The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts: An Overview
The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) stands as the liberal arts and sciences school of the University of Michigan, offering a wide array of academic programs and research opportunities. LSA provides a foundational knowledge base where creative thinkers engage with a complex, diverse, and changing world. Over its 175-year history, LSA has been a world leader in research and delivering an extraordinary liberal arts and sciences education. Along the way, approaches have been invented that have changed higher education and the world.
Historical Foundation and Early Years
Originally designated the Literary Department when the University of Michigan was established, LSA formed the core of the institution. To expand on the school's history, particularly its founding, further information is needed. From 1841 to 1874, the faculty elected a president that communicated with the regents about department needs.
Academic Structure and Requirements
LSA students take about 40 courses. Roughly a quarter of those, or about 8-10 courses, will be in your major. These 8-10 courses outside of your major ensure a well-rounded education. This is your opportunity to dive into topics across LSA’s three divisions. Up to 50 languages are taught each year, so you’ll have plenty of options to fulfill your language requirement. A minimum of one or two quantitative courses are required to boost your skill in using and analyzing quantitative information. One course in race and ethnicity is required for LSA students. This one-course requirement prepares you for the level of academic writing required at U-M.
LSA has offered generations of students broad and deep programs of study and, in the process, has provided a foundation for successful lives and meaningful careers. Today, this transformative approach to education continues to attract growing numbers of students who recognize the value of a liberal arts education in a rapidly changing world.
The Residential College
The Residential College (RC) is a distinctive division within LSA, established in 1967 to provide a smaller, more intimate liberal arts experience within the larger university setting. With approximately 900 students, the RC fosters a tight-knit community and close student-faculty connections.
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Curriculum and Community
RC students participate in an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum, emphasizing writing and language proficiency. The RC combines academic experience with residential living, enriching campus life. Students in the RC take classes in LSA as well as specially designed RC courses, many of which are seminar courses with fewer than fifteen students each. All RC students are required to live in the same residence hall, East Quadrangle, for at least one year. Since the RC is a part of the LSA, all LSA academic requirements apply to its students.
Language Training
A major requirement for RC participation is intensive language training, which consists of two eight-credit courses similar to language immersion, and one four-credit readings course. Intensive Japanese at the RC has no reading courses, and the semi-immersion curriculum consists of two ten-credit courses.
Strategic Priorities and Vision
The University of Michigan as we know it started with LSA. The college is built upon the idea that a powerful, pragmatic, broad education can transform hearts and minds, can solve problems in an ever-changing world, and can yield ideas and innovation across every discipline. Here, thinking doesn’t have to be elegant-it can be messy, it can shake up the status quo, and it can set minds in motion.
LSA is a diverse intellectual community, working together to reimagine the world and create positive, purposeful change. To foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
Core Values
LSA's core values include:
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- Exploration: Bold investigation that transforms current assumptions, sparks new ideas, and changes the very questions we ask.
- Common Good: Commitment to social impact, working together to advance a more just and sustainable future.
- Inclusion: Actively working to increase access, welcoming different perspectives, and building a community where each person feels a sense of purpose and belonging.
- Well-being: Recognizing that taking care of ourselves and one another is a shared responsibility, and that everyone needs support to thrive.
- Integrity: Adhering to the highest ethical standards in all endeavors.
Strategic Priorities
Four bold strategic priorities will sharpen LSA’s collective focus and inform our major investments over the next five years.
- Encourage genuine academic exploration: Expand opportunities for undergraduate students to explore the full range of what the liberal arts offer, including robust participation in research.
- Mobilize to address pressing societal challenges: Leverage strength across fields to amplify the impact of path-breaking research and collaborations that lead to positive, purposeful change in the world.
- Lead systemic change: Confront the biases and barriers that impede full inclusion - and hold ourselves accountable for their dismantling, both within LSA and more broadly through public scholarship and community engagement.
- Foster a culture of purpose and well-being.
LSA First Year vs. Residential College
For prospective students considering UMich, understanding the differences between the LSA First Year and the Residential College programs is essential.
LSA First Year
The LSA First Year program represents the general first-year experience for most UMich students. Students take general education classes and begin to explore their major. It offers a wide variety of courses and the freedom to structure your schedule. While larger class sizes and lectures are common, some smaller discussion sections may be available. Students have ample opportunities for extracurricular activities and participation in campus life.
- Pros: Flexibility to choose a wide range of courses across various disciplines. Potential for more interaction with the broader UMich student body. Opportunity to explore potential majors before committing to a specific track.
- Cons: Less personal interaction with faculty members due to larger class sizes. Potentially overwhelming campus size and resources.
Residential College
The Residential College provides a smaller, more intimate living-learning community within UMich's LSA, comprising around 900 students. It offers a tight-knit community with close student-faculty connections. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, emphasizing writing and language proficiency. Smaller class sizes and seminars promote active class discussions and personalized feedback. It requires living in East Quadrangle residence hall with fellow RC students.
- Pros: Close connections with faculty and a supportive learning community. Focus on developing strong writing, language, and interdisciplinary skills. Combines academic experience with residential living, enriching campus life.
- Cons: Less flexibility in course selection compared to LSA First Year. Requirement to live in East Quadrangle, which may not appeal to all students.
The choice between LSA First Year and the Residential College depends on individual preferences and educational goals. If a larger, more diverse campus experience with more flexibility in course selection is preferred, LSA First Year may be the better choice. However, if a smaller, more intimate academic setting with an emphasis on writing and close connections with faculty members is desired, the Residential College could be more suitable. Regardless of the chosen path, UMich provides an excellent education and numerous opportunities for growth.
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Deans of LSA
- Alfred S. Sussman
- Frank Harold Trevor Rhodes
- Billy e. Frye
- John R. Knott Jr.
- Peter Steiner
- Edie Goldenberg
- Patricia y. Gurin
- Shirley Neuman
- Terrence McDonald (interim)
- Susan Gelman (interim)
- Andrew D. Martin
- Elizabeth Cole (interim)
- Anne Curzan
- Rosario Ceballo
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