Colleges of Arts and Sciences are constructed on the foundational belief that individuals and societies exist in a global world where the only constant is change. The platforms that support Colleges of Arts and Sciences are usually comprised of four key elements: arts, humanities, social or behavioral sciences, and pure or applied sciences. UNC Pembroke is no different as the College of Arts and Sciences at this university has departments in each of these areas of intellectual discovery.

UNCP first organized its College of Arts and Sciences in 1999, in part to more effectively deliver the cutting edge programs that serve the students, state, and region. At UNCP, the College of Arts and Sciences is home to the bulk of the general education program: the broad base of foundational courses which equip a first or second year student for advanced and specific coursework in a major as a junior or senior. General education courses teach specific types of content, but also develop skills in analysis, expression, evaluation, and intellectual discovery.

The labs, classrooms, production and performance facilities, and primary student collaboration areas of the College of Arts and Sciences are spread across eleven different buildings on campus and sometimes take students into the community to observe, assess, and apply the skills they are developing. The spirit of inquiry, the objective of problem solving, the importance of cultural literacy, and the discipline of effort guide all the endeavors of the College of Arts and Sciences.