Academic Program Overviews
African American Studies
African American Studies is an interdepartmental program. The program focuses on African American experiences, but it also recognizes that other academic subjects bear importantly on the understanding of these experiences and should have a place in the African American Studies curriculum. Students in the African American Studies Program acquire a basic knowledge of African American and other African diasporic experiences; develop an understanding of the role of race in African American life and also in the broader social and institutional relations of the United States and other parts of the Americas; become familiar with local, regional, national, and international issues of race, power, and multiculturalism and the implications these have for students' daily lives; and formulate personal critical perspectives that can guide ethical and political actions.
Learn more about the African American Studies program at Puget Sound.
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Art
The Art Department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art and Art History. The two majors are distinct, but students in either major are required to take supporting courses in the other area to insure breadth and depth in their knowledge of art.
Visual literacy is not only the ability to read or interpret an object of art, but also the ability to “write” or create visual statements. To create visual statements, students must first learn visual language. Planar and spatial organization, additive and subtractive color systems, and formal elements such as line, shape, and value are the grammatical elements that structure sign, symbol, and narrative imagery. Learning the underlying structure—the grammar—is the key to visual literacy. This is what our students learn at every level and in every medium we teach. The art history program also emphasizes visual literacy, but in the context of the historical, social, economic, and cultural factors that shape the artistic production of a given age. We offer a breadth of courses in this area to ensure a rich curriculum.
Graduates of the art department have entered a variety of careers in art or art-related fields. Many pursue graduate study or become teachers; others operate successful private studios or galleries; some manage art supply companies; others use their art experience in advertising, illustration, computer graphic design and publishing firms, or with state and city parks departments and arts councils.
Learn more about the Art Department at Puget Sound.
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Asian Studies
The Asian Studies Program provides courses on Asian cultures and civilizations in a broad range that includes East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia as electives for all students and offers a curricular concentration on Asia as a designation on the transcript upon graduation for students who choose this concentration. The designation Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Asian Studies reflects the program's multidisciplinary content and interdisciplinary effect. The program also offers the University's unique Pacific Rim/Asia Study-Travel Program. The designation in Asian Studies is not a major or a minor but functions as an enhancement of, or a complement to, any major of a student's choice. Fundamental to the program is its invitation to a student who chooses the designation to cultivate her or his intellectual autonomy by exercising flexible choice of courses and participating in co-curricular events. Students who demonstrate academic excellence and complete a one-semester senior thesis will achieve the added designation Robert Trimble Distinguished Asia Scholar.
The signature feature of the Asian Studies Program at Puget Sound is the university's Pacific Rim/Asia Study-Travel Program, which occurs every three years, next in 2005–06. Students visit countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, India, Nepal, and Mongolia under the direction of a Puget Sound faculty member and teachers from host countries. Covering a broad range of possible topics, including art and architecture, politics and economics, religion, and philosophy, the Pacific Rim Program offers a comprehensive and firsthand introduction to Asian cultures. Though travel to Asia is not a requirement for the Asian Studies Program, it is a logical complement to any area studies program. It is also possible for you to arrange to join other study abroad programs offered by Puget Sound or by other universities.
Learn more about the Asian Studies program at Puget Sound.
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Biology
Biology is one of the largest majors at Puget Sound and Puget Sound’s location in the Pacific Northwest offers a unique opportunity for field research in the areas of botany, zoology and marine sciences. One of the great strengths of the biology department at the University of Puget Sound is that it is large enough to allow students to study all aspects of living organisms, from sub cellular structures to populations, yet small enough to allow students and faculty to work closely together in lectures, laboratories, seminars, and research projects. The faculty of the biology department is composed of committed teachers and active research scientists who enjoy contact with their students in the classroom and in research projects.
The curriculum of the biology department encourages independent scholarship as well as traditional coursework. Faculty members encourage biology majors to conduct their own research by participating in the undergraduate research program within the department. Participation in this program includes completion of the Junior Seminar and one or two units of Directed Research and Senior Thesis. The Junior Seminar teaches students how to design a research project and communicate scientific information. Students use this knowledge as they design their own research projects in conjunction with faculty members and as they present their results at the annual Undergraduate Science Colloquium at the conclusion of their work.
Learn more about the Biology Department at Puget Sound.
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Business and Leadership
The mission of the School of Business and Leadership is to provide students with a unique and innovative business education that prepares them for success as leaders in a complex and dynamic global environment.
The School of Business and Leadership at Puget Sound incorporates business fundamentals (management, marketing, finance, accounting, law and ethics) while strengthening its ties to other academic units on campus to fulfill the overall mission of the liberal arts goals of the University. The courses and pedagogy emphasize effective writing, oral communication, problem-solving, case analysis, and research methods. Through emphasis on critical thinking and written and oral communication, students are trained to logically formulate and investigate questions relevant to the marketplace and managed organizations. Electives in the humanities and social sciences allow students to develop an awareness of the relationship of the study of business with the study of other academic disciplines such as political science, economics, history, and literature.
The School of Business and Leadership offers a Bachelor of Arts in Business degree. Within the program, the student may select a variety of courses leading to a General Emphasis or select a more specific track leading to an International Emphasis. Selected students also may meet an emphasis in the Business Leadership Program.
Learn more about the School of Business and Leadership at Puget Sound
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Business Leadership Program
The Business Leadership Program (BLP) is a special program within the School of Business and Leadership that brings students, faculty, and business leaders together to examine leadership roles in both business and society. Each year up to twenty-five freshmen are admitted to the intensive four-year program. Upon completion, students receive a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.
Learn more about the Business Leadership Program at Puget Sound.
Apply to the Business Leadership Program
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Chemistry
Chemistry at Puget Sound is based on significant laboratory work and research and is taught in a personalized way. Students have the opportunity to study in a small class setting with faculty members who are both outstanding teachers and excellent chemists. Our faculty, with specialties from coordination chemistry to synthesis of natural products, is large enough to ensure personal classroom and laboratory experience for each student. All faculty members are engaged in advising for the department’s major and are also involved in the directing of undergraduate research.
In the recent past, a series of grants from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, totaling nearly $1.5 million, along with institutional grants from the National Science Foundation, have been awarded to the science departments at Puget Sound. As a result of these and other awards, the chemistry department enjoys improved research facilities, additional chemistry instrumentation, and funds for student research stipends to provide summer research opportunities. The department maintains eight laboratories for independent research, available to students registered for research credit. Research is a vital component of the education of any chemistry student and is specifically required of those pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry.
Our chemistry graduates pursue a range of careers in the fields of environmental chemistry, medicine, dentistry, law, education, and research, among others. Recent graduates have gone to graduate school at the University of California-Berkeley; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Cornell; Stanford; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the University of Washington.
Learn more about the Chemistry Department at Puget Sound.
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Classics
The Greeks and the Romans have persistently haunted and shaped the ethical values, the cultural life, and the political ideals and institutions of modern Europe and America. It is the mission of the field of classics to explore and interpret the eternally influential cultures of the Greeks and Romans, not in the spirit of uncritical ancestor worship, but in a clear-eyed endeavor to understand many of the sources of contemporary Western civilization and also to appreciate cultures that were fascinatingly diverse and rich in their own right.
Classics majors may pursue a concentration in Greek or Latin or more generally in classical studies, and will culminate their major by researching and writing a senior thesis under the supervision of a faculty mentor. While the classics minor superbly supplements any major at the university, it deepens and broadens the experiences of those who major in English, history, philosophy, religion, art, and foreign language.
Learn more about the Classics Department at Puget Sound.
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Communication Studies
Human communication, the study of how people use symbols to construct knowledge and to exert influence in many settings, is the central concern of the communication studies program at Puget Sound. We study interpersonal, group, organizational, public, and mass communication, offering our students a diversified background and a depth of coursework found at few comparable institutions.
Learn more about the Communication Studies Department at Puget Sound.
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Comparative Sociology
The disciplines of sociology and anthropology provide the foundation for an integrated curriculum in Puget Sound's comparative sociology department. Faculty members representing both disciplines share a fundamental concern for engaging students in critical comparative study of social and cultural phenomena from a wide variety of ethnographic and historical contexts.
The overall goal of our department is to provide students with a program that enables them to: 1) comprehend the diversity and similarities of societies from a broad range of cross-cultural and historical settings; 2) develop a comparative perspective from the integration of theories and methods drawn from both sociology and anthropology; 3) learn to analyze and interpret socio-cultural phenomena in light of relevant assumptions, knowledge, theory, and praxis; and 4) effectively communicate acquired knowledge and insight.
A major in comparative sociology provides excellent preparation for graduate study in anthropology, sociology, social work, law, criminology, counseling, or public policy. The major is also a rewarding end in itself, providing students with the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills valued in a wide range of career possibilities in the private or public sector.
Learn more about the Comparative Sociology Department at Puget Sound.
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Computer Science (and Mathematics)
The study of mathematics and computer science at the University of Puget Sound offers a range of challenges to suit a variety of academic interests and career goals. We provide the intellectual challenge of pure mathematics. We share the commitment and excitement of studying the rapidly changing field of computer science. Our carefully selected array of courses highlights the personal nature of our program. We pride ourselves on being part of a teaching university where the individual student is not lost in the crowd. Our faculty frequently meets with students for informal discussions, allowing students to pursue individual interests.
One of the clearest manifestations of the department's concern for the individual student is our system of "contract majors." The design of a contract major is carried out by the student and a committee of three faculty members, one of whom may be from a department other than mathematics and computer science. The intent is to select a coherent set of courses that reflects the student's individual goals and that maintains the integrity of a major in mathematics or computer science.
Our contract majors provide the flexibility for graduates to work in industry or to continue studies in graduate school. Recent graduates have begun careers at Boeing, Qwest, Tektronix, Hughes Aerospace, Microsoft, Safeco, and Weyerhaeuser. Others have been admitted to graduate study programs in mathematics, computer science, statistics, mathematical physics, and operations research at Yale, Stanford, M.I.T., Dartmouth, Wisconsin, the University of Washington, and the University of California-Berkeley.
Learn more about the Computer Science Department at Puget Sound.
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Dual Degree Engineering
Leading professionals and educators in engineering are increasingly concerned with the preparation of engineers who are capable of meeting the complex future demands of our society. It is no longer enough to have mastery of the technical aspects of engineering. Through it, students interested in the study of engineering and the acquisition of a broad, liberal education achieve both. The program combines three years of liberal arts study and engineering prerequisites at Puget Sound with two years of specialized engineering coursework at an affiliated second university. At the end of the five years, qualified students receive both the Bachelor of Science degree from the engineering school and a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree from Puget Sound.
Learn more about the Dual Degree Engineering program at Puget Sound.
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Economics
Our programs in economics provide students with a strong background in economic theory and applied analysis. We offer majors leading to both the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics, as well as a minor. The BA degree is designed for students seeking broad preparation for a variety of careers, law school, or graduate work in business or teaching, and is often combined with second majors in business administration, literature, mathematics, or politics and government. The BS degree is designed for students with outstanding quantitative skills or those with an interest in graduate study in economics or applied mathematics.
Our faculty is known for its scholarship and for its commitment to undergraduate teaching. We offer challenging courses that are popular with economics majors and non-majors alike. We attribute this popularity not only to the depth of knowledge of our professors, but also to their superb teaching skills. Department faculty members take an active role in academic advising of students from many areas of the university and in other important university and community affairs. Members of the department also participate in many campus academic programs, including Asian Studies, Women Studies, the Honors Program in the Classics, International Political Economy, Environmental Studies Program, and the Business Leadership Program.
Learn more about the Economics Department at Puget Sound.
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Education
In the School of Education, we are dedicated to the preparation and continuing development of talented and committed educators. We offer graduate programs for students planning careers in elementary or secondary school teaching or as principals and counselors. The education faculty firmly believes that preparation for teaching must include extensive general academic study as well as professional training. This philosophy is particularly appropriate at Puget Sound, where all students are expected to do significant work in the university's core curriculum and where the opportunities for broad education are many and varied.
Learn more about the School of Education at Puget Sound.
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English
Widely recognized for excellence in the teaching of literature and writing, Puget Sound’s English program plays a central role in a broad, liberal education. English majors choose among three emphases: literature; creative writing; and writing, rhetoric and culture. Students who emphasize literature learn to see the world as writers of other times and cultures view it, in courses as diverse as those on Chaucer, the Rhetoric and Culture of the City, the Irish Literary Revival, and African American Literature.
Studies by professional organizations indicate that the knowledge, analytical training, and writing ability of English majors provide students with both an enduring education and skills that are in demand throughout society. English majors go on to graduate study in English and other disciplines, to law and medical schools, and to management training programs in business and advertising. Recent graduates have pursued careers in education, business, government, journalism, law, and medicine.
Learn more about the English Department at Puget Sound.
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Environmental Studies Program
The Environmental Studies Program explores the interplay between biogeochemical systems and human activities. We offer an interdisciplinary minor program designed to enable students to integrate their major areas of study with the scientific, social scientific, and humanistic dimensions of environmental issues. We believe that environmental studies are best accomplished when carried on in conjunction with work in another major area of study. The Environmental Studies Program has a strong hands-on component. A number of environmental problems affect the Pacific Northwest: endangered species and related economic concerns, tainted groundwater and rapid resource extraction, to name a few. Field work and trips to "hot spots" in the region are an integral part of environmental studies courses. Environmental studies grew out of student demand for such a program and a dedicated care of faculty members who believe in the importance of such a program in today's world.
Learn more about the Environmental Studies program at Puget Sound.
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Exercise Science
The exercise science department provides a Bachelor of Science degree program with a theoretical as well as practical background in human movement and its applications to health. A foundation of scientific courses is integrated with courses that include consideration and application of the ethical, philosophical, psychological, and social aspects of movement to understand how activity enhances the human experience. The major in exercise science provides an academic program in the study of human movement designed to prepare students for continued learning and a variety of career options. Many students will continue on with either the Doctor of Physical Therapy or the Master of Occupational Therapy programs offered at Puget Sound.
Learn more about the Exercise Science Department at Puget Sound.
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Foreign Languages and Literature
If you want to study abroad, understand the literature and culture of other countries, or continue your study of a language in depth, our foreign languages and literature department may meet your needs. We offer majors and minors in French, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.
Our popular major in international affairs combines the fields of language, international economics/business, and international politics. Students with this specialty have been placed in the foreign service, in the diplomatic corps, in multinational corporations locally and abroad, and in several civil and private enterprises. Internships are available in a variety of areas to facilitate hands-on experience.
The Language House program offers another co-curricular outlet for students interested in foreign languages, literature, and international affairs. The houses offer the opportunity to develop and use your foreign language while living in a residence devoted to the language and culture of your choice. Residents of the houses initiate a variety of activities, from organized meals and conversational hours to informal gatherings and parties. All the Language Houses are located on campus, within walking distance of all academic buildings.
Learn more about the Foreign Languages and Literature Department at Puget Sound.
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Approaching liberal arts learning from an interdisciplinary perspective, gender studies students focus on issues and questions concerning people of many cultures, experiences, and histories. The interdisciplinary format of the Gender Studies program allows students to consider issues of gender, sexuality, and culture from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including sociological, historical, rhetorical, and feminist. Students in Gender Studies classes can expect to challenge the “universals,” such as “human development” and “human nature,” to find the experiences of people that are not “universal,” and to explore what cannot be encompassed easily in these terms. Students will be encouraged to perceive and critically analyze assumptions, belief systems, and personal experiences to become more aware of the significance of gender, class, race, sexuality, age, and region in human interactions.
Learn more about the Gender Studies program at Puget Sound.
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Geology
Geology at Puget Sound integrates classroom, laboratory, and field studies that take advantage of the local and regional geologic setting, faculty expertise, and student interest. Close proximity to a remarkable variety of geologic features, easy access to our modern research facilities, interaction with a talented and dedicated faculty, and involvement in a challenging, innovative program make Puget Sound's geology department unique among universities our size.
Learn more about the Geology Department at Puget Sound.
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History
The study of history is central to a liberal education because history embraces all aspects of human experience. At Puget Sound, we strive to help our students understand historical development and appreciate the complexity of social and economic structures, political systems, aesthetic expressions, and intellectual attainments that have shaped the past and illuminate the present. Although we prescribe no specific course of historical study, we expect majors to do work in three (two for the minors) of four geographical areas offered within the department: Europe, the United States, East Asia, and Latin America. As a culmination of historical study, during their senior history students undertake an independent research project in primary source materials and complete an advanced research paper.
Puget Sound graduates have won prestigious awards such as the Rhodes scholarship, the Watson Fellowship, the Fulbright Scholarship, and the National PKP Fellowship. Two recent undergraduates have won National Endowment for the Humanities Younger Scholar Awards. Our students have pursued graduate study at institutions such as Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, the University of California, and Brandeis, and some have become professional historians.
History majors have successfully pursued careers in law, management, the Foreign Service, politics, teaching, social work, library science, banking, public history, and medicine. We are convinced that this is strong evidence of the success of our efforts to prepare students for the challenges of a lifetime and to equip them for career opportunities in many fields.
Learn more about the History Department at Puget Sound.
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Honors
With a firm commitment to liberal learning, the Honors Program at Puget Sound was inaugurated in 1961 and evolved in 1979 to its present format—to provide a concentrated sequence of courses in interrelated disciplines. For some of the university's most qualified students, the Honors Program provides in-depth learning encompassing many areas of academic concentration.
The program is not a major, and it is not limited to a single discipline. It is an intensive, four-year course of study within the university's core curriculum designed to foster your intellectual development and to realize the educational objectives of the university: breadth, as well as depth, in learning, acquisition of analytical abilities and intellectual autonomy, and refinement of writing and speaking skills.
The curriculum consists of two basic components. The first of these is a series of courses taken over three years, each one satisfying a university core requirement: The Writing and Rhetoric Seminar, The Scholarly and Creative Inquiry Seminar, Approaches to Knowledge (Humanistic, Mathematical, Natural Scientific, Social Scientific, Fine Arts), and Connections (Some Classics in the Indian, Chinese, and Japanese Tradition), the last of the program's core courses, taken during the junior year. The second component is the Honors thesis, which is undertaken in your senior year. The Honors courses, the foundation of the program, provide students with a basic, commonly shared fund of knowledge by means of close study of some major civilizations. The work of writers, philosophers, and scientists such as Confucius, Plato, Herodotus, Dante, Shakespeare, Rousseau, Freud, Joyce, Douglass, Gandhi, and Einstein are covered.
The core courses help to prepare you for the research and writing of a bachelor's thesis, normally in your major—the culmination of your Honors experience. Students who complete the prescribed coursework and the Honors thesis are named Coolidge Otis Chapman Honors Scholars at graduation, a significant title named for one of the university's outstanding former teachers.
In addition to its academic component, the Honors Program offers other special features. Fifteen first-year Honors students each year may choose to live in Langlow House, a Victorian-style home on campus. Langlow provides an ideal setting for academic pursuits and a focus for many of the program's activities, including formal and informal social gatherings, picnics, class discussion groups, and conversations with distinguished visitors. All Honors students are invited to participate in hikes, trips to Seattle operas and symphonies, a film series, a Halloween haunted house, and cultural events, coordinated by Honors students and their representatives on the Honors Advisory Council.
Recent Honors Theses
- The Amygdala and Pre-attentive Processing of Threatening Stimuli
- Employee Stress and New Product Development: Variables Influencing the Relationship between Innovation and Stress
- Cultural Capital: A Novel of Media Damage
- An Examination of Irish Humor Through Modern Media
- Islam, Democracy, and Constitutionalism: The Development and Struggle of Ideas
- The F-test, Akaike's Information Criterion and the Curve-fitting Problem: Methods for Discerning Linear and Curved Relationships
- Gender Bias in Tort Reform: A Study of Medical Malpractice; Its History, Its Dilemmas, and Its Confused Discrimination Against Women
- A Classification of Surfaces and Study of the Properties of N-Dimensional Manifolds
- Examining the Nature of Major League Baseball Fans
- Empowering the Latino Immigrant Community through Education
- European Union Agricultural Subsidies and the Maximization of Benefits to Farmers
- Anais Nin - Life and Writing in the 1930s
- Bridging the Gap: A Multidimensional Analysis of the Clubhouse Model of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- French and American Feminism: A Comparison of Philosophy and an Evaluation of Effects in Contemporary Journalism
- The Ecumenical Strategy: Motivation of Religious Dialogue in the Modern Catholic Ashram
- "Firmly Established in the Human Race" Philo's First-Century Diaspora Judaism
Learn more about the Honors program at Puget Sound.
Apply to the Honors Program
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International Political Economy
International Political Economy (IPE) is one of Puget Sound's distinctive interdisciplinary programs. The IPE major challenges students to confront serious global issues, equips them with the tools and theories to perform rigorous analysis, and gives them the opportunity to tailor significant aspects of the education to meet individual goals. IPE majors tend to be passionate about their studies. If you have a passion to study global and international affairs in an environment that is free of artificial disciplinary boundaries, IPE may be for you.
Learn more about the International Political Economy program at Puget Sound.
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International Programs / Study Abroad
Most academicians agree that a semester or a year studying abroad is invaluable for learning not only about another culture, but also about oneself. Study abroad is a unique opportunity for the student to experience the "real world," to be forced to think independently, and to rely solely on his or her own judgment, perhaps for the first time. To underscore our commitment to this philosophy, Puget Sound has ensured that students have access to quality study abroad programs situated around the globe.
Students planning to study abroad have an array of options. They may choose to participate in one of the programs affiliated with Puget Sound or participate in an approved program directed by another program provider. In either case, credits accumulated may be applied to a Puget Sound degree. Check out the link below for more information on specific programs.
Learn more about International Programs / Study Abroad at Puget Sound.
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Latin American Studies
The program is organized around a required introductory course, Latin American Studies 100, and a variety of courses with Latin American content chosen from different disciplines. Consistent with the liberal arts goals of the university, the introductory course and the minor are designed to encourage students to explore the interaction of politics, economics, and culture at the national and international levels and consider the historical legacies of contemporary aspects of Latin American societies. Drawing on courses from foreign languages and literature, politics and government, history, and economics, students minoring in Latin American Studies gain an in-depth understanding of the region and different analytical tools and perspectives for understanding its past and present. Students are encouraged to gain experience abroad, particularly through the University's semester abroad programs in Latin America (Argentina and Chile). In addition, the Latin American Studies Program serves to stimulate interest and awareness at Puget Sound about Latin America and the role of Latin Americans in the United States by sponsoring discussions, presentations, and cultural events dealing with Latin American issues.
Learn more about the Latin American Studies program at Puget Sound.
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Mathematics (and Computer Science)
The study of mathematics and computer science at the University of Puget Sound offers a range of challenges to suit a variety of academic interests and career goals. We provide the intellectual challenge of pure mathematics. We share the commitment and excitement of studying the rapidly changing field of computer science. Our carefully selected array of courses highlights the personal nature of our program. We pride ourselves on being part of a teaching university where the individual student is not lost in the crowd. Our faculty frequently meets with students for informal discussions, allowing students to pursue individual interests.
One of the clearest manifestations of the department's concern for the individual student is our system of "contract majors." The design of a contract major is carried out by the student and a committee of three faculty members, one of whom may be from a department other than mathematics and computer science. The intent is to select a coherent set of courses that reflects the student's individual goals and that maintains the integrity of a major in mathematics or computer science.
Our contract majors provide the flexibility for graduates to work in industry or to continue studies in graduate school. Recent graduates have begun careers at Boeing, Qwest, Tektronix, Hughes Aerospace, Microsoft, Safeco, and Weyerhaeuser. Others have been admitted to graduate study programs in mathematics, computer science, statistics, mathematical physics, and operations research at Yale, Stanford, M.I.T., Dartmouth, Wisconsin, the University of Washington, and the University of California-Berkeley.
Learn more about the Mathematics Department at Puget Sound.
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Music
The School of Music at the University of Puget Sound provides students the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for high musical achievement. A program exclusively for undergraduates, it combines the rigorous expectations of a conservatory with the curricular breadth of a nationally ranked liberal arts college. Known for the diversity of its degree offerings, the stature of the faculty, personalized attention through lessons and small classes, and superior achievement of student musicians and performing groups, the School offers many avenues to pursue music study. Through small classes, personalized attention, and four different degree programs in performance, music education, music business, and the liberal arts, faculty prepare students for graduate study, professional performance, teaching in both schools and private studios, or careers in music industry.
Learn more about the School of Music at Puget Sound.
School of Music Audition Application: Download or Online
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Occupational Therapy
Puget Sound's program combines the excellence of a dedicated faculty with an on-campus clinic that gives students a unique learning environment for putting theory and skills into practice. Students evaluate and treat clients under the supervision of expert community clinicians. Students also experience rigorous research and program development opportunities. Puget Sound occupational therapy graduates have demonstrated superlative educational outcomes. Ninety-six percent of our graduates have passed the current version of the national certification exam on their first sitting, compared to 80-85% nationally. Graduates of the program also enjoy a strong reputation among clinicians as being excellent writers, resourceful clinicians, and well-prepared to engage in contemporary professional practice.
The mission of the occupational therapy program at Puget Sound is to assist students in attaining the knowledge, theories, critical thinking processes, clinical skills, professional values, and attitudes required for the practice of occupational therapy. The occupational therapist is part detective, part designer, and part philosopher. Occupational therapists help individuals participate in meaningful life roles despite illness, injury, or conditions that interfere with the performance of life tasks related to self-care, work, and leisure.
Learn more about the Occupational Therapy program at Puget Sound.
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Philosophy
For centuries people have valued the study of philosophy for its personal benefits. It teaches you to think, to understand a variety of interesting views of the world, and to make reasonable choices among contending values. At Puget Sound, we recognize these traditional benefits, but add that philosophical study enhances your life in the contemporary world as well—your life as a citizen, as a friend, as a family member, and as a worker. We suggest that philosophy provides substantial preparation for various careers, not only by increasing your understanding of human concerns, but also by developing a wide range of your abilities.
Learn more about the Philosophy Department at Puget Sound.
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Physical Therapy
The primary objective of the Physical Therapy Program at Puget Sound is to assist students in attaining the knowledge, skill, and attitudes required to practice physical therapy. The practice of physical therapy in the 21st century necessitates knowledge and skill in differential diagnosis, patient examination and treatment, humane and caring practice in a multicultural environment, and the ability to generate and critically evaluate new knowledge.
At Puget Sound, you will have the opportunity to participate in innovative and special programs, such as our enhanced curriculum and specialty clinical experience in oncology physical therapy, self-designed clinical experience in niche practice areas, health promotion programs within the campus such as the musician injury prevention program, and community outreach education programs. Puget Sound physical therapy graduates have a 99% passing rate on the first attempt at the licensing exam over the 28 year history of the program, and are highly employable upon completion of the program. In fact, in structured interviews, clinical instructors throughout the western U.S. consistently state that Puget Sound students adapt to the clinic more quickly than other students. The clinical instructors use phrases such as "able to hit the ground running," and describe Puget Sound students as extremely comfortable with patients and clinical skills.
Learn more about the Physical Therapy program at Puget Sound.
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Physics
The study of physics at the University of Puget Sound involves a rewarding mix of theoretical and experimental work. The classes are small and physics students at Puget Sound have the kind of contact with their professors that at larger schools would ordinarily be reserved for graduate students. Many Dual-Degree Engineering students will choose to major in Physics and find this program to be an excellent preparation for their engineering course work at one of our partner schools.
Learn more about the Physics Department at Puget Sound.
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Politics and Government
Political affairs and the political experience are among the most fascinating aspects of human existence. Study in the politics and government department will not only acquaint you with political institutions, processes, and ideas, but will also help you develop your critical and analytical capacity and your communication skills. Our goals are to help students of politics go beyond description and categorization in their search for explanation, to help them learn to appreciate the complexities of human behavior and human knowledge, and to articulate a set of personal political values.
Recent politics and government graduates have had great success in admission to law school and graduate school, as well as in political and professional pursuits. Politics and government majors have received prestigious national awards, including Truman, Javits, and Rotary scholarships. Majors have been accepted into graduate programs at Harvard, Wisconsin, Berkeley, Chicago, Cornell, the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins, University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-San Diego, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Colorado, Washington, George Washington University, Claremont, and many other institutions. We pride ourselves on sending especially well-rounded people off to graduate school.
Graduates Kevin Price '95 and John Gardner '95 recently published Fairways and Freeways: In Search of the Perfect Drive, a book about their post-graduation cross-country driving tour of America's greatest golf courses. After the trip, Gardner moved on to the business world. Price took a position as a fellow in the California Senate Associates program, worked as a researcher in the Harvard Business School, completed his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Wisconsin, and now teaches at the University of Washington. Jennifer Kuhn '94, who set records in the backstroke for the Puget Sound women's swim team, completed her Ph.D. in political science at the University of California-San Diego.
Learn more about the Politics & Government Department at Puget Sound.
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Pre-Law
There are many ways to prepare for entering law school. As the Law School Admission Council points out in its Official Guide, “the ABA does not recommend any particular group of undergraduate majors or courses that should be taken by those wishing to prepare for legal education.” Nonetheless, "there are important skills and values, and significant bodies of knowledge, that can be acquired prior to law school and that will provide a solid foundation for a sophisticated legal education." These skills and values are all cultivated in a Puget Sound education: analytic and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, writing skills, oral communication and listening abilities, general research skills, task organization and management skills, promotion of justice, and a broad understanding of history, political thought, economics, and ethics."
At Puget Sound, we encourage students interested in law to follow the academic program that most interests them and to seize every opportunity to take courses that will promote their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Early in their junior year, students should begin to research and prepare applications to law school, as well as to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The Office of Academic Advising and faculty advisors are available to help students with these tasks.
Puget Sound students study law at some of the nation's top law schools including Harvard, Columbia, University of Washington, Stanford, New York University, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, Georgetown, George Washington University, and many others.
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Pre-Med/Health Professions
The careful selection of a school for undergraduate study is one of the most important steps in meeting your goals for a career in the health professions. According to an official of the George Washington University Medical School, “I'd advise a student to find a college with an outstanding liberal arts program. We tend to favor students with broad educational experience. A student who focuses too strongly on becoming a doctor loses growth opportunities and isn't particularly attractive to our admission committee.” This aptly describes our philosophy and methods in working with students who are preparing for careers in the health professions.
No specific major in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, or the like is offered because such programs tend to be overly specialized and narrow, limiting intellectual development and career options. While it is true nationally and at Puget Sound, where we offer excellent programs, that most students preparing for careers in health professions select biology or chemistry as their majors, virtually any major offered at Puget Sound is accepted by professional schools as long as the stated required pre-professional courses are taken. Students are encouraged to select majors in their primary areas of interest. In fact, recent statistics provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges show that the percentage of accepted students with non-science majors or from mixed disciplines is as high or, in some cases, higher than those with straight science majors. The most important consideration, whatever the major field, is superior performance in the major and in those basic science and mathematics courses required for admission to given professional programs. Breadth of the undergraduate program is also an important consideration in the admission process; this can be accomplished with our liberal arts curriculum.
At Puget Sound, our Health Professions Advising Committee monitors admission requirements to programs in the health professionals, advises and counsels students regarding career options, and helps them prepare a competitive application to the professional programs of their choice. Students can seek information from the Health Professions Office and committee members who work with students interested in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistance, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, clinical psychology, and related fields. Those students interested in occupational or physical therapy should request information from the School of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at the University of Puget Sound. The committee also provides access to a collection of health profession reference materials, guidance in the selection of graduate programs, advice with the application process, mock interviews, and committee-prepared letters of evaluation. The committee also awards a number of health profession scholarships to juniors and seniors.
Because motivation and career knowledge are important considerations in the process of admission to professional programs, direct experience is important. Applicants must be able to verbalize their reasons for pursuing a particular profession. Volunteer or part-time work in a health-related setting is invaluable in refining interests and supporting the application to health profession programs. Students planning a career in medicine can participate in preceptorships with members of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians or find volunteer work in area hospitals or clinics. Many students interested in veterinary medicine have worked at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium or nearby wildlife parks. Local dentists and orthodontists often invite pre-dental students to shadow them in their offices. The same applies to other health professions where doctors welcome students to their offices to explore their particular profession.
Medical, dental, and other professional schools recognize the strong, broad academic preparation and high motivation of Puget Sound students. Over the last six years, despite increased numbers of applicants and competition for placement, 70 percent of Puget Sound graduates have been admitted to medical schools, far greater than the national average of 47 percent. Although the number of Puget Sound applicants to schools of dentistry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, and optometry is fewer than the number of medical school applicants, the acceptance rate of our seniors in these fields is comparable.
In addition to choosing to attend the medical school of their home state or region, many students from Puget Sound have been accepted to schools across the country including Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Mayo, University of Chicago, Washington University, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Entrance Requirements
General entrance requirements for some health professions are listed below. Specific requirements for a particular program or school vary and should be reviewed when planning your undergraduate coursework.
Medicine: Allopathic and Osteopathic
- Biology: two courses
- Chemistry: four courses, through organic
- Mathematics: through calculus
- Physics: two courses
- English: two courses
- Standard Test: Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), April of junior year
Most medical schools participate in a centralized application service: for allopathic medicine, the American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS); for osteopathic medicine, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). Both services use an on-line application process. Because requirements vary, you should consult the admissions requirements books, available from the Health Professions Advising Committee or on-line.
Dentistry
- Biology: two courses
- Chemistry: four courses, through organic; plus at some schools, biochemistry and microbiology
- Mathematics: through calculus
- Physics: two courses
- English: two courses
- Standard Test: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), junior year
For variations, consult Admissions Requirements of U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools. There is a centralized application service.
Veterinary Medicine
- Biology: three courses, including genetics
- Chemistry: five courses
- Mathematics: through calculus
- Physics: two courses
- Standard Test: General Aptitude Test of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Veterinary College Aptitude Test (VCAT)
This is the most competitive of health professions careers. You should check with individual veterinary schools for particular requirements. There is a centralized application service.
Podiatry
- Biology: two courses
- Chemistry: four courses, through organic
- Mathematics: through calculus
- Physics: two courses
- Standard Test: Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
There are seven colleges of podiatric medicine in the U.S., and there is a centralized application service.
Optometry
- Biology: three courses, including microbiology
- Chemistry: two courses
- Mathematics: two courses
- Physics: two courses
- English: two courses
- Standard Test: Optometry Admission Test
Pharmacy
- Biology: four courses, including microbiology
- Chemistry: four courses, through organic
- Mathematics: through calculus; statistics (recommended)
- Physics: two courses (recommended)
Generally, students follow the above program for two years before transferring to a college of pharmacy, where four more years are spent in the professional program, which results in a PharmD degree. Because some programs require the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) or other admission test as well as other elective and required courses, you should consult the individual schools.
Physician Assistant
Requirements vary but include courses in biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, math, humanities, and psychology. There are over 60 PA programs; students should check with individual programs to determine specific requirements.
BA/BS preferred; two years college minimum. Academics should balance behavioral sciences with natural sciences. Many programs require up to two years experience in a health care field.
Learn more about Health Professions at Puget Sound.
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Psychology
There are many reasons to study psychology at Puget Sound. Perhaps you intend to go on to graduate studies in psychology, occupational therapy, social work, business, or other related fields. You may plan to pursue a major in one of the social or natural sciences for which a thorough background in one or more aspects of psychology is important. Or you may want to expand your own view of the world by adding a psychological perspective.
Psychology majors not only work hard within the department's program, but may also engage in independent study and research under the guidance of a faculty member. The student-led psychology club sponsors social events, lectures, and scholarly activities. In addition, the psychology department has a chapter of Psi Chi, the national psychology honorary society.
Many psychology graduates go directly to graduate school, entering programs at such institutions as Dartmouth, the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, Oxford, the University of Minnesota, Claremont, the University of California-Los Angeles, and Harvard. Many of those who do not go on to further study apply their undergraduate training to human service agencies, ranging from probation and parole to social work and community mental health agencies.
Learn more about the Psychology Department at Puget Sound.
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Religion
Have you every wondered what the Dalai Lama believes or why Joan of Arc was burned at the stake? Have you ever wanted to be an archaeologist and dig up 2,000-year-old artifacts in Israel? Have you noticed that Christians use the Bible in different ways to come up with opposing stands on issues ranging from war to gay rights? Have you thought about why Muslims yearn to make the arduous pilgrimage to Mecca, why cows are sacred in India, or why kamikaze pilots believed they would become gods? If so, you may want to consider a major or minor in religion.
In fact, Religion just might be the most interdisciplinary of all studies. Why? Because studying religions brings you into contact with history, literature, archaeology, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, politics, science, and economics--truly a liberal arts education. Here's what a former Religion major (who currently practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine) told us: I truly value and appreciate my religion degree, even though there are so many other majors more commonly accepted by common (secular) society like business or biology. I still am as interested in the question of the real, true meaning of being a human being as I was when I took my first comparative religion course, and I can't imagine anything more important than pondering the questions that religion provokes, whichever religion/tradition it is.
Learn more about the Religion Department at Puget Sound.
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Science, Technology and Society
Science and technology are not isolated activities; they are inextricably linked to every other aspect of human experience and have important connections to literature, philosophy, religion, art, economics, and history. Scientific claims are part of continuing lively debates on social policy, the utilization of natural resources, allocation of health care, the origin and evolution of life, the place of humankind in the natural order, and the nature of the universe. STS is not a science degree; rather, it is the historical, philosophical, and sociological study of the natural and social sciences, technology, and medicine. STS is a "contract major" in which students commit to a specific plan of study (in cooperation with an advisor) at the time they declare the major.
Learn more about the Science, Technology, and Society program at Puget Sound.
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Theatre Arts
The study of theatre at Puget Sound is unique among liberal arts colleges. It successfully combines the rigor of the classroom, the opportunity for independent research, the constant exposure to the contemporary world of theatre, and numerous opportunities for individual and group performance. Our program encourages students to excel in theatrical and academic performance, supporting them with outstanding instruction in all areas of the theatre. Those who choose to major in theatre will receive thorough training as theatre generalists, studying several different areas in the field. Dramaturgy explores theatre history and criticism, as well as the nature and purpose of the theatre. Scenography examines visual design for the theatre and includes the fundamentals of technical construction, properties, costume design, lights, and sound. Performance-oriented classes examine the arts of the actor, director, and playwright, as well as the many approaches to creating stage performance.
Learn more about the Theatre Arts Department at Puget Sound.
Visit the Theatre Arts Department Web Site.
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