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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

  • Molly Kent Student Fellow Headshot FY24
    English & Women's and Gender Studies Double Major
    COLA Student Fellow, Molly Kent, shares why she chose UNH, what she loves about the College of Liberal Arts, some of her favorite experiences, the most important lesson she's learned, and more.  What made you choose UNH?  I chose UNH because I was very interested in the programs, clubs, and organizations that were offered. I wasn’t sure what major I would end…
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  • photo of Bryson Badeau
    Secondary Theatre Education and Design & Theatre Technology Major
    Hometown: Dedham, Mass. What made you choose UNH? I was looking for schools that had a secondary theatre education major and when I visited UNH I fell in love with the campus! I found a place where I…
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  • photo of Nikki Harnett
    Sociology Major
    Hometown: Plymouth, Minn. What made you choose UNH? I play on the Women’s Ice Hockey team here at UNH, so recruitment was a big part of my choosing process. I stepped onto the UNH campus when I was 15, and it just felt like home…
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  • man with trombone
    Music Education Major
    Why did you choose UNH? I chose UNH because it was a school I felt very comfortable with. There was so much vibrant energy when I first visited UNH, and it helped me fall in love with the program. As well, I loved that I could get involved in anything and everything. It feels like there is a club for literally everything. How did you choose your…
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  • headshot
    Political Science and International Affairs Majors
    Originally from Lowell, Mass., Tom McDonough selected UNH for its inviting sense of community. A political science and international affairs major, he will also be pursuing a master’s degree in political science at UNH. “I decided to study political science and international affairs because they complement each other very nicely, and added minors in economics, philosophy and American studies…
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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

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UNH Helps Community Document Skeletal Remains Found on Historic ‘Poor Farm’

UNH Helps Community Document Skeletal Remains Found on Historic ‘Poor Farm’

Researchers and students partner with town of Brentwood and state officials to return remains to original resting place

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Preventing Campus Violence, Reimagining Physical Education

Preventing Campus Violence, Reimagining Physical Education

UNHInnovation Fund awards 2024 grants to uSafeUS® and myPE™ apps

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Pair of Alums Fighting to Keep Kids Safe Online

Pair of Alums Fighting to Keep Kids Safe Online

Kristin Bride ’91 and Jennifer Libby ’97 team up to advocate for Kids Online Safety Act

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Upcoming Events

  • Oct
    15
    Rutman Lecture: Jamelle Bouie, What's the Matter with American Democracy? 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., The missing ingredient in American democracy is political equality, the idea that all citizens are of equal weight, even if they aren't of equal voice. It's not just that political equality is essential if Americans ever hope to realize the potential of their democracy, but that the absence of political equality from our institutions is part of what has warped our political system into something which struggles to express our democratic values.   "What’s the matter wit...
  • Oct
    15
    8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Oct
    16
    9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Join us in the MUB on Oct. 16th for a day full of sessions on big topics currently impacting YOU. At the RGSCP Citizenship Summit, learn more about and discuss: Climate ChangeDisinformation and Social MediaEconomicsLocal Government StructureState Government StructureNew H a.m.pshire PoliticsInternational ConflictsPolling and SurveysPublic HealthAnd more! Visit the Strafford Room for Information Stations and snacks, and check out the individual sessions in the breakout rooms! 
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