The University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences (also known as SAS) is the academic institution encompassing the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Formerly known as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, SAS is an umbrella organization that is divided into three main academic components: The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) is Penn's undergraduate liberal arts school. The Graduate Division offers post-undergraduate M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. programs. Finally, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS), originally called "College of General Studies", is Penn's continuing and professional education division, catered to working professionals.
History
The 1755 charter of Benjamin Franklin's College of Philadelphia paved the way to form the College of Arts and Sciences, which was originally for men only. In 1933, Penn established the College of Liberal Arts for Women, which was meant to provide women with a formal liberal arts education to women rather than one designed specifically for teachers. Female education remained formally separate until 1974 when it merged with CAS, LPS, and four social science departments in the Wharton School to form the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. This was renamed the School of Arts and Sciences two years later.
The Graduate Division's origins date back to 1882 when Penn first appointed faculty to form a philosophy department. Penn first began offering courses for teachers in 1892, paving way for the eventual founding of the LPS school, which was originally called the College of General Studies.
Structure
The School of Arts and Sciences contains the following departments:
Africana Studies
Anthropology
Biology
Chemistry
Classical Studies
Criminology
Earth and Environmental Science
East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Economics
English
Germanic Languages and Literatures
History
History and Sociology of Science
History of Art
Linguistics
Mathematics
Music
Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
Philosophy
Physics and Astronomy
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Romance Languages
Russian and East European Studies
Sociology
South Asia Studies
Research
Research at SAS is funded by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF), as well as the University Research Foundation.