College of Arts and Letters
Explore your creativity, think critically, and engage with global ideas. At NAU’s College of Arts and Letters, you’ll turn your passion into purpose and prepare to make an impact.
Top 10 for liberal arts degrees to Native American students
3,000 students participate in research/internships yearly
Top 10 for English degrees awarded to Native American students
The CAL experience
Study what matters to you
At the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), your education is built around curiosity and creativity. Whether you’re combining majors or exploring electives outside your field, you don’t have to choose between your passions and your plans. Our programs are flexible and interdisciplinary, designed to help you grow your strengths and pursue what inspires you.
Learn with purpose and impact
CAL students ask big questions and seek meaningful answers. In every program, you’ll explore human expression, history, and identity while building critical thinking, writing, and communication skills that will serve you for life. Whether you’re studying literature, philosophy, art, or music, you’ll be encouraged to think critically and globally, gaining the kind of depth and creativity that no algorithm can replicate.
Turn learning into action
In CAL, learning extends beyond the classroom. Through hands-on experiences, global programs, and career guidance, you’ll connect your studies to real-world challenges and opportunities with the following resources.
- The Martin-Springer Institute, where students explore Holocaust history through research, education, and community engagement tied to human rights and social justice.
- Interdisciplinary Global Programs (IGP), where you can earn two degrees, one in a STEM or business field and one in language and culture, plus spend a year abroad gaining international work experience.
- The NAU Art Museum, where students gain experience in curation, exhibition design, and arts administration right on campus.
- Personalized career support, including CAL’s dedicated career coordinator who offers one-on-one advising, classroom workshops, and connections to internships and opportunities in the arts, humanities, and creative industries.
Learn from mentors who inspire
At CAL, you’ll learn from award-winning faculty who truly care about your journey, not just in class, but in life. They’ll mentor you, support your goals, and help shape you into the strongest student (and person) you can be. Meet the people who make CAL a memorable and meaningful place to learn.
Take the next step
College of Arts and Letters featured degrees
-
BSED in Art Education -
BA in Comparative Cultural Studies with Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Global Program emphasis -
BA in Comparative Cultural Studies -
BA in English with Creative Writing emphasis -
BA in English with Comprehensive emphasis -
BA in English with Linguistics emphasis -
BA in English with Literature emphasis -
BA in English with Rhetoric and Professional Writing emphasis -
BA in English -
BA in History
College of Arts and Letters undergraduate degrees
Department of Global Languages and Cultures undergraduate degrees
- BA in Modern Languages with Japanese Interdisciplinary Global Program emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages with Japanese emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages with German Interdisciplinary Global Program emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages
- BA in Modern Languages with Spanish Interdisciplinary Global Program emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages with French Interdisciplinary Global Program emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages with German emphasis
- BA in Modern Languages with French and Francophone Studies emphasis
- BSED in Secondary Education - Spanish
- BA in Spanish
Department of Theatre undergraduate degrees
Department of English undergraduate degrees
Department of Comparative Cultural Studies undergraduate degrees
Department of History undergraduate degrees
Department of Philosophy undergraduate degrees
College of Arts and Letters graduate degrees
Kitt School of Music graduate degrees
- MM in Music with Composition emphasis
- MM in Music with Instrumental Conducting emphasis
- MM in Music with Choral Conducting emphasis
- MM in Music with Collaborative Piano emphasis
- MM in Music with Theory emphasis
- MM in Music with Musicology emphasis
- MM in Music with Vocal Performance emphasis
- MM in Music with Instrumental Performance emphasis
- MM in Music
Department of English graduate degrees
Department of Global Languages and Cultures graduate degrees
Department of History graduate degrees
Donor support gave me an opportunity to become more confident in different kinds of environments. Coming from the Navajo Nation, there was little diversity or resources in my community and school, but at NAU, there are both. The extracurricular clubs that I participated in gave me the opportunities to travel off-campus to gain volunteer work experience, and this brought me out of my comfort zone.
Ready to apply?
Take the next step toward a bold, creative future. Join a community that values curiosity, expression, and purpose. Start your journey with the College of Arts and Letters today.
Support CAL students
Your generosity helps empower the next generation of artists, thinkers, and changemakers. When you give to the College of Arts and Letters, you provide scholarships, fund hands-on learning experiences, and support programs that inspire students to pursue their passions and make a lasting impact.