GRADUATE PROGRAMS WEEK

Office of Admission

Welcome Center
1500 N. Warner St. #1062
Tacoma, WA 98416-1062

253.879.3211

253.879.3993

admission@pugetsound.edu

Contact Student Financial Services

Hours

Monday-Friday

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Oct. 12–16: A week dedicated to celebrating our graduate programs and highlighting our Graduate Admission Pathways

These pathways are opportunities for University of Puget Sound undergraduates and graduates of local partner schools to forge their path to graduate school and get a head start on their careers. Keep an eye out for admission counselors tabling in Wheelock!

Great things are happening in the graduate programs at Puget Sound. Scroll down to learn more about opportunities in: counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, public health, and teaching.

To hear current student journeys, join CES for To Grad School or Not To Grad School? on Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Rotunda.

Stay Close: Achieve More

Graduate students presenting at OT symposium on campus

Join an info session this fall!

Doctorate in Physical Therapy: Sign up for an info session in Oct.
Doctorate and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy: Sign up for an info session in Oct. or Nov.
Master of Education in Counseling: Sign up for an info session this fall or winter.
Master of Arts in Teaching: Sign up for an info session this fall or winter.
Master of Public Health: Sign up for an info session in Nov.

Learn about our programs

Student physical therapist assisting client in stretch

Streamlined Planning

Intentionally plan your prerequisites with a faculty advisor.
Submit fewer recommendations.
Skip the application fee.
Skip the application, depending on the program!

Learn about graduate pathways

Student presenting research at symposium

"My summer internship at Pediatrics Northwest was eye-opening. I got to put classroom knowledge into practice, think critically about bridging health and social needs, and see firsthand how public health professionals support children and families every day. On top of that, I found volunteer opportunities with local organizations. Those experiences not only helped me contribute to meaningful initiatives but also gave me a sense of belonging in the Tacoma community." –Pratibha Thomas MPH'26

graduate student taking blood pressure of patient facing them, sitting on a PT table

Our grad students serve

Physical Therapy:

On-site physical therapy clinic:
- Graduate students treat 240 patients per week in the fall semester.
- Graduate students treat 120 patients per week in the spring.
Community Health elective:
- Includes a partnership with Willie Stewart Academy to provide a health and wellness curriculum for students
Global Health elective:
- Every spring, graduate students travel to the Zacapa District of Guatemala to provide physical therapy services alongside Guatemalan physical therapists for 125 patients (annually).

Education:

Our MAT program hosted Native educators and youth from the Puyallup and Muckleshoot communities for an evening of drumming, learning and sharing hope for the future.
Dean Fred Hamel traveled to Japan for the Japan-U.S. Teacher Education Consortium, which brings scholars, teachers, and teacher educators together to share knowledge, cultural experiences, and international research on teacher development.

Occupational Therapy

Sarah OTD'25 analyzed the sensorimotor foundations of handwriting, breaking down each skill component, and then developed intervention strategies for preschool classrooms. She is also sharing her products online!
Chantelle OTD'25 developed a therapeutic gardening protocol to support veterans with PTSD.

MPH students standing outside capitol building in Olympia for Legislative Education Day

Our grad students advocate

Public Health:

Since 2023, the MPH program has organized an annual trip to Olympia for Legislative Education Day. Each year, the Washington State Public Health Associate brings together students, public health professionals, and legislators together to talk about important public health issues.
Via the Health Equity Research Lab, students have worked both with Counseling, Health & Wellness to build a campus survey about alcohol and substances use, and they have begun to collaborate with Bloodworks Northwest to better understand generational differences in blood donation motivations and barriers.

Education:

The School of Education hosted the 2026 Tacoma Climate Justice Symposium on campus, inspired by the belief that "All teachers are climate teachers!"
At the 2026 Washington School Counselor Association (WSCA) Conference, MEd Associate Professor Dr. Kimberlee Ratliff and MEd graduate student Allie Watkins hosted a presentation on amplifying creativity within group counseling practices.

Occupational Therapy

Charlotte OTD'25 created health promotion handouts to support optimal recovery for people healing from upper extremity injuries.
Lauren OTD'25 completed survey research on the topic of University of Puget Sound OT graduate student stress management during the Level II Fieldwork experience, then used results to guide the development of a campus resource.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

"I think what's really cool about this clinic is the way it connects the community to campus. Being a residential student that lives here on campus, it feels neat to get to meet local, Tacoma families through this kind of care." –Holly Poole, OT Clinic Student Staff

LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

“If they were never my professors, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. They always pushed me to the point where I questioned everything...I feel like curiosity, especially in the public health field, is vital, because if people aren’t curious, then things will remain stagnant.” –Jansen Jae Dacquel MPH’24, on professors Alexandria Drake and Sara E. Fischer

Featured Stories

Alumni

Community

Students

Committed to Tacoma: Master of Arts in Teaching Graduate Rocio Guevara Perez ’23, MAT’26

When Rocio Guevara Perez ’23, MAT’26 walked through the doors of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, it was a full circle moment. After leaving Lincoln as a high school graduate seven years earlier, she was now returning as a…

A woman measures the reach of an athlete

Campus

Community

Faculty

Students

Loggers Support Special Olympians at Spring Games

The University of Puget Sound recently hosted the Washington State Special Olympics Spring Games, bringing soccer, swimming, and track athletes to campus alongside the vital FUNfitness health screening program. Backed by…

Students

Conner Kankelborg OTD’25 Finds His Calling in Occupational Therapy

During his internship in an acute psychiatric care facility, University of Puget Sound Occupational Therapy student Conner Kankelborg OTD’25 noticed Indigenous patients falling through the cracks of the healthcare system…

Faculty

Students

University of Puget Sound DPT Department Presents Research at National Conference

Representing the University of Puget Sound on a global stage, 11 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students and six faculty members recently traveled to Anaheim, California, in February, for the American Physical Therapy…

Campus

Faculty

University of Puget Sound’s Master of Public Health Program Earns Accreditation

The University of Puget Sound’s Master of Public Health program has earned accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health, a distinction that applies retroactively to the program’s first cohort. The…

Two students walk in front of Collins Library

Campus

Community

Faculty

Students

University of Puget Sound Launches a Hybrid MEd Counseling Program to Meet Growing Demand

The University of Puget Sound is proud to announce the launch of its new Hybrid Master of Education (MEd) Counseling Program, strategically designed to fill a widening gap in regional clinical mental health and school…