College of Liberal & Fine Arts

COLFA Mission Statement

The earliest academies advanced human knowledge through philosophy, critical thinking, and debate.  Now, over two millennia later, these methods remain at the core of today’s universities and in the curriculum of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.  We align ourselves with Tarleton State University's mission to provide an academically challenging education through exemplary teaching, significant research, and inspired creativity.  To this end, the College mission is:

• To achieve the highest levels of academic rigor by challenging students to develop and employ higher-order thinking skills as they clearly and effectively communicate and debate their ideas with others;
• To support and enhance the student-centered mission of Tarleton State University through providing our students with a comprehensive general education curriculum of exceptional quality;
• To provide a globalized curriculum through study-abroad and study-away experiences, through interaction with many cultures, languages, and perspectives within and beyond America;
• To engage our quest for human knowledge through forward-thinking faculty research, publication, and student engagement as well as applied learning experiences beyond the classroom;
• To foster creative expression and artistic value through arts, performances, presentations, and activities;
• To encourage and prepare students to excel in their chosen professional fields and to contribute as leaders of integrity in human society;
• To integrate ourselves fully into our community, state and beyond through programming, service, cultural offerings, the arts, and global outreach.

Departments and Programs

Degree programs available in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts provide the foundation required for many professional and related fields. Also included are specialized programs that are professionally oriented and lead to careers in such fields as teaching, criminal justice, and the performing arts. The College of Liberal and Fine Arts is organized into six academic departments, one school hosting two additional departments, and two non-academic departments :

• Department of Communication Studies
  • BAAS in Communications
  • BS in Communications
• Department of English and Languages
  • BA in English
  • BA in Spanish
• Department of Government, Legal Studies and Philosophy
  • BA in Legal Studies
  • BS in Legal Studies
  • BA in Political Science
  • BS in Political Science
  • BS in General Studies
• Department of History, Geography and GIS
  • BAAS in Geographic Information Systems
  • BS in Geography and Geographic Information Systems
  • BA in History
• Department of Performing Arts
  • BA in Music
  • BM in Music
  • BFA in Theatre
• Department of Visual Arts and Design
  • BFA in Art
  • BS in Digital Media Studies
• School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration
  • Department of Public Administration
    • BAAS in Public Administration
    • BS in Public Administration
  • Department of Criminal Justice
    • BS in Criminal Justice
    • BAAS in Criminal Justice Administration

The College of Liberal and Fine Arts also offers discipline-specific minors, interdisciplinary minors, and certificates.  A minor consists of 18 hours (six hours must be advanced level 3000 or 4000 courses), and certificate requirements vary.