Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business approaches business from a global perspective and is frequently featured as a premier business school in the nation. The SoB carries esteemed accreditation with the AACSB, and also ranked among the top business schools by The Princeton Review.
Students can not only learn from professors who have reached the peak of their business careers, but also from business leaders who visit campus as guest lecturers. The ability to establish a strong professional network has led to graduates accepting positions with leading corporations such as JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, the Department of the Navy, Microsoft, and Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club.
Education
The Bachelor of Business Administration allows 16 hours of elective credits, which can be applied towards a concentration in Accounting, Finance, Management and Human Resources, or Marketing. Students may also create an individualized course of study based on their interests and goals. Specialized minors are also available in Nonprofit Leadership and Innovation Studies. Every year for the past decade, the retention to graduation rate has exceeded 90%. With the support and guidance of advisors, SoB students successfully graduate in four years.
Graduate students can be on the fast track to the next step in their career or an entirely new career in less than a year. The Master’s of Business Administration and the Master’s of Science in Marketing Analytics can be completed in as few as nine months and the Master’s of Science in Finance in 10 months. MBA students can earn an optional certificate in Entrepreneurship and Closely-Held Enterprises, Healthcare Management, Supply Chain Management, and Technology and Innovation Management. A 10-day international experience broadens students’ knowledge about international markets. The MSF and MSMA are both STEM-designated, and the MSF is also a partner of the official CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.
Student Life
The best way for students to get the inside scoop on future careers is by actively participating in a professional student organization. Marketing students can join the American Marketing Association. Beta Alpha Psi is the way for accounting students to gain an edge, and finance students can gain hands-on experience managing money through the Mary Lund-Davis Undergraduate Investment Fund. HR students can network through the Society for Human Resource Management. Students can also build their extracurricular resume by participating in Beta Gamma Sigma or serving as a PLU School of Business Ambassador.
Faculty lead several short study-away programs at different points throughout the year, and semester-long exchanges can also be arranged. All students, undergraduate and graduate, are encouraged to attend the PLU MBA Executive Leadership Series and hear guest lectures from many of the world’s top business leaders. Students can also tune in to the DCHAT podcast to hear the Dean answer questions from alumni. Current students can also connect with alum through the job shadow program.
All business students meeting minimum requirements are eligible to apply for seven scholarships throughout the year. These competitive scholarships are awarded to students based on a combination of leadership involvement and academics.