The College of Arts and Letters was established in 1962 by combining the Applied Science Division, Liberal Arts Division, and Science and Arts School/College. Students and faculty explore human expression, experience, and values through the creative and performing arts, languages and literature, art history, philosophy, and religious studies as well as the interdisciplinary fields of American studies, ancient studies, humanities, humanities-prelaw, and women’s studies.

Substantive changes and reorganizations occurred at the college throughout the 2003-2015. In particular, the School of Music split from the College of Arts and Letters to become the College of Music (2007), and the History Department moved to the College of Social Science (2004). Other important changes include the reorganization of the linguistics and languages departments (2003, 2011), and the establishment of several new majors focusing on digital humanities, and other digital based research (2014-2015).

The College of Arts and Letters is one of three core colleges at MSU. Two units within the College – Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures (WRAC) and the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (CISAH) – offer required classes for all university students. Graduates of the College of Arts and Letters have achieved success in many different fields including business, government, human services, education, law, communications, and the arts.

Linton Hall, the second oldest extant building on the MSU campus, is the present home of the College of Arts and Letters.