About the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences

Welcome to the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences, the largest and most comprehensive of the colleges at SVSU!

With fourteen academic departments a Masters of Public Administration, the College is dedicated to the idea that a liberal arts and social sciences education is the foundation for a bright future.  Our graduates are creative problem-solvers, effective communicators, and strong leaders who have excelled in a wide range of career fields, from criminal justice and law to theatre and music; from psychology and history to creative writing and graphic design.

In addition to offering majors which lead our graduates to prestigious graduate and professional programs or to meaningful careers in the region, the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences offers a majority of the General Education courses designed to provide all SVSU students with the broad-based education and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in any field.

Our faculty  have received awards and honors for their teaching, scholarship and service.  We hope you’ll explore the many opportunities for success offered by the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences.

Below are just a few of the stand out achievements from the 2024-2025 academic year:

• Our competitive speech and forensics team won the National Championship for the second straight year in the limited entry division, President’s Division 3, at the National Forensic Association’s 2025 National Championship Tournament.
• Saginaw Valley State University students Payton Stemmerich and Jason Hoang were named global finalists at the 17th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, held July 14-18 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The event brought together the top 24 university moot court teams from around the world.
• Graphic Design students participated in Cardinal Solutions, an interdisciplinary faculty/student team that works directly with local businesses and non-profits to develop marketing solutions. Students analyzed an organization’s goals, determined marketing needs and with the input and approval of the business, developed effective solutions.

In 2025-2026, we look forward to our students, faculty, and staff experiencing a renovated Brown Hall with state-of-the-art facilities, active learning classrooms, and collaborative spaces for students.