History
In 1896, Catholic University created the School of the Technological Sciences, which was the precursor to the current School of Arts and Sciences. At first, the school focused on social science offerings, including economics, political science, and sociology. In the ensuing decades, natural sciences such as chemistry and physics were added as research opportunities in those areas expanded. Language arts and humanities departments were natural outgrowths of the University's focus on theology and philosophy. As the University grew, these disciplines were organized as two separate schools, a School of Letters and a School of Sciences. In 1898, four new schools were added: a School of Letters, School of Physical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, and School of Technological Sciences. The year 1906 then saw the amalgamation of the School of Social Sciences into the School of Philosophy and the combination of the Schools of Physical, Biological, and Technological Sciences into a single School of Sciences. This arrangement remained until 1930 when a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was
assembled from the schools of Philosophy, Letters, and Sciences. At the same time, a College of Arts and Sciences was created for undergraduates. Further changes took place in subsequent years, for instance the separate creation (again) of a School of Philosophy.
In 1975, the Graduate School and the College of Arts and Sciences were combined to form the present School of Arts and Sciences. The Academic Council, composed of the heads of departments and programs with the dean as chair, is the standing committee of the faculty, with the primary responsibility for the administration of the school. The Academic Council operates under the supervision of the chancellor, president, provost, and dean. Its recommendations are made to these and other proper authorities, as well as to the faculty. Such recommendations include, among others, the approval of candidates for degrees. The faculty is represented, proportionally to its size, along with the other schools of the university, in the Academic Senate, a combined administration-faculty body having primary responsibility for academic policies and procedures, and in the graduate and undergraduate boards, faculty committees that oversee university-wide academic matters. Degree programs within the school are provided through the various departments of instruction.