Overview
With a Mission to Educate Tomorrow's Leaders, CLU Equips Graduates with Character, Confidence, and Compassion
California Lutheran University - founded in 1959 and also known as CLU - is a very selective, comprehensive university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts and sciences as well as professional fields. Many diverse fields of study are organized into three academic schools and colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, and School of Education.
Rooted in the Lutheran tradition of Christian faith, the university encourages critical inquiry into matters of faith and reason. California Lutheran University's mission is to educate leaders with integrity and sound judgment, and equip them with character, confidence, and compassion. Certain of their calling, and committed both to rendering service and pursuing justice in the global community, CLU graduates are prepared to take their places as leaders in society, government, industry, science, and the arts.
Undergraduate Programs Offer Vast, Varied Choice of Majors, Giving Students Myriad Ways to Contribute to the World
California Lutheran University is dedicated to academic excellence, offering diverse programs to an undergraduate population. Small class sizes enable students to interact directly with passionate, dedicated teachers, allowing personalized instruction. Popular degree areas include business and management, liberal arts, education, counseling, media, and computer science.
The College of Arts and Sciences has programs that prepare students for international business, biotech laboratories, or computer-aided design. CLU and its faculty are dedicated to preparing students for the change that is the one constant of the future.
The School of Business's undergraduate programs are the most popular at CLU. The programs for working professionals teach them to both create and respond to opportunities in the marketplace. An investment that pays off for a lifetime, a CLU degree can be earned in a vast number of business programs.
California Lutheran University's School of Education believes that by touching one child, one can affect an entire community. The school is NCATE-accredited and offers credentials programs that prepare students to do just that, beginning a ripple effect that can affect future generations.
A Passionate, Dedicated Faculty Leverages Small Class Sizes and a Supportive Environment for Positive Interaction
The university's distinguished faculty is a diverse scholarly community, dedicated to excellence and committed to academic rigor and high standards. The passionate, dedicated teachers have focused their lives and careers on helping California Lutheran University students achieve career success and personal fulfillment. To foster the best relationships, CLU maintains a supportive environment for faculty and student interaction.
Small class sizes enable California Lutheran University faculty members to develop close mentoring relationships with students, and it is the quality of this interaction that sets CLU apart from other universities. In fact, since California Lutheran University first opened, school administrators have judged the faculty to be the institution's most valuable asset. The quality of the teachers at CLU was one of the reasons the university earned Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation so quickly in its early years. A tradition of faculty excellence has been maintained ever since.
Study Abroad Opportunities Abound, Offering CLU Students an International Perspective for Lifelong Benefit
At California Lutheran University, the Study Abroad Center assists students in adding an international dimension to their college studies. By spending a summer, semester, or year abroad - or participating in travel courses - CLU students are able to broaden their personal and academic horizons, gaining a valuable, often life-changing global perspective.
Study abroad opportunities enable students to gain essential international perspective while learning to navigate in a new, often challenging cultural environment. By meeting new friends and teachers, students can establish friendships that span the globe and help them develop intercultural awareness.
Financial Aid Programs Ensure that Qualified Students with Demonstrated Need Can Get a Quality CLU Education
California Lutheran University's goal is to simplify the financial aid process and get students the financial assistance they need so they can take advantage of all CLU has to offer. The university believes that students and their families must make their own appropriate contributions to the educational costs, so financial aid awards are based on need, not willingness to pay.
A financial aid package may end up consisting of one of more of the following components: federal grants (such as Pell Grants, SEOG, etc.), state grants like the Cal Grant, CLU's own institutional grants and scholarships (including the Presidential Scholarship, Merit Scholarship, and several others), federal and state work-study programs, and subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans.
From the Beauty of Nature to the Sounds of a Symphony, the City and Region Offer Rich Rewards to CLU Students
CLU students with a love of the outdoors will be thrilled to be right next door to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area. With over 15,000 acres of open, public space and 75 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, Thousand Oaks is a perfect place to appreciate nature's beauty.
A Thousand Oaks population of 127,000 supports a world-class Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, which houses a state-of-the-art performance venue. Cultural arts are flourishing, as the center's 1,800-seat Fred Kavli Theatre and 394-seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre both offer a range of performances, from Broadway musicals and symphonies to the distinguished speaker series, live theatre, and jazz.
Being within the greater Los Angeles region, CLU is close to the cultural, artistic, and educational resources of one of the world's major cities. The richness of the galleries and museums complements the bookstores, entertainment venues, sports arenas, and ethnic cuisine, providing an incomparable buffet of the best that life has to offer. For a California Lutheran University student, the endless variety of resources enhances the university's programs of study.
