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University of San Francisco - College of Arts & Sciences

University of San Francisco - College of Arts & Sciences

University of San Francisco - College of Arts & Sciences

Campus Features

San Francisco is your Campus

In this city of innovation, entrepreneurship, and culture, the University of San Francisco offers 19 unique graduate programs in its College of Arts and Sciences.

With the San Francisco Bay Area as its extended classroom, the university and its students benefit from an unusually rich array of opportunities.

Like our home city of San Francisco, USF is global in spirit, socially aware, open to diverse perspectives, and enlivened by new ideas.

Founded in 1855 as the first university in San Francisco, USF is a private Jesuit university with a distinguished history in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, law nursing, and business. Its 10,068 students come from 50 U.S. states and 101 countries.

Grounded in the tradition of USF's founders is a commitment to justice - to better the lives of our fellow global citizens wherever in the world we live and work. The university's purpose is to educate "individuals with the brains to make a difference and the hearts to want to do so."

The university's 471 full-time professors share that purpose as they apply a higher standard of excellence - combining knowledge and skills and compassion to meet the challenges of our time.

Why study in the U.S.?

  • International students find San Francisco a welcoming and cosmopolitan city.
  • Employers value the skills and experience of education outside your home country - teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, and confident international skills that broaden and strengthen how you approach your professional field.
  • Develop your English skills in professional and academic settings.
  • To understand other cultures based on real experience - and to respect a variety of perspectives in your professional and academic field - are accomplishments that employers increasingly value!
  • Gain the ability to do quality work in a setting that is different from what is comfortable for you.

    Admissions

    Apply to USF

    A USF education is about intellectual development and career advancement - as well as commitment to a more just world.

    Graduate Admissions

    Scholarships and Funding

    Program Scholarships and Research Awards

    Program Scholarships are merit-based scholarships awarded to new students. All applicants, U.S. and international, are considered for these scholarships at the time of admission consideration. They are limited in number and vary in amount and cover part of tuition costs. Scholarship awards will be indicated in your admission letter. Applications completed by February 1st give priority consideration for a program scholarship.

    The Dean's Scholarship is a one-year, $25,000 scholarship award toward tuition and fees for one student. In addition, the awardee will attend a dean’s reception, receive conference funds, and be featured on the program website. Apply for the program by the priority deadline to be considered. Decisions will be made based on the strength of the application materials.

    The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program is a graduate fellowship program that offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Recipients receive financial support equal to a minimum of 25% of total tuition and mandatory fees associated with the MAIS program.

    Students may use their Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to take a step toward their higher education goals. The MAIS program will provide a scholarship or a match for AmeriCorps alumni with their education award.

    MAIS Travel Awards

    The Rue W. Ziegler MAIS Fellowship Fund has been established to help provide travel funding to students conducting thesis and applied project research outside of the Bay Area or to support conference participation.
    The William Goldman Scholarship Fund for Work in Diplomacy provides scholarship funding for students engaged in study, research, or internships focused on the area of diplomacy: work centered on foreign service, global governance, international institutions, and diplomatic relations among states.

    Research Assistantships and Resident Ministers

    Research Assistantships - Each year, MAIS is able to offer five to six graduate research assistantships to qualified incoming students, who work directly with MAIS faculty members. Additionally, once enrolled at USF, students are eligible to pursue assistantship opportunities campus-wide.

    Resident Ministers - Campus Ministry has a small number of Resident Minister positions; MAIS generally recommends two to three individual candidates to apply for these positions, who must then undergo a rigorous interview process.”

    Introduction

    About the College

    As one of the country’s premier Jesuit Catholic universities, the College of Arts and Sciences pairs a rigorous academic curriculum with an urban, global perspective. The college's vision of success involves both the head and the heart, with outstanding faculty members giving students the skills and compassion to fashion a more just and humane world.

    In recent years, our teacher-scholars have garnered unprecedented national recognition: winning national awards, receiving major new grants and prestigious Fulbright scholarships, and premiering in major art venues and film festivals around the globe.

    Our students have published their research alongside our faculty, won prizes for their writing, received highly competitive fellowships, and been accepted at top graduate schools. They are also engaged in the community and they are making a difference. From building a library for street children in Zambia to bridging the digital divide in Peru to fighting against modern-day slavery right here in the U.S., our students are changing the world for the better.

    The College of Arts and Sciences offers a wide variety of educational options imbued with a mission to provide not only the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as persons and professionals but also the values and sensitivity necessary to be men and women for others.

    Rankings

    Top 100

    USF ranks number 103 in National Universities in the U.S. by the U.S. News & World Report 2021. There are 2,618 universities in the U.S.

    Diverse

    The USF community reflects the cross-cultural richness of the United States. U.S. News & World Report ranks USF as number 4 among national universities for ethnic diversity and number 14 for international student enrollment.

    10 thousand +

    The university's 10,068 students includes 4,059 graduate students and 1,325 international students.

    Accreditations

    AACSB Accredited

    English Language Requirements

    Certify your English proficiency with PTE. The faster, fairer, simpler English test, accepted by thousands of universities around the world. PTE, Do it worry-free!

    Locations

    • San Francisco

      2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, California, United States , 94117, San Francisco

    Questions