Mission Statement

One of eight academic units that comprise Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the College of Applied Sciences and Arts (CASA) seeks to inspire and cultivate vision through personal involvement of students with faculty and staff toward achieving technical expertise for success in a diverse and changing society.
CASA accomplishes this mission through its dedication and commitment to addressing the academic needs of students seeking opportunities to acquire high level skills in specific technical areas for rapid entry into a global workforce.

About the College

The College of Applied Sciences and Arts (CASA), since its inception as the Vocational Technical Institute (1950), has undergone continuous change to address the workforce needs in the southern Illinois region, the state and the nation as well as the University's mission as it evolved from a teachers' college to a major Carnegie I research institution. An essential component of the College's evolution is the increasing expectation for faculty productivity in applied research, scholarship/creative activity and external grant funding. Throughout these changes, relationships with business and industry have remained strong and placement of graduates is high.

The College presently includes four (4) schools which house two master's degree programs, one post-baccalaureate certificate, and fourteen (14) baccalaureate and two (2) associate degree programs. The post-baccalaureate certificate in Medical Dosimetry and one (1) baccalaureate program, Fire Service Management, are offered off-campus only. For the last twelve years, the College of Applied Sciences and Arts and the College of Liberal Arts have jointly offered the Master of Public Administration degree, Aviation Administration Concentration.

The College is one of the largest undergraduate academic units on the SIUC campus. It should be noted that throughout the College's extensive re-engineering it retained a ranking of the third largest enrollment on campus.

The College serves students beyond the Carbondale campus. CASA provides opportunities for a variety of individuals off-campus to receive baccalaureate degrees in the areas of Aviation Management, Electronic Systems Technologies, Fire Service Management, Health Care Management, and Medical Dosimetry.

The baccalaureate degree in Information Systems Technologies is offered through on-line delivery; 49 hours of upper-level and selected elective courses are available to students at various locations throughout the country.

CASA is a significant revenue generating unit for SIUC. Credit hour generation as well as tuition contribute greatly to the overall productivity and income, respectively, of the campus. Additionally, the College's presence at SIUC serves to promote and enhance not only the educational and research mission and focus statements of SIUC but also the economic development of the region. Writers of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools report (1999) concluded "...the College of Applied Sciences and Arts is accomplishing its mission and contributes to the mission of SIUC" (p.30).