The University of Buffalo Charter was granted by the New York State Legislature on May 11th, 1846 with the authorization to grant any degrees whatsoever. The School of Medicine was established as the first division of the University, followed by Pharmacy (1886), Law School (1887), and Dental School (1892). Although the desire for a “Greater University” consisting of liberal arts courses in concert with the professional schools had been a goal since the charter was granted, new accreditation rules from the American Medical Association led to the first “Courses in Arts and Sciences” offered in 1913. Thirty-five full-time students enrolled, marking the beginnings of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The years 1916-1922 were critical in the transformation of the University from a loose collection of professional schools to an integrated university. In 1920, the University embarked on a major endowment campaign. Generating over $5 million from 24,000 community members in 10 days, the success of the campaign allowed for development of the Main Street Campus and expansion of the College of Arts and Sciences.

UB underwent significant change and growth with the consolidation of most facilities on the Main Street Campus (the Law School remained downtown). Enrollment exploded after WWII and with it, a rapid expansion of CAS. The Art Department merged with the Albright Art School, the Slee Professorship in Music was established (with first resident Aaron Copeland), and both Physics and Chemistry were awarded new and renovated facilities. Most significantly, UB merged with the SUNY system in 1962 affording an infusion of funding. Between 1961 and 1963, CAS hired nearly 200 new faculty to meet growing enrollment demand.

From 1967-1998, the College of Arts and Sciences was reorganized as the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Faculty of Social Sciences and Administration, and Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. In 1998, the College of Arts and Sciences was re-established.