Pacific Lutheran University

PLU seeks to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care— for other people, for their communities and for the Earth.

Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. With distinctive international programs and close student-faculty research opportunities, PLU helps its 3,300 students from all faiths and backgrounds discern their life’s vocation through coursework, mentorship and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. Founded in 1890 by Norwegian immigrants, PLU continues the distinctive tradition of Lutheran higher educationthrough its commitment to the advancement of knowledge, thoughtful inquiry and questioning, the preparation of citizens in service to the world and to its ongoing reform. Located in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington, PLU is set in a region that also offers vast opportunities for outdoor recreation, culture and sports.

The university offers 44 majors and 54 minors, as well as graduate and professional programs in business administration, creative writing, education, finance, marketing research, marriage and family therapy, and nursing.

To support students and faculty as they explore life’s big questions and engage in fulfilling and meaningful work, the university established the Wild Hope Center for Vocation. A distinctively hopeful exploration, the search for vocation that faculty and students undertake together endures even in the face of the untamed and unpredictable nature of the world in which we live.

PLU purposefully integrates professional studies with the liberal arts for a comprehensive education to successfully prepare students for “lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care.”

We invite you to look through the majors we offer. It’s not unusual for PLU students to double major, and in most cases, students can minor in any discipline that offers a major.

Many international students at PLU qualify for a merit-based scholarship. However, in general, students should expect to pay at least a half or more of the annual tuition fee as well as the entire living cost and other miscellaneous expenses on their own through individual, family and/or government sources. Currently PLU offers no need-based financial aid to international students. A small number of endowed scholarships might become available in some years for an amount not exceeding $3,000 for students who meet certain criteria.

Pacific Lutheran University challenges students to succeed to the best of their ability academically, provides them support to reach their academic and personal goals, and prepares them for a lifetime of success, both in their careers and in service to others.

The mission of the Division of Student Life is “to promote the holistic development of students and steward a dynamic campus community. We engage students in purposeful experiential learning that challenges them to make a difference in the world as they care for themselves and others, and positively impact the diverse communities in which they live.”

The Division of Student Life works with partners across campus to provide programs and services that advance the development and well-being of students.

We care about the holistic development of students in mind, body and spirit, and cultivate a campus climate that strives to be inclusive and supportive, and models respect for every individual.

The people of Student Life are knowledgeable, friendly and ready to serve. We care about your opinions, your values, your perspective, your voice and your interactions with others. We help you live as active and engaged citizens of campus, of their communities and of the world.

Pacific Lutheran University is committed to a deep engagement with people, cultures, ideas and the environment. Student Life provides opportunities for experiential learning, leadership and service; programs that support students physically, emotionally, ethically and intellectually; and programs that are just for fun. Increasingly, these programs are offered through faculty-student life collaboration.

The university’s mission is to “educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care – for other people, for their communities and for the earth.”

PLU 2020 uplifts the expectation that PLU will provide graduates who will give society the kinds of leaders and citizens it needs. PLU co-curricular programs promote: a deep engagement with people, cultures, ideas and the environment, a rich array of opportunities to inquire into the human condition and the natural world, opportunities for experiential learning, leadership and service, programs that support students physically, emotionally, ethically and intellectually. These programs also promote the university’s Integrative Learning Objectives and the university intent to educate the whole person – body, mind and spirit.

In addition to a number of academically based co-curricular programs, many departments sponsor co-curricular education programs and over 80 student clubs and organizations also contribute to out-of-classroom learning on campus.

As a university of the first rank, Pacific Lutheran University seeks to maximize the achievement of its mission and become an internationally renowned model of the New American University, purposefully integrating the liberal arts, professional studies, and civic engagement.