major from the 90 degree programs and pre-professional options offered through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Want to be a real-life crime fighter? Try studying criminology as a sociology major. Dream of replacing Katie Couric or Matt Lauer? Our journalism and mass communications program is a great place to start. If the arts are your bag, choose from 13 different majors in the visual arts, including everything from art history to printmaking. If you're scientifically inclined, work that beautiful mind as a biochemistry, physics, or mathematics major.

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What's a college?

K-State's colleges, like the College of Arts and Sciences, are the organizing units of the university's academic offerings. See a complete list of our majors by college.

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Bragging rights

Here's why the College of Arts and Sciences is a great place to call home.

  • The College of Arts and Sciences is home to many of K-State's top students. Eight of the university's 12 Rhodes scholars and 25 out of the university's 30 Truman scholars graduated with majors in the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • KSDB "The Wildcat 91.9," a student-operated radio station that specializes in modern rock and urban music, won 28 awards at the 2005 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Student Awards. KSDB is the oldest noncommercial FM radio station in the state and is one of the oldest in the nation. KSDB was "born" in November 1949. Learn more about Wildcat radio.
  • The K-State debate team has been ranked among the nation's top 10 teams six times since 1987.
  • K-State's Army ROTC program has been rated by the U.S. Army Cadet Command as producing the highest quality military graduates in the eight-state region, which covers 20 college and universities. K-State's Army ROTC is one of the largest programs in the Midwest.
  • The Kansas State Collegian, K-State's student-run daily newspaper, was the sole winner of the College Media Advisor's four-year daily broadsheet competition and was given the Apple Award for best of show at the Spring National College Media Convention, the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.
  • K-State's student yearbook, Royal Purple, has won 14 Gold Crown Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

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Extreme assignments

At K-State, learning isn't just showing up for class and cramming for midterms, it's an interactive experience. Like some of our past students, you can jump in and do some hands-on learning.

  • Teach English to French-speaking students in Belgium.
  • Defeat an Ivy League team at a national debate competition.
  • Cover the Republican national convention as a youth reporter.
  • Land an internship at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
  • Place in the top one percent at the nation's premier mathematical competition.
  • Join a team of professors and graduate students in creating micro blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), small optical elements that might improve tomorrow's traffic signals, neon billboards, and sports stadium screens.
  • Spend the summer in Brazil providing health and educational services to children.
  • Intern with a state legislator in Topeka.
  • Have your art displayed at the Kemper Gallery in the Student Union, the Willard Hall gallery, or the Department of Art's digital gallery.
  • Show off your vocal talents with the men's glee club or the K-State Singers.
  • Spearhead a drive to build a skate park in your hometown.
  • Direct a full-length play at the Purple Masque Theatre.
  • Win a grant to finance your own research at the cancer research center.

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Not for sissies

Some courses in the College of Arts and Sciences push adventure seekers to the max. Here's a breakdown on some of our most extreme classes. See if you're right for some of K-State's most adventurous courses.

Profile: You have a passport, even though you haven't actually left the country yet.

You're ready for: A group travel seminar. Grab a backpack and travel to Tanzania for a K-State class in conservation and wildlife or to Spain for a class in language and culture.

Profile: You aren't afraid of a little blood. In fact, flesh wounds kind of fascinate you.

You're ready for: Human Biology lab's cadaver dissection. Dare to check out one of K-State's most innovative undergraduate courses. Only five percent of nonmedical universities in the United States offer cadaver dissection to undergraduates.

Profile: You dig the outdoors and love getting your hands dirty.

You're ready for: Archeological Field Methods. Dig in and uncover prehistoric pottery, arrow points, and other artifacts.

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Faculty facts

Faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences are some of the most fascinating professors at K-State. Here's a roundup of profs that make class interesting.

Redefining the digital age

Anthropology professor Michael Wesch's Digital Ethnography team consists of students who explore uses of digital technology. A portion of their research is explained by Wesch's video "Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us." It was released on YouTube on January 31, 2007, and has been viewed nearly 4.5 million times.

Scary movies

Richard Harris, professor of psychology, studies how the scary movies you saw as a child affect your memory as a young adult.

Grand slams

Professor of History Robert Linder teaches a popular course on the history of baseball. In addition to his duties as a professor, Linder has played some form of baseball—amateur and semi-pro baseball, softball, and slow-pitch softball—for more than 52 years, and has served as the mayor of Manhattan.

March on

Frank Tracz, professor of music and director of bands, is the co-recipient of the Outstanding Bandmaster Award from the Kansas Bandmasters Association.

Burn, baby, burn

As fire chief at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, biology research associate Gene Towne is known as the "Burn Boss." Biology students assist in burning prairie lands at the biological research site 10 miles south of Manhattan, helping to diversify plant varieties.

Wizardly good

Philip Nel, professor of English, teaches Harry Potter's Library, a course in J.K. Rowling's novels, their influences (such as C.S. Lewis and E. Nesbit), and their contemporaries (such as Philip Pullman).

Head of the class

For the second consecutive year, a K-State professor received the state professor of the year award. Music professor David Littrell (2007) and anthropology professor Harald Prins (2006) were recognized. To top it off, physics professor Chris Sorensen was a national winner, becoming the first national winner of any university in Kansas.

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Majors

Here's a list of the majors available through the college:

  • Open option (undeclared)
  • Anthropology (applied anthropology)
  • Art (art history, ceramics, digital arts, drawing, graphic design, illustration, metalsmithing and jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture)
  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Chemical science
  • Chemistry
  • Economics
  • English (literature, literature and creative writing, literature with teaching certification)
  • Fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology (biodiversity and conservation biology, fisheries ecology, wildlife management)
  • Geography (pre-planning)
  • Geology
  • History
  • Kinesiology (nutrition and exercise science, health fitness instructor)
  • Mass communications (advertising, electronic, print, public relations, electronic media)
  • Mathematics
  • Microbiology
  • Modern languages (French, German, Russian, Spanish)
  • Music (applied music, music theatre, instrumental performance, vocal performance composition)
  • Music education
  • Philosophy (interdisciplinary, pre-business, pre-graduate, pre-law, pre-med, pre-ministry, standard)
  • Physics
  • Political science
  • Pre-law
  • Psychology
  • Social work
  • Sociology (criminology)
  • Speech (general)
  • Statistics
  • Theatre (dance)
  • Women's studies
  • Also available: classics/primary texts certificate

Health professions

  • Clinical laboratory science (medical technology)
  • Pre-dentistry (dental hygiene)
  • Pre-health information management
  • Pre-medicine (chiropractic, physician's assistant)
  • Pre-nursing
  • Pre-occupational therapy
  • Pre-optometry
  • Pre-pharmacy
  • Pre-physical therapy
  • Pre-respiratory therapy
  • Pre-veterinary medicine

Interdisciplinary majors

  • Humanities
  • Life sciences
  • Physical sciences
  • Social sciences

Secondary majors

  • American ethnic studies
  • Gerontology
  • International studies
  • Latin American studies
  • Natural resources and environmental sciences

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Get more info

Colleges and majors

College of Arts and Sciences

K-State

Contact us

Office of Admissions
Kansas State University
119 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66505-0102

1-800-432-8270 (toll free) or 785-532-6250
E-mail: k-state@k-state.edu

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