40 The Faculty of Arts
In 1908, the University opened its doors as a Faculty of Arts and Science. That year, we had 45 students and four professors in English, modern languages, history and mathematics.
Today, the Faculty of Arts has a key role in the University's commitment to the people of Alberta and of Canada. Arts is the largest Faculty in the University and the third largest English-speaking Arts Faculty in the nation. The Faculty's scholarship and creative work in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts are recognized nationally and internationally. Arts students and professors benefit from one of the top library collections in Canada.
Each year, the Faculty of Arts is entrusted with the education in the liberal and the fine arts of approximately 6,000 undergraduate students, with the specialized advanced education of nearly 800 graduate students, and with the general education of students from other Faculties. The effect of the Faculty's work is apparent across Canada and in other countries where our graduates work and flourish.
An Arts education at the U of A gives our students the opportunity to develop skills enduringly associated with liberal arts education:
Our graduates learn to listen, to hear, to think critically and rationally, to communicate effectively, to work independently and in teams, and to make reasoned value judgments. They are knowledgeable about the past and prepared to examine the future. They approach the dynamic global culture with experience in other languages and in the study of societies and cultures. Our graduates discover their special talents, abilities and values, helping them to lead satisfying lives.
