The University of Puget Sound is a private university located in Tacoma, Washington. It was founded in the year 1888 by a Methodist church. There were various deliberations on where the University should be situated, either in Tacoma or in Port Townsend. The college was initially moved to Portland merging with the University of Portland, but after some time it was moved back to Tacoma. The university was given its name in the year 1903 after its rebirth.
The University of Puget Sound is a liberal arts college with the motto “to the heights.” The current president of the University is Isaiah Crawford. It occupies more than 96 acres of land. The colors of the university are Maroon and White. The university is still affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
This is because the University and the church share the same values and goals which include; emphasizing on the world, also the access of everyone to good and quality education, and the fight against social injustice. The University has three main quads: the Karlen quads, the North quads, and the South quads. These contain the music library, students residential hall known as the Jones Hall, the Collins memorial library, and other halls of residence. Most students leave the university to study and work on school assignments. There is a local Zoo/Aquarium called Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, about ten minutes from campus that many students go to to study and work in an eco-friendly environment surrounded by animals.
The University of Puget Sound offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. They offer bachelor’s degrees in Arts, Science, and Music. Masters degrees are available in Education and Occupational therapy. Doctorates are offered in Physical Therapy. Each year, the university offers more than 1,000 courses.. The ratio of students in the University to the available faculty is 12:1.
During 2015-2016, tuition was about $56,456 total. This fee consists of tuition, rooming in the hall of residence, books and supplies. Interestingly, more than 80% of students in the school receive financial aid. The university provides many different types of scholarship programs including; Alumni, Trustees, the President’s, Dean’s, and Faculty’s scholarship, among others. The school considers every accepted student for the above scholarships. These scholarships range from $5,000 to about $20,000. Additional scholarship programs which require application are usually for forensics, music, and the arts. There are two additional scholarships worthy of notice; the Lillis scholarship, and the Matelich scholarship. Four students are usually selected for these awards, two for each scholarship, and the two scholarships are offered each year.
One of the interesting programs organized by the University is the PRAST program, or the Pacific Rim Asia Study Travel. This program allows students to study in Asian countries. The students usually spend about two semesters in these Asian countries, researching, studying, and traveling. The university usually selects about 20 students to partake in this program, with trips happening once about every three years.