College of Arts + Sciences: Indiana University

Make way for the leaders, creatives, and groundbreakers of tomorrow

We prepare students for an ever-changing future by providing a foundational liberal arts and sciences education that is more relevant than ever. Here, breakthroughs are fueled by unfiltered imaginations and unconventional ideas. Whether in the classroom or in the lab, on stage or in the field, you’ll gain the skills and experience you need for what’s new, next, and not-yet-imagined.

Undergraduate experience

Learn about our degree programs, the admissions process, experiential learning, research opportunities, and career preparation.

Graduate experience

Find information about graduate degree programs, admissions, funding opportunities, research, and career preparation.

IU biologists find that cannibalistic behavior in toad species may reveal hidden clues about evolution, genetics, and environment

A groundbreaking new study about tadpoles that turn into cannibals may sound like fodder for nature trivia, but it carries a much deeper message about evolution—and even about ourselves. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, shows that extreme behaviors like cannibalism in some species may begin as flexible responses to the environment, and then later become hardwired over generations.

Read about the study

Dictionaries as artifacts and in the modern era

Provost Professor of English Michael Adams co-authoredThe Cambridge Handbook of the Dictionary, and talks dictionaries as an underserved area of research, bias in word definition, and the place of AI in dictionaries of the future.

Read about Michael Adams

Meet Fiyinfoluwa Ajayi (’26), a student worker at the Walter Center for Career Achievement

Fiyinfoluwa Ajayi, a junior in the College, has been working at the College’s Walter Center for Career Achievement for the past year and a half. "I LOVE working at the Walter Center. As a rising senior, it is one of the things I’ll miss when I graduate. It has increased my confidence in myself as a student. I came into IU, wanting to leave a good legacy behind. Working at the Walter Center and being able to be part of their amazing impact on campus makes me feel like I can be proud of my college journey."

Read about Fiyinfoluwa Ajayi

Professor Chen Zhu named International Association of Geochemistry Fellow

Chen Zhu, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College, has been named an International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC) Fellow for his contributions to the field. The IAGC cited his “groundbreaking work in water-mineral interactions, thermodynamics, and innovative geochemical modeling” as well as his service to the geochemical community via pro bono courses and editorial roles as grounds for the recognition.

Read about Chen Zhu

Ray Cashman named Provost Professor

Ray Cashman, professor of Folklore and Ethnomusicology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington, has been named a Provost Professor. This professorship, created at IU in 1995, honors faculty who have achieved local, national, and international distinction in both research/creative activity and excellence in teaching.

Read about Ray Cashman

$1 million gifted to establish professorship in honor of Edward Carmines

An anonymous donor has made a transformative $1 million planned gift to the College that will endow a professorship in the Department of Political Science. The gift will establish the Edward G. “Ted” Carmines Professorship in Political Science, recognizing one of the most influential figures in in political science at IU, and the country. The endowed position will support the research, teaching, and scholarly activities of an outstanding member of the IU faculty.

Read about Edward Carmines

A hub for curiosity + diverse thought

The College of Arts and Sciences values curiosity and diverse thought as core strengths and essential elements in the success of its educational mission. Our commitment is grounded in our aspiration to cultivate intellectual rigor and curiosity among our students and to prepare them to thrive in and contribute to a globally diverse, complex, and interconnected world.