Majors & Programs

Majors and Minors

“In the SPU Art Center, we help our students tell the truth. We encourage them to be open about their experiences, to be forthright about their shortcomings, and to embrace one another in grace. In my classes on art history and theory, we talk about what it means to make a “true” picture of something. And we look closely at the writings of philosophers, art critics, and theologians to figure that out.”
—Katie Kresser, Assistant Professor of Art History (Read in etc magazine)

Catalog

University Seminars

At Seattle Pacific University, we don’t just drop you into your new University life without proper preparation. Instead, all freshmen start off Autumn Quarter with University Seminars — a fun and insightful introduction to university-level academics. This years USEMs include The Hollywood Studio System, Racism and Health Care, and An Introduction to Japanese Popular Culture. Topics vary with each class, but all USEMs include writing university-level essays, taking midterm and final exams, and making oral presentations. Learn more about the SPU Common Curriculum.

University Scholars

University Scholars is an honors program for students who want a rigorous liberal-arts learning environment. A small group of about 40, U Scholars take classes together throughout their four years at Seattle Pacific University. They learn about a variety of disciplines based on primary texts, including Homer, Plato, and Aristotle. Admittance to U Scholars is by invitation. Learn more about University Scholars.

“U Scholars is an incredible learning community that reaches outside of the classroom. It’s not about grades, it’s about scholasticism. It’s a partnership between the students and professors that has taught me a greater love of learning.”
—Junior Melissa Warren

Studying Abroad

Want to study nursing in Vietnam, or government in France? Stepping onto new soil can be the best way to learn the unforgettable. SPU offers study-abroad programs in Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America. Plus, students are able to go on other study abroad trips offered through the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. Learn more about Study Abroad opportunities.

Read about European Quarter, an SPU study-abroad program that gives students the opportunity to travel through such countries as Italy, Austria, Germany, and France while learning the language, history, and culture of each locale.

Read about the Middle East Studies program through the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Study abroad in the Pacific Northwest at Blakely Island Field Station through SPU’s science department. One of the largest of Washington state’s San Juan Islands, Blakely is seven square miles of isolation and pristine beauty.