Overview
Seattle University is an Urban Institute of Higher Learning in a Thriving Metropolis with Unlimited Opportunities
Seattle University is located in Seattle, Washington. As the Pacific Northwest's largest city (and the 14th largest metropolitan area in the United States), Seattle is a scenic and cultural center with a thriving arts scene, bustling business district, and opportunities for recreation from Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountains.
A short walk from downtown in the eclectic Capitol Hill neighborhood, Seattle University has a great location that allows its students, across all academic programs, immediate access to internships, clinical experiences, research opportunities, and volunteer work. The city, with its variety of companies, non-profits, and governmental organizations, is an extension of SU's classroom.
Beyond academics, Seattle's rich ethnic diversity, celebrated restaurants, first-run entertainment, major-league athletics, theater, opera, and ballet enhance the on-campus Seattle University experience.
Strong Academics, Honors Options, and Study Abroad Programs Provide a First-Rate Education in the Jesuit Tradition
As a Jesuit institution, Seattle University is part of a network of twenty-eight colleges and universities and forty-six high schools across the United States noted both for academic strength and commitment to social justice. The core curriculum is designed to develop leadership skills, enhance global awareness, and enable graduates to serve others through a rigorous liberal arts and sciences foundation. In the Jesuit educational tradition, Seattle University students are taught how to think, not what to think.
Professional undergraduate offerings include highly respected Colleges of Business, Nursing, and Science and Engineering and career-oriented liberal arts programs such as communication, criminal justice, journalism, public affairs, and social work. Recently added majors include film studies, sport and exercise science, strategic communication, string performance, and women studies.
Students seeking additional academic challenges are encouraged to engage in one of two honors programs: University Honors is comprised of a small cohort of students who focus on the most significant texts and ideas of Western culture; Core Honors is designed for students in profession-oriented majors and provides seminar-based courses in the liberal arts.
For all students, Seattle University encourages international engagement and provides a variety of options for studying abroad. Quarter- to year-long programs are available throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and short-term course topics provide an opportunity to focus on specific academic interests for an abbreviated period, like "Democratic Justice and Social Equity" in South Africa, or "Tropical Ecology" in Costa Rica.
Embodying the Jesuit emphasis on social justice and global citizenship, students can also intern with non-governmental organizations in developing countries through the unique International Development Internship Program.
Vibrant, Close-Knit Community Includes Small Classes, Numerous Clubs and Organizations, and Engaging Athletics
With the ability to explore cultures across the globe and the resources of an active city at students' fingertips, the value of much of the Seattle University experience is still based in the strength of the on-campus community. For example, small classes create an academic environment that makes it easy to get to know professors and classmates.
Seattle University has four residence halls and the Archbishop Murphy Apartments anchor the campus experience, with opportunities to live in themed floors specific to academic or social interest, like Xavier Global House or the Eco-Awareness community.
Over 120 clubs and organizations range in focus from community service, cultural heritage, and honor societies, to professional development and recreation, including the Vietnamese Students Association, Photography Club, and the Outdoor Adventure and Recreation program.
Intramural, club, and intercollegiate athletics are also popular; with an athletic program that recently returned to Division I, Seattle University sponsors 19 varsity sports teams, a number of which found growing success in recent years.
Seattle University encourages all prospective students and their families to come and see campus. Visits can be scheduled Monday through Friday and many Saturdays; students and their families should contact admissions for availability. With two weeks' notice, visitors can be scheduled to attend a class, meet with a faculty adviser, participate in a campus tour, and speak individually with an admissions representative.
