Student Engagement
When you join the community that is the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, you will find a place of exploration and discovery. Here, you will be challenged to think more broadly and more deeply than probably ever before. You will learn to think critically and to act compassionately, working alongside your professors and fellow students in the classroom, in research settings and in the broader community.
With a major in CLAS, you will find you can:
- Think critically and analyze complex situations.
- Solve problems efficiently and effectively.
- Speak persuasively with a variety of audiences.
- Translate data into useful knowledge.
- Write coherent explanations and arguments.
- Collaborate with teams and lead from within.
- Do research and analysis using state-of-the-art methods and technologies.
- Interact with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
- Cast a wide net for career and life opportunities.
student opportunities
Students can find diverse options for academic and personal development, including through learning communities, academic organizations and success seminars. Academic clubs and organizations provide another way for you to become involved. Many College academic departments offer honors programs, in addition to the University Honors Program. Engagement opportunities feature leadership roles, volunteerism choices and special talks and seminars to help you grow your knowledge and skills as you prepare for your future. Among the offerings:
- Learning Communities
- Undergraduate Research
- Internships
- Honors Programs
- Education abroad
- Experiential Learning
- Service Learning and Outreach
- Academic Student Organizations
- The LEADS Program
Student News
Annie Burchill has distinguished herself at UNC Charlotte as she completed majors in religious studies and criminal justice and a minor in urban youth and communities, graduating in May 2021 with ambitious plans to make a difference in the world. “I recently submitted my intent to enroll at UNC Charlotte for my M.A. in religious studies,” Burchill says. “After that… who knows?…. because my mentors, friends, and UNC Charlotte as a whole have equipped me with everything I need to change the world.”
Megan Bird, a UNC Charlotte senior from Charlottesville, Virginia, was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships. While she ultimately was not chosen as one of the 32 American Rhodes Scholars, announced on Nov. 21, her selection as a finalist is a significant achievement.
A mentoring program co-led by UNC Charlotte researcher Sandra Clinton that aims to retain undergraduate women in the geosciences is on the shortlist for the international Nature Research Awards for Inspiring and Innovating Science. The program also has received almost $3 million in new NSF funding.
The UNC Charlotte Army ROTC Program will hold a virtual commissioning ceremony for its graduating 49er Battalion cadets, held virtually due to social distancing related to COVID-19.
Two graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Nitika, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, and Caroline Brinegar, who is pursuing her master’s degree in Geography – were recently designated UNC Charlotte’s most Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants.