Overview | Faculty of Arts & Sciences

What is the FAS?

students talking at a table in cabot library

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the historic heart of Harvard University. It is the home of Harvard’s undergraduate program (Harvard College, founded in 1636), as well as all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs (the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1872). The 40 academic departments and 30+ centers of the FAS support a community unparalleled in its academic excellence across the broadest range of liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Together, the FAS seeks to foster an environment of ambition, curiosity, and shared commitment to knowledge and truth—one that elicits excellence from all members of our community and prepares the next generation of leaders through a transformative educational experience.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is at the vital center of an ecosystem that’s awe-inspiring and energizingly diverse.

Hopi Hoekstra

Edgerley Family Dean of the FAS, C.Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Sciences, Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Science

Meet the Dean

Dean Hopi Hoekstra

Hopi Hoekstra, a pathbreaking scholar of the life sciences, leads the FAS as the Edgerley Family Dean.

About Dean Hoekstra

FAS Leadership

The leadership team consists of academic and administrative leaders who oversee the core units and functions of the FAS.

FAS Leadership

Schools, Divisions, and Units

The FAS empowers breakthrough discoveries, transformative learning, and pioneering research within its schools, divisions, and academic units. Fostering collaboration and scholarship across every discipline, they create opportunities that make a lasting impact on the world.

Educating the next generation

Harvard College

Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The image features a group of people sitting and chatting at outdoor tables on a brick-paved area in front of a large, traditional-looking brick building. The building has large windows with white trimmings, and columns framing the entrance, which is accessed by a small set of stairs. There are trees with fresh green leaves around, suggesting a spring or early summer setting. The atmosphere appears to be casual and academic, with individuals engaged in conversation or work, possibly within a university camp

Powering academic excellence

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

seas building: The image depicts an outdoor scene featuring a colorful, artistic fence composed of horizontal, cylindrical bars in various bright hues. Behind the fence, there is a modern building with a distinct, textured facade of white and gray patterns creating an almost pixelated appearance. The bright blue sky overhead contrasts with the vibrant colors of the fence, adding to the striking visual effect of the composition. The ground next to the fence appears to be a paved pathway.

Arts & Humanities Division

The image shows a collection of small, printed reproductions of various artworks scattered on a flat surface. These include portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and abstract pieces, some framed and others not. The assortment is laid out haphazardly, indicating an informal or casual arrangement.

Division of Science

A student wearing a blue lab coat and gloves is working at a laboratory station, using a white test tube rack under a protective hood. The station is equipped with various lab apparatus, including pipettes, beakers, and bottles labeled "DISTILLEST". The scene shows a focused, hands-on scientific experiment in progress.

Division of Social Science

GPT-4o The image shows a classroom or lecture setting with a group of students sitting in red chairs, engaged and smiling while looking at a woman who appears to be the instructor standing in front of them. The instructor is also smiling and holding a book. There is a podium with equipment, wires, and a computer on a table next to the instructor. The classroom has gray walls and a red carpeted floor. Some students have bags and drinks near their seats.

Empowering discovery and growth

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

outside view from the street of 51 brattle. there is an iron gate in front of a brick building.

Harvard Library

Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

Harvard Athletics

Academics and Research

Academics and research are at the core of the FAS. As the largest division of Harvard University and the only one responsible for both undergraduate and graduate education, the FAS is home to an abundance of academic resources and research endeavors.

Learn more about academics and research

Office, Department, and Program Directory

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences directory offers a centralized listing of its departments, centers, museums, and resources.

Explore our Offices, Departments, and Programs

Support the FAS

Harvard remains a place of unlimited possibility because of our dedicated community. Alumni, parents, and friends make it possible for the FAS to invest in talented students and faculty and to ensure they have what they need to do their best work.

Learn how to support the FAS