About

Outdoor view of Locke Hall during spring time

At the Heart of our University

Explore Our Programs

The College of Arts and Sciences is at the heart of Howard University, recognized worldwide as a premier, comprehensive, research university.

Our college, also known as COAS, is often referred to as the flagship of the university because it is the oldest and the largest of the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Its predecessor was founded in the second year of the University’s existence, and today it enrolls more than 3,000 students—making it the most popular choice among Howard’s undergraduates.

Helpful Contacts

Office of the Dean
2441 Sixth Street NW
Washington, DC 20059
Phone: 202-806-6700
Email: coas@howard.edu

Faculty Member Lecturing

Opportunity Abounds

The College of Arts and Sciences is comprised of four divisions: Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

A broad and balanced curriculum is offered among its 21 degree-granting programs. The curriculum of the College is designed to meet the needs and interests of a diverse, multicultural student body.

A liberal education, in the traditional sense, is the central focus of programs that provide opportunities for exploring modern technologies and gives attention to the College’s historical concern and sensitivity to social justice.

The College is located on the main campus, a setting that fosters a variety of academic and social activities for students.
Stakeholders Gathered in Discussion

Broad Experiences

A formal faculty-advising program augments the low student-faculty ratio and encourages student contact with faculty from a variety of personal and intellectual perspectives.

These contacts are enhanced further through departmental organizations and student associations.

Washington, DC, the nation’s capital, supplements campus academic and extracurricular resources with an inexhaustible pool of cultural, political, and recreational opportunities. Through the undergraduate experience inside and outside the classroom, students acquire expertise in their chosen fields of study; strengthen and refine their powers of communication, reasoning, and judgment; and increase their capacities to lead productive, responsible lives.

Student at table studying alone

Honors Program

For academically gifted and highly motivated students who thrive in an atmosphere of creative learning and intellectual exploration, the College offers the Honors Program.

More than 200 students enroll in the College’s honors program. Admission to the program is by invitation only, and it is an intense curriculum of scholarship and research that culminates in a senior thesis.

In addition, the College maintains chapters of 13 national honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, and many departments offer departmental honors.