College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) advances the mission of the university by cultivating academic programs of excellence in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines; fostering a culture of scholarship among faculty and students; and preparing students for advanced study, civic engagement, vocational success, and a well-lived life.
The college includes six academic departments; several institutes, centers, and special programs; and nearly 100 full-time faculty. CLAS offers a wide range of major and minor undergraduate degree programs, as well as many of the courses in the university’s General Education program and numerous discipline-specific student honor societies. CLAS also houses graduate programs in applied statistics and data science, biotechnology, English, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).
The Center for Research in Science
The Center for Research in Science (CRIS) serves internal and external communities by promoting research that encompasses and extends the scope of scientific studies to address the inseparable relationship between science and culture, its role in a classical liberal arts education, and the dialogue between faith and reason.
The Math and Physics Center
The Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics sponsors a drop-in tutoring center for assistance with mathematics, physics, and statistics courses. Housed in Segerstrom Science Center (Room 170), the Math and Physics Center provides an out-of-classroom setting where students gather to actively learn and teach math, physics, and statistics. The room is fully equipped with computers, whiteboards, and work spaces. Students are encouraged to regularly work on their homework at the center, knowing that help is nearby should it be needed. Skilled student tutors staff the center for free on-site and online tutoring Monday-Thursday throughout each semester. For more information, contact the Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics at (626) 815-6470.
Humanities Minor
The humanities minor is centered on five interdisciplinary “core texts” seminars in the subject areas of aesthetics, Christianity, history, literature, and philosophy. These seminars are housed in CLAS and supported by faculty within the Department of History and Political Science, the Department of English, and the Department of Sociology, TESOL, and Modern Languages, with participation by faculty from the College of the Arts and the School of Theology.
Environmental Studies Minor
The environmental studies minor program offers a learning environment that equips a rising generation with the intellectual tools and learning experiences needed to understand and address the causes and consequences of the unprecedented environmental challenges facing them. The program summons students to a profound interior conversion—an “‘ecological conversion,’ whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them” (Pope Francis, Laudato si’). This includes a systematic examination of how human beings affect the environment and how the environment affects human institutions and relationships. This minor program supports the emerging need to equip students in the area of sustainability, and also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental sciences.