Welcome to Pacific University's College of Arts & Sciences!

I hope that you will take the time to explore the exciting programs that the undergraduate college has to offer. At Pacific, learning extends beyond the classroom. Biology, philosophy, and environmental studies students get hands-on experiences in permaculture and animal ethics on Pacific's B-Street Farm. Physics students engage in an ongoing exploration of nonlinear optical phenomena. Theatre students create their own production companies, while history students travel to India to study gender roles, and media arts students shoot films or develop websites for non-profit organizations.

Many students conduct research and study abroad in a wide variety of countries. Anthropology students travel to rural Niger or to Ecuador to study healthcare delivery systems. Biology and environmental studies students study coral reef ecology in Belize and tropical rainforest biology in Costa Rica. Other students and recent graduates teach English in China, Japan, and Korea or conduct research there for their senior capstone projects. In every department, Pacific students and faculty members are putting their passions into practice.

Students conducting research abroad are eligible for international travel grants from an endowed Pacific fund. Students also obtain stipends for summer research with faculty members and present their work at regional and national conferences. Every senior has access to funds for capstone projects and for presenting that work at conferences.

We expect Pacific students to take intellectual risks, to ask challenging questions, and to pursue excellence. Our faculty includes accomplished scholars, known internationally for their research and creative work. What brings professors to Pacific is a dedication to students and to learning. Here, professors do the teaching, not graduate students. Classes are often as small as 7 or 8 students, and your professors will know more about you than just your name. Students and faculty members develop partnerships, pursuing research questions, doing creative work, and experimenting with innovative teaching techniques. To be successful, Pacific students have to be ready to pursue their intellectual and artistic dreams with passion and dedication.

We know that Pacific is not just your school, it is your home. That's why we have award-winning residence halls, certified green buildings, a 100% wireless campus, on-site health and wellness facilities, and we are building and growing all the time. We have state-of-the-art athletic facilities in the Pacific Athletic Center and in Lincoln Park and a vibrant student life with many campus clubs and organizations. You can go rock climbing or sea kayaking with Pacific's Outback Program, attend a concert on campus, visit bowling alleys and movie theatres that offer discounts to Pacific students, or take a short trip into Portland with friends or with an organized group.

I invite you to visit campus and to see for yourself all that Pacific has to offer.

John hayes

Dean College of Arts & Sciences

Click here to visit the Dean's page.