01
Inquiry
Ask meaningful questions, investigate ideas, and approach subjects with an active desire to understand rather than simply memorize.
THE A.U. · SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Explore knowledge.
Think beyond boundaries.
The School of Arts and Sciences provides academic pathways for learners who want to broaden their knowledge, strengthen critical thinking, explore ideas, communicate effectively, and develop an intellectual foundation for continued academic and professional growth.
ACADEMIC SCHOOL
SCHOOL OF
ARTS &
SCIENCES
ONLINE
FLEXIBLE
SELF-PACED
ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
Build a foundation for understanding the world.
Arts and sciences education encourages learners to look beyond a single subject and develop a broader understanding of people, ideas, society, knowledge, and the world around them.
The School of Arts and Sciences emphasizes the academic habits that support meaningful learning: curiosity, inquiry, critical thinking, communication, analysis, creativity, and the willingness to consider different perspectives.
Through THE A.U.’s online, flexible, and self-paced learning model, students can pursue their academic objectives while balancing education with professional, personal, and family responsibilities.
SCHOOL MISSION
Expand knowledge and develop the intellectual tools for lifelong learning.
Knowledge
Provide opportunities for learners to develop knowledge across areas of academic inquiry and build a stronger foundation for understanding complex subjects.
Critical Inquiry
Encourage learners to question assumptions, examine evidence, evaluate ideas, and approach academic subjects with curiosity and intellectual discipline.
Communication
Strengthen the ability to express ideas clearly, understand different perspectives, and communicate effectively in academic, professional, and community settings.
Continued Learning
Encourage learners to view education as an ongoing process that can continue to shape personal understanding, professional development, and lifelong intellectual growth.
ACADEMIC FOUNDATIONS
Develop the habits of a thoughtful learner.
02
Critical Thinking
Examine information carefully, recognize assumptions, compare perspectives, and develop conclusions based on thoughtful analysis.
03
Communication
Develop the ability to organize ideas, communicate clearly, listen thoughtfully, and engage with different audiences and perspectives.
04
Creativity
Approach questions with imagination and openness while exploring new ways of understanding problems, ideas, and human experiences.
SCHOOL VISION
Develop curious, capable, and intellectually engaged learners.
The School of Arts and Sciences seeks to cultivate learners who are comfortable asking questions, examining complex ideas, communicating across perspectives, and continuing to learn throughout their lives.
Its vision is to support an academic environment where knowledge is not treated as an endpoint, but as a foundation for deeper inquiry, thoughtful judgment, personal development, and meaningful contribution.
By strengthening intellectual habits that can transfer across disciplines and circumstances, the school seeks to help learners approach changing academic, professional, and social environments with greater confidence and perspective.
THE INTELLECTUAL MINDSET
Question. Explore. Understand. Communicate. Grow.
A strong arts and sciences education encourages learners to remain curious, examine evidence, appreciate different perspectives, communicate ideas clearly, and continue developing their understanding long after a single course or program has ended.
SCHOOL VALUES
Principles that shape learning in the Arts and Sciences.
Intellectual Curiosity
Value the desire to ask questions, explore unfamiliar ideas, and seek deeper understanding of subjects and experiences.
Critical Thinking
Approach information thoughtfully, evaluate evidence, recognize assumptions, and develop conclusions through reasoned analysis.
Open Inquiry
Remain willing to examine different perspectives and consider new ideas while maintaining intellectual discipline and thoughtful judgment.
Creativity
Encourage imagination, originality, and alternative approaches to questions, challenges, communication, and academic exploration.
Clear Communication
Value the ability to express ideas accurately and respectfully while listening to and engaging with perspectives different from one’s own.
Lifelong Learning
Recognize education as an ongoing journey and encourage learners to continue developing knowledge, curiosity, confidence, and understanding.
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT
Knowledge that supports broader thinking.
Human Understanding
Explore ideas and perspectives that can deepen understanding of people, cultures, communities, relationships, and human experience.
Scientific Perspective
Develop an appreciation for inquiry, evidence, observation, analysis, and the systematic pursuit of knowledge.
Social Awareness
Consider how individuals, institutions, communities, and broader social forces interact and shape the environments in which people live and work.
Analytical Reasoning
Strengthen the ability to break complex subjects into meaningful parts, identify relationships, and evaluate information carefully.
Creative Expression
Recognize creativity as an important way of exploring ideas, communicating meaning, and approaching questions from different perspectives.
Academic Confidence
Develop greater confidence in asking questions, engaging with challenging ideas, expressing conclusions, and continuing the learning process.
ACADEMIC PURPOSE
Prepare for a world that requires more than one way of thinking.
The challenges people encounter in professional and community life are rarely limited to one subject. They often require communication, analysis, cultural awareness, creativity, evidence-based reasoning, and the ability to understand different perspectives.
Arts and sciences education provides a foundation for developing these transferable intellectual capabilities while encouraging learners to continue exploring knowledge beyond the boundaries of a single discipline.
THE BROADER PERSPECTIVE
Knowledge becomes more valuable when you know how to think with it.
The goal is not simply to collect information. It is to develop the ability to understand, question, connect, communicate, and apply knowledge thoughtfully in changing circumstances.
THE A.U. LEARNING MODEL
Academic learning designed around the learner.
Online Learning
Access academic learning online and engage with your studies without requiring a traditional campus-based schedule.
Flexible Study
A flexible approach can help learners balance academic goals with professional, family, and personal responsibilities.
Self-Paced Progress
Organize study time according to your circumstances while maintaining focus on academic progress and long-term objectives.
Lifelong Learning
Continue developing knowledge and intellectual capabilities as your interests, professional direction, and life circumstances evolve.
WHO IT SERVES
For learners who want to understand more, not simply know more.
The School of Arts and Sciences can support learners who want to broaden their academic foundation, explore ideas across areas of knowledge, and strengthen the intellectual skills that support continued learning.
The school can also be relevant to adult learners who are balancing education with professional or personal responsibilities and want a flexible academic environment.
Whether the goal is personal enrichment, academic development, professional preparation, or continued study, the emphasis remains on meaningful knowledge, thoughtful inquiry, critical thinking, and lifelong growth.
YOUR ACADEMIC JOURNEY
Turn curiosity into continued learning.
01
Explore
Discover academic subjects and program options that connect with your interests, questions, and long-term educational objectives.
02
Question
Approach your studies with curiosity and a willingness to examine ideas, evidence, assumptions, and different perspectives.
03
Understand
Connect information, develop deeper understanding, communicate ideas clearly, and strengthen your academic perspective.
04
Grow
Carry your developing knowledge and intellectual capabilities forward into continued academic, professional, and personal learning.
THE POWER OF LEARNING
Education should not only answer questions. It should teach you how to ask better ones.
Explore available programs, consider the areas of knowledge that interest you, review the academic requirements, and choose a pathway that supports your goals and circumstances.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
A university identity connected to a city of ideas, institutions, and public life.
THE A.U. is based in Washington, D.C., providing the university with an identity connected to government, public policy, culture, international engagement, professional activity, and a diverse intellectual environment.
The American University of Higher Education
1717 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
United States
1717 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
United States
+1-202-773-8688
YOUR NEXT STEP
Give your curiosity an academic direction.
Explore the School of Arts and Sciences, review available programs, and choose an academic pathway that supports your goals for knowledge, growth, and continued learning.
THE A.U. · SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES · WASHINGTON, D.C. · ONLINE · FLEXIBLE · SELF-PACED
