Alaska Pacific University
United States · Americas
About
Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a private university in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It was established as Alaska Methodist University in 1957. Although it was renamed to Alaska Pacific University in 1978, it is still affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The main campus is located adjacent to the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the Alaska Native Medical Center. In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Alaska Pacific University 30th among 223 colleges that award almost exclusively bachelor's degrees in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. The university was founded in the late 1950s as Alaska Methodist University by Peter Gordon Gould, an Aleut from Unga, Alaska. Gould became the first Alaska Native minister in the United Methodist Church later in life, and used his position to campaign for the development of a Methodist University in Alaska. Alaska Methodist University dedicated its campus on June 28, 1959. In April 1958, Donald F. Ebright was elected as the university's first administrative president. Frederick P. McGinnis was elected in 1960, and served as acting president to the first class of students to attend the university. Approximately 900 acres of land destined to become the site of the APU Kellogg Campus was acquired in 1973 from the DeWolf-Kellogg Trust. In November 1978 Alaska Methodist University was renamed Alaska Pacific University. In 2016, APU formed a partnership with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, indicating an intention to become a tribal college. Undergraduates can pursue liberal arts and sciences programs. APU offers nine graduate programs, eight master's degrees and one doctoral degree. There are also several graduate certificate options. APU also offers a professional studies programs for non-traditional students. The Early Honors program functions as an alternative to the senior year in high school.
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