
Who We Are
If you love language, history, philosophy, art, politics, law, mythology, psychology, and anything else that influences culture, you’re an Ancient Mediterranean Studies major in the making.
As the only full Ancient Mediterranean Studies department in Western North Carolina, UNC Asheville’s Ancient Mediterranean Studies faculty are actively engaged in all areas of the field, from literature to ethics, religion, and archaeology. Ancient Mediterranean Studies majors can participate in undergraduate research, local and international service learning, teaching internships, and co-curricular activities like The Ancient Gardens Club or Eta Sigma Phi, the National Classics Honor Society.
What You’ll Learn
Ancient Mediterranean Studies majors read some of the greatest literature ever written and study two cultures that are foundational to so much of our own: Latin and Greek. Since Latin and Greek provide the bases for about 80% of English, learning to read these ancient languages will train you to be an articulate communicator and a critical thinker. Because Ancient Mediterranean Studies is an interdisciplinary field, your classes will cover many subjects, and you’ll find career opportunities in education, the arts, government, law, communications, the nonprofit sector, and more.

Who We Are
UNC Asheville’s Political Science department comprises seven full-time faculty members who were trained at some of the nation’s top research universities and are deeply committed to undergraduate education. Political Science faculty members have interests and expertise across the political science discipline and also value interdisciplinarity. The Political Science department boasts a long and proud tradition of community engagement involving collaboration among faculty members, students, and community partners in the service of shared interests and values.
What You’ll Learn
At the foundation of the Political Science department is a rich and rigorous curriculum with a wide variety of courses in American politics, world politics, political theory, and law. In addition, Political Science majors enjoy a variety of unique active-learning opportunities through internships, service learning, community-engaged scholarship, and research assistantships. All Political Science majors complete and present original scholarship under the close mentorship of a political science faculty member, informed by a variety of different methods and approaches.
UNC Asheville’s Political Science department is particularly distinguished for its leadership in the field of human rights. The department spearheaded the creation of the new Human Rights minor as well as the student-led undergraduate human rights research journal, Dignity.
The Political Science department’s flexible curriculum allows students to pursue double majors, additional minors, and study abroad. Upon graduation, Political Science majors are prepared to live rich lives and embark on meaningful careers in public service, law, journalism, teaching, international relations, and other related areas.
Master's Degree Programs
The department also offers political science majors the exceptional option of pursuing a joint degree with the University of Essex to earn both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UNC Asheville and a Master of Arts (M.A.) or a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Human Rights from the University of Essex in roughly 4.5 years. For more information, please contact the Political Science Department at political_science@unca.edu or 828.251.6634.

Why English
People have always told stories to explore what it means to be human. Our department is a supportive community of readers, writers, and scholars contributing to this ever-changing story. Through seminar-style discussion and project-based learning, English majors learn how to analyze texts, think critically, and communicate their knowledge and ideas. Our faculty are active in their fields, publishing their scholarship and creative work; our department brings noteworthy writers to campus for readings, workshops, and conversation. Many of our students take on internships, conduct independent and faculty-mentored research, publish in our university’s literary journal Headwaters, and are active in Asheville’s vibrant writing community.
What You’ll Learn
From antiquity to our contemporary moment, you will study Western and world literature to learn how novelists, poets, playwrights, and literary critics shaped, and were shaped by, our shared cultural and historical contexts. Creative writing students learn how to critique poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction in a workshop setting, and craft a longer manuscript of their own in their senior year. Our graduates enjoy meaningful careers as teachers, professional writers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and more.

Creating a Sustainable World
Humans have a major impact on the natural world, and the need to solve environmental issues with sustainable solutions has never been more urgent. Through UNC Asheville’s liberal arts lens, environmental studies provides an examination of our imprint on the planet across many fields, including biology, geology, chemistry, economics, public policy, and other natural and social sciences.
What You’ll Learn
UNC Asheville’s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains puts over a million acres of biodiverse forest at your fingertips and hands-on learning is at the heart of the Environmental Studies Program. Internships are built into the curriculum, and through the McCullough Fellowship, qualifying students can receive funding to conduct sustainability research in Asheville. Students passionate about leading environmental stewardship efforts can join our Student Environmental Center.
The Environmental Studies Program at UNC Asheville prepares students for graduate studies or for employment in government, education, industry, consulting, and nonprofit organizations. For 15 consecutive years, the environmental studies program has been named to the list of pre-professional programs with exceptional strength in preparing students for careers by The Fiske Guide to Colleges.

Who We Are
How does the human mind work, and how does this shape the world we live in? As a psychology major at UNC Asheville, you’ll explore these compelling topics through the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Our exclusively undergraduate liberal arts program combines the rigor of pre-professional training for careers in psychology with the opportunity to explore other related disciplines. Unlike larger universities, we offer smaller classes taught by professors, not teaching assistants, and the opportunity to collaborate closely with faculty. Our department is a community of scholars dedicated to supporting each other as we work together to make the world a better place through the knowledge and best practices of the discipline.
What You’ll Learn
Psychology students learn the fundamentals of the discipline and develop open-minded skepticism through training in psychological theory, research, and application. Students can conduct original research through our nationally recognized undergraduate research program, and the neuroscience minor is popular among students who want to understand brain science from different disciplinary perspectives. Outside the classroom, students can join Psych Club or our active chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology. Our graduates find careers in a range of fields, including healthcare, research, business, and more, while others pursue professional programs in medicine, law, and education.

Who We Are
From researching sustainable energy generation to developing new antibiotics naturally produced by bacteria, our dedicated faculty are changing the world with chemistry. And now it’s your turn.
UNC Asheville’s Chemistry & Biochemistry Department is structured to allow for continuous access to faculty. Chemistry majors receive a good deal of individual attention from faculty and have laboratory experiences not usually available in undergraduate courses.
Qualifying chemistry majors can receive scholarships, research support, and mentoring through the Chemistry Scholars Program and the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Scholars Program.
What You’ll Learn
Chemistry majors can customize their course of study to their interests built upon our foundation courses in general, inorganic, organic, analytical and physical chemistry, and biochemistry. You will get to solve problems you are passionate about, from the atomic level to the earth’s environment, for example. You’ll learn how to analyze molecular structures and reactions, interpret data, and understand the interdisciplinary nature of science—preparing you for graduate programs and careers in medicine, veterinary science, teaching, government, and beyond.

Who We Are
Our graduates work at large metropolitan newspapers and in Hollywood production offices. They create original films and documentaries, design strategic communication plans for major corporations, produce broadcast news, develop podcasts, and pursue graduate degrees in myriad fields. The range of their pursuits reflect the opportunities available in today’s evolving media industries, as well as the skills taught within the department. Our mass communication faculty bring both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to students, equipping graduates with a foundation from which to launch careers as journalists, communication professionals, film producers, social media strategists, photographers, scholars, and more.
What You’ll Learn
All mass communication majors take foundational courses in journalism, video production, communication theory, media law, and ethics before creating a course of study to develop expertise within your chosen media field. Beyond the classroom, many of our students produce original film projects, complete internships to gain real-world experience, and work for the university’s student-run newspaper, The Blue Banner. In short, our graduates learn what it takes to thrive in today’s dynamic media industries.

Who We Are
Whether you’re setting up the logistics for a company, analyzing political polls, animating Pixar movies, or combating disease, high-level mathematics is at the heart of many creative and analytical endeavors alike. We offer concentrations in statistics, theoretical and applied mathematics, as well as teacher licensure, to prepare students for careers in finance, government, research, technology, multimedia, education, and more. Our classes are intentionally small so faculty can give students individualized attention, and students are welcome to meet with professors whenever they’re available.
What You’ll Learn
Math is fundamental to many disciplines and modern professions. Our math majors gain a strong foundation in mathematical concepts and learn data analysis, pattern recognition, communication skills, and problem-solving. Students can promote math literacy through the Asheville Initiative for Math and Science Olympiad for grades K-12, or you can join our active chapters of the Association for Women in Math and the Mathematical Association of America. Our Math Lab offers tutoring and a relaxed, quiet study space for students of all majors.

Welcome to the Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Small class sizes, virtually unlimited access to faculty, and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum make UNC Asheville an ideal place to earn your degree in atmospheric sciences. You’ll have the chance to learn about the atmosphere and conduct research alongside faculty specializing in severe weather, atmospheric modeling, air pollution, climatology, observations, tropical meteorology, and weather unique to Western North Carolina.
Asheville is home to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)—one of the nation’s largest weather data centers—and UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). These organizations and nearby National Weather Service forecast offices and television studios offer atmospheric sciences majors unique internship opportunities and career connections.
Our Curriculum
The Department of Atmospheric Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science degree in three concentrations: weather forecasting, climatology, and broadcast meteorology. Each concentration prepares students for employment upon graduation or for further studies at the graduate level. All concentrations fulfill federal civil service requirements for employment as a meteorologist. Unlike larger institutions, our department and university focus completely on undergraduate success. Our small classes are taught by faculty members, not teaching assistants. The knowledgeable and dedicated faculty members emphasize a quality undergraduate education with close student–faculty interaction.
Learning Outcomes
Our graduates will discover:
- accurate scientifically-based conceptual models of atmospheric structure and evolution on multiple spatial and temporal scales,
- an understanding of mathematical devices applied to governing laws that determine the evolution of atmospheric structures,
- an ability to communicate these conceptual models orally and through writing to a variety of audiences ranging from the layperson to experts in the atmospheric sciences,
- an ability to make a significant contribution to a team-based research effort,
- the necessary problem-solving skills to address new and interesting challenges presented by atmospheric structures to a smoothly-functioning society,
- a curiosity about the natural world that motivates the student to continue their learning in graduate school and beyond the years immersed in formal education, and
- an ability to recognize disagreements among scientists—being able to identify points of contention, analyze evidence, and respectfully address differences between competing scientific theories.

Who We Are
UNC Asheville’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program questions and challenges assumptions and constructs about gender and sexuality that affect all lives around the globe. Emerging from an activist tradition, WGSS provides resources to the university and the community by offering an array of co-curricular activities for students and community members. We regularly bring renowned artists, academics, and activists to campus, and also host our annual F-Word Film Festival (“f” for feminist) and our biennial Queer Studies Conference.
What You’ll Learn
WGSS is an interdisciplinary program, offering core courses in WGSS and related electives from a variety of departments, including anthropology, political science, psychology, sociology, history, literature, philosophy, and more. Courses investigate the role of culture, social institutions and policy on perspectives of women, gender and sexuality in psychological, biological, social, political, literary and humanistic terms. Students are encouraged to apply their academic understanding to community action through the internship course, service learning, and volunteerism. Our students are prepared for careers in business, education, journalism, law, politics, public policy, and many other fields that require strong analytical and communication skills.