Benefit-Driven Headline
The College of Arts & Sciences at NMSU provides the core liberal arts education that prepares students to be knowledgeable and responsible citizens of the world. By conducting and promoting research, scholarship, creative endeavors, and outreach, we proudly fulfill the land grant mission of the university — and implement our LEADS 2025 Strategic Plan. We’re also honored to be recognized by the National Science Foundation, Forbes, the Carnegie Foundation, and U.S. News and World Report.
Our Mission
Through our cutting-edge academic programs, we provide the foundational education every student needs to become a life-long learner.
Our Vision
In addition to sustaining the highest Carnegie research status (R1), we’ll continue to promote academic success, social mobility, and economic development to a diverse student population.
Our Values
Central to the College of Arts and Sciences land-grant mission our core values are:
- Rigor and Excellence in both creative and scholarly work
- Exploring and Discovery with leadership, innovation, and the desire to improve lives
- Accessibility to inclusive, affordable education to diverse learners
- Learning and Knowledge to create thoughtful, educated members of society
Message From Our Dean
Welcome to the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University. We are the largest college at the state’s land grant university in the southern part of the Land of Enchantment. We teach every freshman student and offer degrees to over 6,000 majors. The college is home to more than 20 academic departments and two ROTC programs.
Our faculty are award-winning researchers and teachers with a strong commitment to serve the citizens of our state and to extend the benefits of our research and collaborative endeavors throughout the world. Please view the videos of some of our exceptional faculty and learn how they overcame doubt and hardships, how they found their way to New Mexico State University, and how their personal struggles and adventures have helped them to become better teachers who understand the struggles of students, who know the value of great mentoring, and who genuinely love teaching and learning.
Serving every student who attends NMSU, the college offers a vast array of major, minor, and interdisciplinary degrees to prepare students for an enriching life after they have completed their studies on our campus. Our faculty and staff assist students from their first registration for classes on campus through degree certification. There are many scholarship opportunities for students and awards programs that support and encourage them throughout their educational endeavors.
Our staff are student-oriented and are essential to the success of our faculty, our research endeavors, and our constant focus to achieve excellence in all that we do.
We are proud of our alumni, their accomplishments, and the many ways they support our college, its departments and programs. We value their commitment to help our students achieve their dreams. The College regularly recognizes its successful alumni through its Alumni Connections program which brings back to campus our alumni to meet with students, faculty, and the entire community. Each year, the College selects one Distinguished Alumnus who is recognized with alumni from other colleges during Homecoming Week on campus.
Our college mission is to “promote life-long discovery and improvement in society through cutting edge research and creative activity and by fulfilling the land grant mission through outreach and engagement with the larger community.” In addition to our academic programs, we provide concerts, theatre productions, art gallery exhibits, cultural history exhibits, and stargazing opportunities.
It is my great pleasure to serve students, faculty, and staff on our beautiful campus and to work side by side with an excellent administrative team of associate deans and to be supported by our student ambassadors. We support student travel and awards, faculty research and travel, conferences on campus, and staff awards and development through contributions to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence. Contributions to this fund provide students, faculty, and staff resources to help them excel and obtain regional, national, and international recognition. Every accomplishment of our students, faculty, and staff enhances the reputation of this unique and outstanding university.
I invite you to learn more about us through this website, our Facebook page, the newsletter and our welcome video. Please connect with us on Facebook and view our photos and videos. We welcome your comments and suggestions and encourage you to contact us.
Enrico Pontelli
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Departments
The largest college at NMSU, the College of Arts & Sciences is home to more than 20 academic departments and two ROTC programs. Every department — and every degree program — prepares you to be bold in your creative and career pursuits.