FAQ for Prospective Students

Please see also AU New Undergraduate Students hub.

CAS offers 58 majors, 57 minors, and 15 certificates. Browse a full list of CAS programs.

With first-year advising, students can change their intended major during their first year.

To help students navigate their first year of college, each first-year student will be assigned to one advisor regardless of intended major. Student’s first-year advisor will also teach their AUx1 course. Students will transition to work with their school-based advisor, based on major, in their second year. Find out more about CAS Advising

The average class size for CAS undergraduate classes is 21.

It is not difficult to switch colleges or majors as long as students meet the academic requirements for that college or program. For some programs, students must fill out a short application before receiving approval, but for most programs, students simply need the approval of their academic advisor from the college they to switch to.

Professors make themselves very available to students, giving out their office hours, email addresses, and phone numbers on the first day of class. They encourage students to drop in during their 2 hours a week of office hours, even just to chat. If you can’t make it during their office hours, they’ll meet with you by appointment.

30 credit hours of exam credits and 60 credits of transfer credits may be transferred in prior to matriculation at AU and counted toward your degree at AU. Courses that transfer in to fulfill major requirements will vary between departments. Refer to the Transfer Articulation Equivalency page to see if your courses will transfer.

College of Arts and Sciences students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00.

Students from CAS go on to work in many different fields, attend graduate school, or both. Learn more about top employers, sectors, and statistics about AU graduates at the We Know Success site.

Still have questions? Email ask-cas@american.edu

Fast Facts

58 Majors

57 Minors

16 Certificates

49 percent Take Study Abroad

21 Average Class Size

83 percent Get Local Internships

Dance students.

Dance students at the Katzen Arts Center.