The past year has brought significant change across our world, higher education, and UCF, underscoring the importance of the core skills and values at the heart of the arts and humanities.
One of the biggest shifts we have seen is how emerging technologies are reshaping the way we learn, work, and connect with one another. At the same time, employers are placing renewed value on the skills like critical thinking, communication, creativity, cultural understanding, and empathy.
As a result, we are seeing our students and alumni apply their talents in an increasingly broad range of careers and industries. Whether they are working in education, entertainment, technology, government, nonprofit organizations, or the creative sector, they are helping shape a future that is not only innovative, but also deeply human.
Within the College of Arts and Humanities, our faculty continues to advance research, scholarship, and creative activity that enriches both the university and the wider world. They are also leaders in providing a high-quality, affordable education to UCF students. Our faculty’s accomplishments contribute directly to UCF’s mission and reinforce the essential role of the arts and humanities within a comprehensive, technological university.
Periods of change also invite reflection. Strong institutions continually examine how they operate, not only to improve efficiency, but to ensure that their structures, priorities, and resources remain aligned with their mission. As the needs of our students, our disciplines, and our communities evolve, we must be willing to evolve as well.
That commitment to thoughtful growth has guided this college since its creation 20 years ago, and it will continue to guide us in the years ahead. While the landscape around us may change, our purpose remains clear: to prepare graduates who can think deeply, communicate effectively, create meaningful work, and help build a more thoughtful, connected world.
Thank you for your support of the College of Arts and Humanities and the remarkable students, faculty, staff, and alumni who make this community so vibrant.
Jeff Moore
Dean, UCF College of Arts and Humanities
Research
While external funding remains increasingly competitive, UCF College of Arts and Humanities faculty and staff continued to pursue ambitious research and creative projects in 2025-26. The college secured more than $1 million in awards, rebounding from the previous year’s decline, and submitted nearly $11.8 million in proposals, reflecting both the breadth of faculty scholarship and a strong pipeline of future opportunities.
This year’s projects explored topics ranging from the human impact of emerging technologies to historical preservation, language learning, arts education, and community engagement. Across disciplines, CAH researchers are asking important questions, generating new knowledge, and creating work that informs public understanding and enriches cultural life.
Awards: $1,020,508 | Proposals: $11,779.077
Research and Creative Activity
Centers and Offices
Academics
Credit Hours
- Undergraduate: 229,047
- Graduate: 6,334
- Thesis/Dissertation: 763
- Total Credit Hours: 236,144
Student Count (Fall 2025)
- Total Majors: 4,766
- Undergraduate: 4,310
- Graduate: 456
- Minors and Certificates: 2,520
- Graduate Certificates: 76
Degrees Conferred
- Bachelor’s: 1,106
- Master’s: 118
- Doctoral: 8
Learn more about the accomplishments of individual college units during the 2025-26 academic year.
Departments and Schools
Interdisciplinary Programs
- 1,161 donors gave gifts between $1 and $49,999 for a total of $564,308
- Total of 406 unique alumni donors
- 26.6% of Arts and Humanities employees donated to UCF this year (103 donors, 387 CAH employees)
- 103 Arts and Humanities faculty and staff contributed a total of $77,581
- Arts and Humanities came in second place for participation across the university
- 415 alumni gifts*
- 159 faculty/staff gifts*
- The college was awarded an additional $17,296 by winning challenges and bonus funds
*Note, individuals with multiple constituencies are counted in multiple categories.
New Funds
- Melissa Vargas-Ramirez College of Arts and Humanities Scholarship
- The Memory of Negro Fort Podcast Fund
- Sam Flax Artist Fund
- Marshall Family Opera Scholarship
- Nicole M. Peaks Theatre Scholarship Fund
- James C. Clark Scholarship Fund
- Honorable Cortez J. Whatley ’13 Safe Haven Scholarship
- Ehrhardt and Mustaine Family Theater Lighting Fund
- Florida Smooth Jazz Foundation
Alumni
From stages and studios to boardrooms and classrooms, the 25,902 alumni of the UCF College of Arts and Humanities are making their mark across the globe. Their creativity, leadership and commitment to community are transforming industries and inspiring future generations.
Faculty and Staff
Employees by the Numbers
- 67 Professors
- 76 Associate professors
- 43 Assistant professors
- 36 Lecturers
- 17 Senior lecturers
- 19 Associate lecturers
- 15 Senior instructors
- 15 Associate instructors
- 23 Instructors
- 1 Faculty administrator
- 60 Administrative and professional staff
- 16 University support and personnel staff
Congratulations to our faculty who have been recognized by the university for their outstanding teaching, research and service.
Story Highlights
In Memoriam
SPOTLIGHT is created by the College of Arts and Humanities marketing and communications team, in collaboration with the leadership, staff, and faculty of the units within the college. Photos provided by Kyle Hanson, Natasha Harrison, Drew Lofredo, Christopher Martin, Grace O’Malley, and UCF Marketing and Communications.