As the liberal arts core of the university, the College of the Pacific is the oldest and largest academic unit, offering courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the fine and performing arts. The College collaborates closely with Pacific's other eight schools, and offers the foundational coursework for the University's professional programs.
150
Faculty members in the College
31
Majors in the College
36
Minors in the College
Mission Statement
The founding school of the University, College of the Pacific (1851) educates all students by combining a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with opportunities to develop engaging partnerships in business, education, engineering, health sciences, law, and music. Supported by faculty committed to personalized education, the College champions experiential learning through undergraduate research and creative activity, fieldwork, internships, and study abroad. College of the Pacific challenges students and faculty to cultivate and exercise intellectual curiosity and conviction in the pursuit of meaningful personal and professional lives.
Experience Our Personal, Student-Centered Approach
At many larger universities and colleges, students often get "lost" during their first year. We work hard to prevent that from happening in the College of the Pacific by providing one-on-one faculty advising, small class sizes and accessible academic support services.
Close faculty-student relationships are characteristic of the College of the Pacific. Our faculty members take a personal interest in students' development throughout their university career and often stay in contact beyond graduation.
Flexible Degree Options
Many of our students double major, combine majors and minors, or even combine degrees across different schools at Pacific. The College of the Pacific offers 31 majors and 36 minors. And you can even design your own major or minor within the College. In all, over 80 undergraduate areas of study are available across the University of the Pacific's different schools and colleges.
Renowned General Education Program
During your first year, we encourage you to explore a variety of subjects. Through the general education curriculum you will be exposed to all major areas of learning in the arts, letters and sciences and have the opportunity to develop and refine critical thinking skills, written and oral communication skills, ethical reasoning and intercultural understanding. These are skills and qualities that enrich any career path, and that will give you a competitive edge over students trained in narrower programs.
Gain Practical Experience
You will find many opportunities to gain real-world experience through a variety of placements in internships, fieldwork, research projects and fellowships. This experience outside of the classroom helps prepare you for professional or graduate school and gives you an edge when starting your career.
Political science major Kyle Wohlgemuth describes his summer in Salzburg, Austria.
Centers and Institutes
Jacoby Center for Public Service and Civic Leadership
Through research projects, internships and other experiences provided by the Jacoby Center, you will learn to study social and political issues systematically, analyze the way civic leaders attempt to resolve such issues, and assume leadership in organizing and implementing solutions.
Centers and Institutes
John Muir Center
As one of California's most important historical figures, John Muir was a regional naturalist with global impact. His papers, housed in the library's Holt-Atherton Special Collections, are among the University's most important resources for scholarly research.
The John Muir Center was established in 19899 to encourage greater use of the John Muir Papers by the scholarly community, and the need to promote the study of California and its impact upon the global community.
Centers and Institutes
Humanities Center
The Humanities Center promotes the value of art, music, theatre and film, as well as the traditional humanities disciplines — classical and religious studies, philosophy, literature and languages.
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
As a champion of education in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, Phi Beta Kappa's recognition of Pacific underscores our success at delivering the best that a liberal arts education offers.
