The College of Liberal Arts offers more than 50 majors located in 22 academic departments and more than 30 centers, institutes, and programs. In every discipline, we emphasize the importance of understanding history, society, and culture to help students better understand and thrive in the world beyond campus.
Here are three examples of the important work being done at the College of Liberal Arts:
IUPRA (Institute of Urban Policy and Research Analysis)
The IUPRA a non-partisan organization committed to applying empirical data to inform legislative policies that affect the quality of life of populations of color. Many of our projects focus on populations in the United States while some examine similar populations throughout the Diaspora. The Institute’s mission is based on our understanding of the critical role that public policy has historically and currently plays in determining the distribution of resources and opportunities by race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, language, sexual orientation, and region. Our staff and graduate students use a variety of research tools and approaches to assess existing and proposed policies in areas such as physical and health, education, criminal justice, housing, and poverty.
IUPRA was developed in 2011 and is one of the units that comprise Black Studies at the University of Texas. Together, Black Studies at UT Austin form a unique approach to university education, research, and cultural programming within the College of Liberal Arts. The effort to infuse public policy analysis within this framework is unique, innovative, and exciting. IUPRA’s focus on quantitative approaches to policy analysis adds an applied sciences base to scholarship within Black Studies.
INSPIRE: Empowering Texas Women Leaders
INSPIRE is a three-year program (sophomore to senior) with three cohorts simultaneously developing skills necessary to achieve the highest levels within their chosen fields. INSPIRE was created in response to the continuing inequalities in educational attainment and career advancement for women. INSPIRE offers a unique opportunity for young women to come together across disciplines, schools, areas of interest, ethnicity, and life experience to learn the value of diversity and how to successfully communicate across cultures. Students develop inclusive leadership skills by reflecting on their own social identities; how structural exclusion can separate us, and practice outreach strategies for their lives and careers.
Students attend professional development workshops, travel to conferences, and assistance as they work on group and personal projects, the biggest impact of this program might be that it provides the space and time to step back and reflect on what it means to be a female student, often a first-generation college student, and more often than not, in male dominated careers.
UTeach
UTeach-Liberal Arts is a professional middle and high school teacher preparation program for The University of Texas at Austin undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students planning to teach English, languages other than English, or social studies. Our four-semester program aims to transform secondary school teacher certification from the ground up with a balanced practical and theoretical approach to teacher preparation.
UTeach-Liberal Arts students benefit from an innovative program emphasizing the UTeach-LA philosophy of practical, hands-on field experience in public school classrooms throughout the length of the program. Students take advantage of intensive coursework and field experiences in local area schools that provide an excellent first-hand glimpse into the world of teaching.
UTeach-Liberal Arts provides a supportive environment for students to build professional networks through cohort groups and faculty interaction. Personal attention and guidance of UT faculty, many of whom are highly experienced master teachers recruited from public secondary schools, prepare students for a career in the classroom.
We are committed to providing a top-tier education, conducting groundbreaking research, and preparing young minds for the world. This commitment is central to the history and future of The University of Texas.