Faculty of Arts and Sciences Divisions

Encompassing twenty-seven departments and more than fifty research centers and institutes, the Divisions of the Humanities, the Natural Sciences, and Social Science are cornerstones of the Columbia University community. The Divisional Deans play a leading role in identifying and advancing the intellectual priorities of their divisions.

Division of Humanities

Our departments of music, Asian studies, and English and Comparative Literature were among the first to be founded in the United States. Our landmark Core Curriculum, founded around the same time, placed the humanities where they remain to this day: at the center of a Columbia education. Columbia University's thirteen humanities departments are among the pillars upholding the stellar reputation of both the College and the University.

Division of Natural Sciences

Many of the world's greatest discoveries have been made in the natural sciences in the Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. Building on this distinguished history we have launched the Science Initative to renew the Columbia's leadership and guide the University to scientific pre-eminence over the next decade.

Division of Social Science

Comprising the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Sciences, and Sociology and nearly thirty research institutes and centers, the Division of Social Science is steeped in a rich tradition of intellectual distinction and is today renowned for innovative social inquiry. Faculty study diverse and complex questions about human experience and the world, and engage in collaborative teaching and research that explores important issues of the past and present in local, national, and global contexts.

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