Liberal Arts at Dal
Dalhousie's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) offers a world of choices. We are the oldest and one of the largest faculties on campus. We boast hundreds of courses. 140 professors. Thirty-five academic programs.
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences encompasses the arts, humanities and social sciences.
Dive into thought-provoking courses such as Youth and Society, Explorations in Religion, Gender Theory and World Politics. Open new doors by learning a new language, with classes in Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, even Mandarin. Sharpen your reasoning skills and writing abilities by taking a literature or philosophy class. Step into the spotlight in a theatre or music class. Build on what you're learning in the classroom by taking one of our many Experiential Learning course offerings. Learn about international development first-hand by living abroad for a semester. And give an extra boost to your resume by completing one (or more) of our certificate programs.
Read what leading publications have to say about the limitless opportunities offered by Liberal and Performing Arts degrees.
The Globe and Mail (January 2020): No, I'm actually not worried about what I'll "do" with my arts degree (written by a Dalhousie FASS student)
CBC (January 2020): Education without liberal arts is a threat to humanity, argues UBC president
MacLean’s (July 2016): Revenge of the arts: Why a liberal arts education pays off
“'There’s a world of possibilities,' says Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada...'Many of the jobs that are going to exist in five years haven’t been invented yet. Having a skill set that is broad, and being able to read, write, think, and speak—those are enduring skills.'”
Time Magazine (August 2017): Why We Need the Liberal Arts Now More Than Ever
“We don’t tell students what to think. We strive to teach them how to think, to give them the knowledge and skills to develop the courage to think for themselves and shape their own principles, perspectives, beliefs and solutions to problems.”
Toronto Star (September 2015): Liberal arts degrees teach synthesis, the skill that lasts
“For what is the biggest change in our lifetime? Every piece of knowledge ever known to man is at hand on a screen near you. So the problem isn’t finding information, it’s knowing how to link different bits of knowledge, to 'make connections between disparate sources of information,' as Kay writes.”
Forbes (November 2016): A Liberal Arts Degree Is More Important Than Ever
“Dedicated to the free and open pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, a liberal arts education provides a multi-faceted view of the world. It enables students to see beyond one perspective, encouraging them to understand others' even if they don't agree. It instructs us to base our opinions on reason, not emotion.”