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College of Liberal Arts

SOCIAL SCIENCES   •    HUMANITIES   •   FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS   •   EDUCATION

Bring your imagination to life at the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) at the University of New Hampshire. Explore your passions and create your very own path from dozens of majors, minors and graduate programs in the social sciences, humanities, fine and performing arts and education. Immerse yourself in an engaged, innovative community of academic excellence with some of the world’s best faculty leading the way.

Think it sounds amazing? It is.


 

Find your Future in the College of Liberal Arts

In COLA, you will learn deeply and explore boldly within a collaborative, caring community of thinkers, creators and doers. You’ll connect the dots and put things into a larger context while developing skills that employers want — like critical thinking, complex problem solving and communication. You’ll learn to be creative, nimble and ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Get the Facts

Top 10%
best schools for communication, journalism and Music
College Factual
Top 15%
best schools for psychology, drama and theatre arts, and visual and performing arts
College Factual
Top 20%
best colleges for communication
niche
Top 25
Justice Studies, Music and neuroscience Programs by earnings one year out of college
GradReports
Top 100
history and sociology graduate programs
U.S. News and World Report
95%
Recent COLA alumni employed or enrolled in further education
First Destination Survey
63%
Recent COLA alumni who participated in at least one internship at UNH
First Destination Survey

Student Spotlights

  • Abby Smart '26
    International Affairs and Political Science Major
    "I've come to love the work I do on the hill so much that I can't imagine not returning at some point. This internship has altered my perspective on the future. "Meet Abby…
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  • Molly Gearhart '25 Parthenon
    University of New Hampshire Class of 2025: What's Next?
    What's next after college? How does college help prepare you for future success? We’re celebrating the UNH class of 2025 by putting the spotlight on three members of the class. We asked Gabe Dennett, Molly Gearhart and Samantha Filipi five questions about the…
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  • Anna Drabik '25
    7 Questions with a UNH Communication Major
    How do you find community and friends in college? How do you choose a major? Welcome back to our Student Spotlight series, where you can meet real UNH students, see campus through their eyes and learn more about why…
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  • Teagan O'Brien '25
    A Spanish and International Affairs Dual Major Looks Back on Her College Career
    "I walked onto the track team mid-October freshman year. Now I'm a captain. It just ended up working out perfectly."Meet Teagan O'Brien '25, a dual major in Spanish and International Affairs who is graduating in a few short weeks and "doesn't want to leave." As track team captain and honors student, she's embraced every opportunity that's come her way!…
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  • Tyler Brown '25
    To all our talented students who presented at last week's Undergraduate Research Conference: Take a moment to celebrate this milestone and think about how far you've come on your academic journey! Standing before peers and faculty to present original research takes courage. We're so impressed with your dedication to discovery and know that this is just where the story begins for your lifelong…
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Alumni Spotlights

  • Lori Robinson among service colleagues
    English Major | Retired U.S. Military General
    Following in her father’s footsteps, General Lori Robinson ‘81 came to the University of New Hampshire and developed newfound confidence and lifelong connections. Watch Video.
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  • picture of Eric Thomson
    Philosophy Major | Bioinformatics Scientist at NIH
    Why did you major in philosophy? I majored in philosophy because it was the only discipline where we could explicitly tackle certain meta-level questions that don’t get addressed elsewhere. For instance, what is science and how do we differentiate it from other disciplines? Why is quantum mechanics so damn weird? How do conscious experiences relate to brain processes…
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  • headshot
    Communication: Media Practices Major | Content Coordinator, Vimeo
    I'm currently working as the content studio coordinator on the social team at Vimeo, a SaaS video company and platform based in NYC. (Well, we're a global company. But that's where our headquarters is located!) My job is to manage and execute the social media strategy for all of Vimeo's core and B2B social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest).
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  • headshot
    Geography Major | Aerospace Research Analyst
    What are you currently doing for work and how did you get to this point? I'm a research analyst at MinebeaMitsumi Aerospace. I perform research activities for one of the largest manufacturers of aerospace bearings in the world. These activities include compiling monthly reports for 9…
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  • Blair Rowlett
    Psychology and Justice Studies Majors | Director of the Mental Health Community Supervision Programs
    What were you doing 1 year out of college? One year out of college I was working as a correctional officer at the Strafford County House of Corrections. I had been working on campus while I attended classes, but when I graduated I had no prospective job offers in my field. I was aiming higher than I should have been and eventually came to the conclusion that I needed…
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Recent Stories

History Professor Pens “Canal Dreamers”

History Professor Pens “Canal Dreamers”

History Professor Pens “Canal Dreamers”

Book details quest to connect Atlantic and Pacific through Nicaragua, a century before the Panama Canal

Article
War and Treaties in the Constitution

War and Treaties in the Constitution

War and Treaties in the Constitution

Article
Universal Injunctions and the Constitution

Universal Injunctions and the Constitution

Universal Injunctions and the Constitution

UNH professor discusses an issue increasingly in the limelight

Article

Upcoming Events

  • Oct
    8
    8:00am - 9:00am, Come learn about the One Big Bill Act (OBBA) passed by Congress over the summer with Deborah Fournier, Director of Health Law and Policy at the Institute for Health Policy and Practice at UNH, who will discuss provisions of the law and the implications of new policies on taxes, health access, and food supports.
  • Oct
    8
    The Half-Written Play 7:00pm - 7:00pm, THE HALF-WRITTEN PLAYConceived and Directed by David KayeThe Half-Written Play will present a unique theatrical experience focused on a divisive issue related to sustainability. With the play performed to the midpoint, and the actors frustrated by the dead end at which their characters have arrived, the audience will take charge in charting how the play will conclude. This performance is associated with New Frontiers in Research Fund which supports interdisciplinary internat...
  • Oct
    9
    The Half-Written Play 7:00pm - 7:00pm, THE HALF-WRITTEN PLAYConceived and Directed by David KayeThe Half-Written Play will present a unique theatrical experience focused on a divisive issue related to sustainability. With the play performed to the midpoint, and the actors frustrated by the dead end at which their characters have arrived, the audience will take charge in charting how the play will conclude. This performance is associated with New Frontiers in Research Fund which supports interdisciplinary internat...
View Calendar