College of Arts and Sciences Admissions

Departments & Majors

An Oberlin education is marked by rigor, creativity, and social engagement. Students engage in a wide range of intellectual pursuits, choosing from 47 different majors and 42 minors and areas of concentration. True to the liberal arts tradition, Oberlin’s College of Arts and Sciences requires study in each of three broad areas: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. Oberlin gives students plenty of opportunities to build their own curriculum, span disciplinary boundaries, and learn about cultures other than their own.
Select a subject on the right, and you will be taken out of the Admissions site ( ) to the approriate department page in the Course Catalog.

Faculty & Research

Oberlin professors are focused on instructing undergraduate students. Courses at Oberlin are taught by faculty members rather than by graduate students. Oberlin has 274 full-time faculty members, of whom more than 95 percent have earned the highest degree possible in their fields. Most are also active researchers and many are leading authorities in their fields. Frequent office hours and collaborative research with students offer opportunities for one-on-one interaction. The student-faculty ratio in the College of Arts and Sciences is 11:1 and in the Conservatory of Music the ratio is 8:1.

Academic Facilities

Oberlin's facilities are unsurpassed by any school its size. The College has one of the nation's most extensive college library collections; one of the finest college art museums in the country; and first-rate facilities in music, theater arts, the natural sciences, computing, and physical education. The facilities and instrumentation of the Science Center, which was completed in fall 2002, reflect Oberlin’s status as a national leader in science education among undergraduate colleges and universities. The Adam J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies is an acclaimed model of sustainable, “green” architecture for institutions of higher education.

Special Programs

Along with its regular course offerings, Oberlin has always emphasized independent study. The winter term (spanning the month of January) enables students to study a subject in more depth or explore something completely new. Some students use internships to gain valuable work experience or learn about a new field. Oberlin encourages independent study and honors projects, regardless of a student’s major. In addition, the student-run Experimental College (ExCo) offers for-credit courses on such varied topics as women’s health, Korean language, and photography.

Study Abroad

A high-quality liberal arts education develops a global view and provides an opportunity to experience different cultures and perspectives. That's why all Oberlin students, regardless of major, are encouraged to spend a semester away from campus, either through Oberlin's own study-away programs or consortia programs, at sites such as London; Beijing; Cordoba, Spain; Strasbourg, France; and Urbania, Italy. Not all study-away sites are overseas. Students interested in community service might be found working in a Philadelphia neighborhood as easily as in Central America. Those pursuing the performing arts might study in San Francisco or New York, as well as Paris or St. Petersburg.