PLU and University of Puget Sound announce new graduate admission partnership

TACOMA, Wash. — Earlier this week, officials from the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will streamline the process for both universities’ current students and alumni applying to select graduate programs at the partner institution. Most notably, the agreement waives the GRE/GMAT test requirements and application fees for eligible Lutes and Loggers.

“Just as we’re seeing nationally, PLU and Puget Sound alumni and current students are increasingly interested in pursuing graduate degrees,” said PLU Provost Joanna Gregson. “Our shared commitment to educate students for service and community impact extends to creating concrete and accessible pathways for them to enter graduate programs that build on their quality undergraduate foundations.”

The agreement will streamline the process for PLU alumni applying for admission to Puget Sound’s Master in Public Health and Master of Education in counseling programs. Likewise, the agreement will streamline the process for Puget Sound alumni applying to PLU’s Master in Business Administration, Master of Science in Marketing Analytics, and Master of Science in Kinesiology programs.

“For more than 100 years, Puget Sound and PLU have been educating high-capacity and high-character leaders who have formed the backbone of the South Sound’s business, healthcare, and education sectors,” said Puget Sound Provost Laura Behling. “This partnership will help create new avenues for the next generation and ensure that our students have every opportunity to pursue meaningful postgraduate study and careers that will serve our community.”

Puget Sound’s counseling program focuses on developing skills that are relevant to a wide range of careers in social service and mental health agencies, as well as on preparing graduates to become certified as school counselors. The public health program prepares graduates to respond to contemporary challenges in public health at the local, regional, national, and global levels.

PLU’s AACSB-accredited MBA program focuses on strategy and innovation, and offers optional concentrations in healthcare management, technology and innovation management, entrepreneurship and closely held enterprises, and supply chain management. The marketing analytics program prepares students for careers in data analysis, business marketing, social media, and brand management. The kinesiology program combines academic rigor with an emphasis on real-world training and practice and students may specialize in sports psychology and exercise science.

To be eligible for streamlined graduate admission, PLU and Puget Sound alumni will have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and complete an online application to the specific graduate program. Campus leaders stress that this partnership is not only for current students who are graduating or recent graduates, but that all alumni from PLU and Puget Sound are invited to take advantage of the partnership.

PLU and Puget Sound enjoy a friendly athletics rivalry, but the two Tacoma universities frequently collaborate behind the scenes on efforts ranging from academic resources to emergency preparedness.

To learn more about the agreement please contact the universities’ respective graduate programs offices at gradadmission@plu.edu or graduate@pugetsound.edu.