Welcome to the School of Liberal Arts and Business! You may notice that we’ve grown! Joining the School of Liberal Arts in 2021 are the Department of Business (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and other fields) and the Department of Economics. We are very happy to have new colleagues and expect to enrich the lives of students in all programs as we work together.
Students may choose majors in everything from Accounting to Art, from Political Science to Philosophy. We now feature twelve liberal arts departments, plus several programs in the Department of Business. Nurturing a learning-centered culture for students and faculty, we pride ourselves on the mix of professional and liberal arts skills available to students; our emphasis on the campus values of sustainability, inclusion, and service; and the interdisciplinary nature of our overall approach to learning.
Programs housed in SLAB compel us to learn and practice some of the most challenging skills and content that higher education has to offer. Understanding the human narrative—both how to create it and how to receive it—is just one example. Ethical reasoning, aesthetic sensibilities, social and political understanding, problem solving and research, the ability to imagine a past different from the present; all play critical roles in our programs. The list is long and essential. Humanities and social science, business, the fine and performing arts, all prepare you to live a full life as a productive professional while supporting your growth as a human being who is self-aware, creative, and curious about the world.
Consider declaring a major or minor in the School of Liberal Arts and Business. The blend of professional and liberal arts engenders the most powerful education available. We offer 22 majors and numerous minors, many with applied tracks or concentrations. Others feature specific interdisciplinary approaches, and most majors provide a culminating or capstone experience. Explore the possibilities in the Departments of English, Art, Business, History, Communication and Media Studies, Political Science, Economics, Music, World Languages, Philosophy, Women’s and Gender Studies, Theatre, and Africana and Latinx Studies.
SLAB features award-winning teachers, connections to successful alumni, and numerous academic honor societies associated with majors. Additional discipline-based clubs and organizations are available in every department. We feature majors in accredited programs including Business (AACSB), Music (NASM), and Theatre (NAST).
Surveys across the nation indicate that employers value a blend of professional and liberal arts components in undergraduate education and career preparation. They look for graduates who have practiced the skills required for long-term careers, understand successful human interaction, are culturally literate, can apply theory to practice, have a strong understanding of ethical reasoning, are developing expertise in critical thinking and creative problem solving, have practiced teamwork, and demonstrate a strong capacity for research. Our state-of-the-art studios, labs, technology, and up-to-date curricula present excellent opportunities for you to discover and practice new knowledge as you move along the pathway toward mastery.
Learning in the School of Liberal Arts and Business includes a career emphasis but also strong preparation for graduate or professional school. We encourage all students to engage in a variety of meaningful curricular and co-curricular activities that will enhance your post-graduate life including:
- Interdisciplinary Study
- Undergraduate Research
- SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference
- Internships
- Backpacks to Briefcases Business Network
- Student Theatre Productions
- Edit This! A Journal of Student Writing
- Travel and Study Abroad Experiences
- Reacting to the Past Classes
- Red Dragon Reading Series
- Music Clubs, Lessons, and Ensembles
- The Center for Social Justice
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
- Gender Out of Bounds Lectures and Seminars
- Undergraduate Philosophy Conference
- Campus Art Galleries and Student Shows
- Model UN
- Senior Capstone Courses/Experiences
Professional programs and the liberal arts deliver the knowledge and awareness we need to be productive, happy, healthy, resilient persons who, throughout our lives, continue to grow and contribute to our workplaces, our communities, and our families.
Join us in the School of Liberal Arts and Business. See what you can do and become. You will be amazed!
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, Dean
School of Liberal Arts and Business
111 Schumacher Hall
607-436-2520