Our Mission

The college builds on the foundations of the liberal arts to foster a community of creative scholars dedicated to the transformative potential of our disciplines. We welcome students from all walks of life and honor the diversity of their experiences. Our students are empowered with the keys to personal and professional success: critical thinking, empathy, effective communication, and problem-solving. We inspire engaged citizenship and social change through empirical inquiry and artistic expression. The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences commits unequivocally to the values of ethical leadership, equity, and justice. Find more information about our mission in the CLASS Strategic Plan.

The University of Illinois Springfield is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, formerly known as the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Enhanced multicultural understanding and cultural competency is essential to a liberal arts and sciences education that aspires to produce community, professional, and political leaders.

Our faculty endeavor to inspire all our graduates to be meaningfully engaged citizens who act with compassion and integrity within both local and global communities, and who promote active engagement in the problems that affect our society at the local, national, and international levels.

Thus, our college is home to programs that promote a greater understanding of the unique experiences of persons traditionally under-represented in curricula. These programs, such as our minors in Women and Gender Studies and African-American Studies, and our major in Liberal Studies draw from many departments, in addition to teaching interdisciplinary courses of their own.

Advanced Opportunities

2 Master's Degrees

8 Bachelor's Degrees, with 2 online

12 Minors


Faculty Excellence

9 college faculty have been named University Scholars at the system level.

Want to know more?

Check out this video with faculty and former students: