Arts & Sciences
Heart of the University
Arts & Sciences is the intellectual heart of Columbia University. The work taking place across our 28 academic departments and 60 research centers and institutes engages with fundamental questions about our society and world. Our more than 1,000 faculty conduct ground-breaking research, attract and train the very best graduate students, and nurture the personal and intellectual development of undergraduates. As we seek to strengthen the role of expert voices and share the accumulated knowledge, we welcome the partnership of our alumni and friends. Thank you for your support!
Meet Our Three Divisions
Humanities
The Humanities at Columbia present a nucleus of vibrant, innovative, and important scholarship and teaching. It is a division committed to the principle of human diversity across the planet, and also to its interconnectedness. Our departments are organized as centers of global learning and respect, and our faculty probe questions that range from the most essential and universal to the most specific and contemporary.
Natural Sciences
From the discovery of deuterium to proving plate tectonic theory, the development of the laser to the detection of gravitational waves, the groundbreaking innovations in population genetics and cancer genomics to the astronomical theory of ice age cycles, distinguished Columbia scientists have led innovation and creative interdisciplinary collaborations for decades.
Social Sciences
Social Sciences at Columbia are steeped in a tradition of intellectual distinction and renowned for innovative social inquiry with impacts beyond the borders of campus. Faculty and researchers study diverse and complex questions about human experience and the world, and engage in teaching and research that explores important issues of the past and present in local and global contexts. Our social scientists also play an important part in shaping national and international discourse, disseminating important ideas, and illuminating the complexities of society for all people.