WHO WE ARE

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 2,900 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 education through 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.

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 DISTINCTIONS

PLU is noted for its commitment to diversity, justice and sustainability. For its record on sustainability, the university was recognized with a Gold Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). And for more than 30 years, PLU has been internationally known for its Holocaust Studies program, which now includes the Kurt Mayer Endowed Chair in Holocaust Studies, the annual Powell-Heller Holocaust Education Conference and, beginning in Fall 2014, PLU will be one of only a handful of universities nationwide that offer a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

ARTS AND COMMUNICATION

Another of the hallmarks of PLU is its nationally acclaimed School of Arts and Communication. Recent alumni are performing and creating on Broadway (Next to Normal), TV (Glee, The Mentalist, NCIS:LA) and film (The Lord of the Rings), as well as on stages and concert halls around the world (Metropolitan Opera), and at news and media organizations throughout the region. The recently renovated, $20-million Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is the premier performing arts center in the South Puget Sound region.

DEGREE PROGRAMS

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.

ARE YOU A GOOD FIT

PLU welcomes applications from students who exhibit capacities for success at the university level. Admission to PLU is competitive. We look for students who:

• Demonstrate success in a challenging college preparatory curriculum
• Desire academic and personal challenges
• Communicate clearly
• Exhibit leadership and service in their community, church or school
• Will share unique or special talents

Each application is reviewed based on grade point average, class rank, transcript patterns, standardized test scores, personal essay, and an academic recommendation.

Applications for admission are evaluated without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabling conditions, financial resources or any other status protected by law.

ADMISSION APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

PLU has several admission decision dates – October 15th, November 15th, December 15th, January 15th, and March 1st. Students who complete their application materials prior to one of these dates can expect an admission decision and notification of academic scholarship eligibility prior to the next decision date.  Applications received after those dates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  

Admission Application Requirements:
- Admission Application (We are a Common App School - Free to Apply)
- Personal Essay
- Academic Recommendation
- English Proficiency Requirement

*Immigration and Visa Requirements: If you are admitted to PLU, a financial guarantee (bank statement), a copy of passport biographical information page, and $200 enrollment deposit will be required prior to issuing a visa application support document (I-20 or DS-2019).