A Letter from Dean Marvin Kaiser

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As you explore this site, you will learn that the College provides the intellectual foundation for the liberal and professional education of students at Portland State University and for the enhancement of the quality of life in the metropolitan area.

Portland State University is a public urban university of more than 24,000 students, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit within the University. Our outstanding faculty are committed to developing and implementing curricula and scholarship that builds on community-based learning and research, to creating core programs of interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and to supporting activities that enhance the civic and ethical as well as intellectual capacity of students.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers more than 20 majors. Each provides insights and perspectives enabling students to study, evaluate, and understand themselves and the society in which we live. The College offers 20 Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees in the disciplines within the Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as Doctoral degrees in Biology, Environmental Sciences and Resources, Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics Education, and Applied Psychology. Multi-disciplinary Doctoral degrees are offered in Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

To support the College’s commitment to diversity at Portland State, we have expanded the Women’s Studies and the Black Studies programs from certificates to majors, implemented the Chicano-Latino Studies, Native American and Judaic Studies programs, and are now developing a School of International Studies, as well as Religious Studies and Islamic Studies programs. I invite you to browse this site to learn more about what the College has to offer.

Clarity of vision and mission is the key to our commitment to, and exercise of, a common and vital sense of purpose. At our core we are committed to the development of educated citizens, combining competence with character, employing a model not only of keen intellect but also of principled and active civic virtue. Consequently our graduates leave the College prepared to think critically, act responsibly and contribute generously both locally and globally. All of this is possible through the dedication of superior faculty and staff, support of generous alumni and friends, and collaboration with private and public organizations, all combined within a community of engaged and curious students. Working together we have created and maintain a College that continually builds toward our shared future.

Thank you!