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 OFARTS &
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.
View All ProgramsTHE 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
+1-202-773-8688
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
THE A.U. • ACADEMIC PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
Academic offerings.
Structured with purpose.
THE A.U. maintains an official internal academic program listing through its University governance process and academic schools, while the public website presents selected programs and offerings for general information.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
ACADEMIC
GOVERNANCE
PROGRAMS • OPERATIONS • OVERSIGHT
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The website is a window into the University’s academic environment.
Public information and institutional authorization serve different purposes. Understanding that distinction helps prospective students make informed academic decisions.
THE A.U. maintains an official internal academic program listing approved through the University’s governance process and administered by its schools.
The University’s public website presents selected programs and academic offerings for general information. The website is not intended to constitute an exhaustive listing of all programs authorized for operation by the University.
A.U.
Current information matters.
Certain programs may be made available through approved University advertising, recruitment, outreach, or admissions channels, subject to applicable institutional requirements and program availability.
THE OPERATING FRAMEWORK
More than one pathway can support an academic offering.
The University may administer applicable academic activities through internal processes or through authorized institutional arrangements.
INTERNAL OPERATIONS
University Academic Administration
Programs may be administered through THE A.U.’s academic schools and internal institutional processes, subject to applicable University requirements and oversight.
OPERATING AGREEMENTS
Academies & Universities
Where applicable, THE A.U. may operate programs through formal operating agreements with other academies or universities. Such arrangements are subject to appropriate institutional authorization, oversight, and applicable requirements.
AUTHORIZED TRAINING
ATP Arrangements
The University may also operate through Authorized Training Provider (ATP) arrangements where applicable and approved within the relevant institutional framework.
ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT
Lecturers, Instructors & Trainers
Approved lecturer, instructor, or trainer engagements may support applicable academic or educational activities under established University procedures.
i
One framework, different arrangements.
Operating arrangements may differ by academic offering. The existence of an operating agreement, ATP arrangement, or external academic engagement does not mean that every program or offering is operated through that structure.
INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE
Oversight gives the academic framework its foundation.
The University’s Board of Trustees provides institutional governance and approval of the applicable academic and operational framework.
Academic programs and applicable operating arrangements function within the University’s established governance, approval, oversight, and quality-assurance procedures.
THE A.U. maintains institutional accreditation through ACISC and IABCET, as applicable to the University’s accredited institutional status.
INSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT
THE A.U.
Academic
Integrity
Through
Governance.
Integrity
Through
Governance.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK • OVERSIGHT • QUALITY ASSURANCE
ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK • OVERSIGHT • QUALITY ASSURANCE
CONFIRMATION & AVAILABILITY
When details matter, use the official channel.
A
Program Information
Information concerning a particular program, authorization, operating agreement, or academic arrangement may be confirmed through official University channels, subject to applicable confidentiality and disclosure requirements.
B
Current Availability
For current availability and enrollment information, prospective students should rely on official University communications and admissions channels.
ACADEMIC TRANSPARENCY
Explore what is presented.
Confirm what applies.
THE A.U. is committed to presenting academic information clearly while recognizing that its public website is one component of a broader institutional, academic, and admissions framework.
Prospective students should review current program information and use official University channels when confirming availability, authorization, or enrollment details for a particular academic offering.
YOUR NEXT ACADEMIC STEP
Explore. Understand.
Move forward.
Discover the academic opportunities presented by THE A.U., then connect with official University channels for current program and enrollment information.
THE A.U. • ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE • AUTHORIZED OPERATIONS • WASHINGTON, D.C.
