About LAS
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Fast Facts
Heart of the University
LAS provides a strong foundation that supports excellence within the entire University. Its programs in chemistry, biological and chemical engineering, communication, English, history, mathematics, microbiology, political science, and psychology are consistently ranked among the top in the nation.
Global Perspective
Eighty percent of all international instruction at U of I occurs within LAS. Five of the college’s international studies centers are ranked among the top nationally by the U.S. Department of Education: Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies; European Union Center; Center for Global Studies; Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Center.
Outstanding Students
LAS students are among the nation’s brightest. Ten percent of entering freshmen are in the top one percent of their high school graduating class; more than half are in the top 10 percent. Of the 125 students the campus admits yearly to its honors program, half are in LAS. Recent Rhodes Scholars and the Gates Cambridge Scholar from U of I were LAS students.
Excellence in Education
New programs such as LAS 101 Freshman Seminar are improving education from two fronts: the students’ learning experience and the quality of instruction. Technology is being used creatively in the classroom to convey ideas in ways not possible with traditional methods.
Prominent Scholars
The faculty remain among the most respected and innovative scholars in the nation with memberships in the National Academy of Science, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering; as recipients of the Nobel prize, the Crafoord Medal, the National Medal of Science, the Fields Medal in Mathematics, the Hubbell Award, and the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award; as National Science Foundation Young Investigators, as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Carnegie Foundation Professors of the Year; and by such organizations as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Source of Academic Innovation
As a source of diversity and innovation in scholarship, LAS has one of the largest areas studies programs in the nation, with 16 specialized programs. Programs range from Native American Studies and Medieval Studies to Gender and Women’s Studies.
Accomplished Alumni
The college’s alumni body is 150,000 strong and includes eight Nobel Laureates and six Pulitzer Prize winners.