2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
College of Arts and Sciences
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| Interim Dean |
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Joanna Carraway Vitiello, PhD |
| Associate Dean |
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Christina Wills, PhD |
| Assistant Dean and Director of Academic Advising |
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Robert Hamilton, MA |
| Chair, Psychology, Justice, and Society |
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Jennifer Oliver, PhD |
| Chair, English & Fine Arts |
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John Kerrigan, PhD |
| Associate Chair, English & Fine Arts |
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Timothy McDonald, PhD |
| Chair, History and Political Science |
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Cecilia Samonte, PhD |
| Chair, Modern Languages |
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Leslie Merced, PhD |
| Chair, Philosophy |
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John Morris, PhD |
| Chair, Physics and Engineering |
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Michael Marvin, PhD |
| Chair, Theology and Religious Studies |
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SJ Crasnow, PhD |
| Science Coordinator |
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Joanna Cielocha, PhD |
| Chair, Biology |
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Jamie Dyer, PhD |
| Chair, Chemistry |
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Michael Marvin, PhD |
| Chair, School of Education |
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Sarah Hicks, PhD |
| Chair, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies |
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Leslie Merced, PhD |
| Program Director, Educational Doctorate |
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Lesa L. Brand, PhD |
| Program Director, Catholic Studies |
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Brendan Sweetman, PhD |
| Program Directors, Biochemistry |
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Ryan Elsenpeter, PhD, Michael Marvin, PhD |
| Program Director, Biomedical Physics |
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Michael Marvin, PhD |
| Program Director, Engineering |
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Deb O’Bannon, PhD |
Mission Statement:
Grounded in the Jesuit and Catholic traditions of liberal arts education, the College of Arts and Sciences engages learners in building a foundation of values, developing critical and creative approaches to knowledge, and engaging in reflection and discernment that prepares graduates to become globally active, compassionate and just.
Vision Statement:
We prepare global citizens on their path of learning and self-formation to cultivate a just, inclusive and sustainable future.
Tradition of the Liberal Arts
The academic programs administered by the College of Arts and Sciences comprise what are broadly recognized as the liberal arts and the pre-professional programs growing out of the liberal arts disciplines. As such, these programs relate directly to a tradition of learning stretching back to the medieval universities. The liberal arts were prized as the intellectual disciplines calculated to form social leaders and well-cultivated spirits in addition to keen intellects. In the Jesuit tradition, the liberal arts aimed to develop the whole person as a “contemplative in action” and to encourage life-long learning. This tradition continues at Rockhurst University as students are exposed to a broad range of programs in the arts and sciences and provided opportunities to train their minds, cultivate their spirits, and prepare themselves as leaders of the contemporary world.
Career Preparation in the Liberal Arts Tradition
Students often ask advisors for advice on what major they should choose. Many begin the process of declaring a major by asking themselves what sort of career various majors will prepare them for, but this may be the wrong question. Most undergraduate majors do not provide immediate credentials that translate directly into a well-defined career track. Suppose students are interested in a law career. Does that automatically mean that they must major in political science? Or does a prospective physician have to be a biology major? Clearly not—a law school is as likely to admit an English major as it is to admit a political science major; medical schools take undergraduate chemists as readily as they take biologists. Professional schools are often surprisingly liberal in the undergraduate majors they accept.
Students who plan to begin their careers as soon as they finish college will often find that an undergraduate major has not prepared them for a specific job. Rather, their education has provided skills and knowledge which can be applied to a wide variety of careers. Many corporations and organizations are interested in hiring people who have completed a solid undergraduate degree regardless of their major.
Students should avoid imposing unnecessary and misguided restrictions on both their studies and their prospective careers. They should consider the world of work when declaring a major, but they will think about that world with greater clarity if they ask other questions first: What do I enjoy doing? What are my hobbies, and why do I enjoy them? What courses have I enjoyed? What kinds of books do I like to read? What problems do I like to solve? Thinking along these lines can ease the anxiety many college students feel when they must declare a major. There is no reason to major in a field that does not develop the student’s own abilities and interests.
All students are also required to fulfill Rockhurst’s core curriculum. Details of the core curriculum are found in Rockhurst Wisdom Core Curriculum .
The College of Arts and Sciences grants the following degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, as well as the M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees (see Graduate catalog). Students may choose one of 18 major fields of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, or one of seven major fields leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The College also offers a variety of minors, certificates, and pre-professional programs.
The College of Arts & Sciences contains the following departments:
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