UW Tacoma is first and foremost a change agent for our region, providing access to students in a way that transforms families and communities. We impact and inform economic development through community-engaged students and faculty. We conduct research that is of direct use to our community and region. And, most importantly, we seek to be connected to our community’s needs and aspirations.
The UW connection
UW Tacoma is one of three campuses that make up the University of Washington: the 150-year-old Seattle campus, and the Tacoma and Bothell campuses, both founded in 1990. We offer many of the same educational qualities as our sister universities — an urban campus setting; top-drawer faculty known for their teaching ability; a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum; and high standards of social responsibility.
Students
UW Tacoma’s diverse student body includes a broad range of ethnic and family backgrounds, ages, interests and experience. More than 80 percent of students transfer to UW Tacoma from one of the many community colleges in the area or from other universities. Freshmen from high schools all over the Puget Sound and beyond make up a growing portion of students. Add to the mix students who are returning to school after years away, military personnel and their families, and professionals working on new career goals. Our students create a kaleidoscope of perspectives crucial to learning.
Undergraduates make up 85 percent of our 3,662 students. Three-quarters attend full-time. Most notably, 42 percent are the first in their immediate families to go to college. Students enjoy a vibrant, lively campus life with active special-interest clubs and organizations, fun activities, volunteer opportunities and assorted ways to express themselves.
Learning
At UW Tacoma, faculty members engage students in interdisciplinary programs. Students learn in small classes, getting to know their teachers while participating in research and service projects.
Freshmen take our innovative core curriculum, which blends different fields of study into interdisciplinary classes. Courses might mix art and ecology, or business and social science. The result is a rich learning environment where students are encouraged to challenge themselves. Core students are grouped into cohorts, spending their first year as part of a close-knit learning community.
Transfer students take advantage of degree programs and course schedules designed to accommodate busy lives. Graduate students work closely with faculty in an intimate academic environment.
Growth
Since its founding in 1990, UW Tacoma has grown in every way possible. From the programs we offer, to the size of our campus; from our academic reputation, to our relationship with the community; and from the classroom, to the research site; we continue to push our outer limits.
This autumn, the tally of students reached more than 3,600. We’ll soon reach 5,000 and then 10,000 students. In a little over two decades, we’ve awarded 11,762 degrees and certificates in seven academic fields. New degree programs are rolled out regularly to meet the region’s needs. Our most recent academic additions — criminal justice, sustainable urban development and healthcare leadership — bring us to 27 majors for undergraduates. Next autumn, grad students will begin a new master’s in accounting degree, our seventh graduate program.
Community
UW Tacoma is an urban-serving university, closely linked with Tacoma and the South Puget Sound. We’re a member of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, a network of public, urban, research universities committed to creating an educated workforce, building strong communities and improving the health of diverse populations.
Students meet community leaders involved in classroom projects, in volunteer opportunities, doing research, as members of non-profit boards, and in partnership with community organizations. They benefit from the generosity and good will of people who have always supported UW Tacoma. The university in turn provides the community with an educated citizenry and workforce. UW Tacoma research supports small business, works for clean water in Puget Sound and contributes to a healthy social structure. UW Tacoma provides opportunities and expertise to lead civic discussions and explore possible solutions to our challenges.
Location
Set in the historic Warehouse District, UW Tacoma owes its charm to century-old, brick buildings that were built to last by businesses that depended on the railroad in the late 1880s and early 1900s. The university has earned architectural awards for transforming these stately buildings into modern classrooms. In the design of its beautiful campus, UW Tacoma honors the traditions of the Northern Pacific Railroad and its part in establishing Tacoma as the City of Destiny.
Campus
The campus is located on a hillside overlooking the Port of Tacoma and Mount Rainier, on the southern edge of downtown Tacoma, next to museums and the beautifully reconstructed Union Station. The community is seamlessly integrated with campus. Within walking distance are a vast array of restaurants, attractions, businesses, shops, parks, museums and historic architecture. The Link, a 1.6-mile light rail streetcar, stops right in front of campus and offers free rides to the center of downtown or the Tacoma Dome. You can catch a bus right in front of campus. There’s even an express bus to take you from here to the UW Seattle campus.
So far we’ve finished building about a third of the campus’s 46-acre footprint. When it’s fully built out, the campus will reach from Pacific Avenue to Tacoma Avenue, and from S. 17th Street to S. 21st Street.
History
You could fill a book with UW Tacoma’s history, and it would be a page turner. But until that book comes along, here’s a slideshow depicting our major milestones.
All the rest
There’s a lot more to know about UW Tacoma. Explore the navigation tabs on the left to learn more. Or browse through feature stories about the people of UW Tacoma and the interesting things they do in Beyond the Bricks. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, drop us an email and we’ll be glad to answer your questions.
