Pacific Lutheran University Reviews

"The two things that make this program stand out are the amazing faculty who have built an incredibly thoughtful, personal program, and the fact that when I graduate, I will have half the hours required toward licensure, which is not typical of most graduate programs in this area."

"It is a great school for an intimate setting and thorough learning process. Most of the professors are very open to meeting with students outside of class - take advantage of this! There are also many on and off-campus events to participate in. Take this time to make the most of your college experience and meet new people."

"Graduate program lets you work and go to school at the same time by having night classes. The downside is the school is expensive and if you can't qualify for private loans you end up having to pay out of pocket."

"The staff at PLU is extremely helpful and welcoming. The professors expect a lot from their students but are always willing to help with any questions you have."

"The main pro is having a cohort of students to work with during the entirety of the program. The con would have to be the cost of attendance."

"I was fortunate enough to know early on what I wanted to do for a living. I wanted to be a music teacher. I visited PLU, went to a concert, attended a few classes and met some music professors. I enjoyed the beautiful campus (not too big and not too small) and especially enjoyed seeing the music building and its gorgeous concert hall. PLU has a very strong, renowned music program, and I am so happy I got to go there and work with the fantastic professors in that department. There are other strong programs at PLU such as nursing, science, business and others, but one exciting aspect of PLU, no matter your major, is the traveling opportunities. I have traveled to Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Alaska, Canada, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Germany and France, all thanks to PLU. With the separate January term at PLU, there are multiple opportunities to study abroad even if you don't have time to leave for an entire semester. They have month-long trips on all 7 continents most years (yep, you could go see the penguins on Antarctica!) and if you are a music student, you have even more opportunities to travel through music tours, even if you aren't a music major! I have been fortunate enough to land a music teaching job less than a year and a half out of college. I was able to find a substitute position easily my first year out, and even in today's world of dwindling arts programs, my degree and recommendations from my professors helped me find a great job I enjoy. I love PLU so much, that I still participate in the alumni/community choir on campus and will be traveling with them to Italy next summer! Even if you aren't a music student, or don't have the means to travel to far off places, PLU is a warm, fun place to learn. I highly recommend visiting."

"The pros of the marriage and family therapy program include: the program is accredited through the AAMFT, the small class sizes makes it easy to make friends and get to know faculty members, you will not have to find your own internship site, the program has a clinic where you see clients the first practicum, the supervisors at your offsite internship are top notch. The cons of the program include: there has been a lot of transition of faculty in the last year which has created additional stressors, the clinic is located in the basement in an old building on campus, and with the workload it is difficult to be involved in/attend other on-campus activities."

"Throughout my time at PLU, I have learned a lot, and been exposed to many different health care and nursing scenarios, but I have been disappointed with some of the faculty in terms of their depth of knowledge, ability to teach, and respect for students. I have also become quite frustrated with the School of Nursing Administration because of their lack of communication and support for students."

"I attend the low-residency Master of Fine Arts (Poetry) program at Pacfic Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. It is a great program that meets at PLU for 10 days in August each year. The rest of the year is spent working one-on-one with a mentor who is a published author and authority in your field. The cost is much lower than a residential program, but there is a strong sense of community built up within the program. The faculty/mentors are wonderful, the work is hard, but rewarding."