Research and Creative Activity
Research in the arts, humanities, and languages helps share knowledge and shape culture in ways that can create a better world for all.
College of Arts and Letters faculty and students are integral to research and creative activity at Michigan State University. Collectively, they utilize research projects to develop opportunities for critique and inquiry, critical thinking, new ideas and solutions, and creative connections between disciplines and people.
Research with Impact
U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities
2026 – 2027
Techno: Made in Detroit
Julian Chambliss, English
Pride and Representation
Alejandra Marquez, Romance and Classical Studies
How Is Spirituality Expanding Beyond Religion?
Morgan Shipley, Religious Studies
“Our faculty work across disciplines, languages, and national borders, exploring how research and creative work can help build understanding in an interconnected world. This distinction places the MSU College of Arts and Letters among the world’s leading arts and humanities institutions.”
Dean, College of Arts and Letters
College of Arts and Letters:
By the Numbers
Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters collaborate with graduate students on a variety of research and grant-funded projects. Research and teaching assistantships along with fellowships also complement students’ master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.
400+
Faculty Members
225+
Graduate Students
$3.8M
Annual Grant Funding in the College (2025)
Featured Research Projects
Funding Sources
Funding for research and creative activity comes from government and nonprofit organizations that span local, state, national, and international entities.
Michigan State University, the Office of Research and Innovation, and different units also provide funding opportunities including the Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP).
The College of Arts and Letters, the Office of Research, and our departments and schools also fund different strategic research and community outreach priorities. Additionally, university and college endowments fund certain faculty roles and areas of research expertise.
Research with Impact
Top 20
In the U.S.
Top 50