Welcome

   The College of Arts is a mirror which reflects the society's heritage and history as well as its present character and future direction.  Because of its relevance to the culture of the country, the College regularly reviews its programs and adjusts them to the rapidly changing conditions and needs of Omani society.  Since the opening of the University, the major strength of the College of Arts has been its focus on a body of studies, the value of which has been acknowledged by past and present civilizations.  These studies, ranging from the literary to the technical and scientific, have given Omani students the knowledge and skills to develop themselves both personally and professionally.

     Since l990, the College of Arts has offered majors in the departments of Arabic Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, History, Geography, Philosophy, Sociology, Communication and Journalism, and Information and Library Science.  In addition, two new departments were subsequently added: Theater Arts in l99l and Archaeology in l993.

     Besides promoting excellence within its own areas of specialization, the College also encourages students to broaden their general knowledge by requiring them to take a number of university and college courses in subjects such as Arabic, English, History, Sociology as well as others. Furthermore, the College tries to enrich the students' academic experience by offering frequent lectures and seminars conducted by international scholars and distinguished Omanis.

     The College also seeks to maintain strong relationships with its graduates as well as with both the government and private sectors, where College of Arts graduates are employed.  In order to promote these relationships, the College holds a number of open days in which panels made up of members of all of these groups discuss the graduates' work experiences and attempt to assess the needs of the students and those of their future employers.  Also, each year the College devotes time during Cultural Week to evaluating the programs offered by the College and looking at ways to improve and expand specializations, promote intellectual development, and enhance students' employment opportunities.   Such events allow the College to gather valuable data, which can used be used to review programs, improve curriculums, and design courses to increase students' employment prospects.

COLLEGE OF ARTS

     At the ceremony in l986, marking the opening of the University, His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos decreed that a College of Arts would be established.  In accordance with this decree, the College began offering classes for the l987/l988 academic year. During the first year of study at the University, College of Arts students take no courses in their majors, but, instead, focus solely on introductory courses. Before the beginning of their second academic year, however, students are assigned to one of the following departments in the College: Arabic Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, History, Geography, Sociology, Philosophy, Information and Library Science, Communication and Journalism, Theater Arts, or Archaeology. The College of Arts is made up of one hundred faculty members and ten administrative staff members.  Forty per cent of the academic staff and one hundred per cent of the administrative staff are Omanis.  The College intends to increase the number of Omanis in the academic staff to seventy per cent by the year 2007.

     The departments within the College are well supplied with modern  facilities and equipment.  For instance, the Department of Communications and Journalism has up-to-date radio and television studios and a photography laboratory, and the Department of English Language and Literature has sophisticated multimedia laboratories. In addition, the College also has computer laboratories with access to the internet, which are available to students from all the departments in the College.   

THE COLLEGE PROGRAM

The College of Arts offers a four year or eight semester degree program in which the students are required to complete l32 credit hours of course work.  Of these hours, l8 are University requirements, 6 are College requirements, and the remaining l08 are departmental requirements, which are made up of specific required courses and electives in the area of specialization. During the first two semesters of the program, the students take introductory courses which prepare them for specialization in one of the departments in the College. Depending upon the nature of the material, their study in their major areas includes both theoretical courses (lectures, seminars) and practical courses (laboratory).  Field placement also plays an important role in some specializations.  For instance, some students take part in training programs in informational institutions such as schools and libraries and others work on archaeological sites.  This field work combines the theoretical with the practical by allowing students to use the knowledge and skills which they have gained in the class room in a genuine work environment.

THE HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

     The College established programs in higher education for the l992/l993 academic year in the departments of Arabic Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, and Sociology.  The programs in English Language and Literature and Sociology, however, were later canceled.

Nevertheless, other departments in the College will soon be establishing new programs in higher education.  The faculty has been active in research with more than a hundred research projects being carried out in a year.  The results of these projects have been published in both international and Arabic journals.  In addition to the books and articles published, faculty members have participated in numerous conferences and forums, both in the Sultanate as well as abroad.

     The College has offered the expertise of its faculty to a number of organizations and ministries, especially the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, and has also assisted diplomatic institutions.  The College regards such interaction as one way in which the University can help the community.

THE FUTURE OF THE COLLEGE

     In the fall semester of l999, the College of Arts will implement a new degree plan based on a Major/Minor program.  The aim of this new program is to give the students practical knowledge and skills in fields where they may seek employment.  For instance, students will be able to minor in areas such as Tourism, Translation from English/Arabic, Arabic/English, English for Business, and French. Through the study of these minors, students will be adding a practical edge to their degrees which will help them meet the demands of the workplace.

     The College also plans to emphasize the importance of Omani studies in the human and social sciences.  In connection with that aim, a sub-library devoted to Omani studies will be established in the College.