Our Mission

For more than a century, Marylhurst University has focused on providing a rigorous and rich academic experience in an environment that supports student success. Our university goals and values are outlined in our university mission statement:

"Marylhurst University is a private institution of higher learning open to men and women of any race or religion. It is dedicated to making innovative post-secondary education accessible to self-directed students of any age. Marylhurst offers coursework leading to bachelor's and master's degrees, and to other goals such as career transition, professional development and personal enrichment.

Animated by its Catholic and liberal arts heritage, Marylhurst emphasizes the uniqueness and dignity of each person, and is committed to the examination of values, as well as to quality academic and professional training. Marylhurst University seeks to aid students in advancing their goals for responsible participation in a rapidly changing world by pursuing, and encouraging its students to pursue, the ideals of competence, leadership and service."

Our Vision

Seven themes guide our work at Marylhurst. We seek to:

1. Embrace the founding mission and values of the university to educate the whole person, serve the underserved, promote interfaith dialog and engage in social action for community good
2. Pioneer the integration of liberal arts and professional studies to support lifelong learning
3. Prepare students for a global society through a diverse faculty, curriculum and student body
4. Ensure academic excellence and innovation by securing and investing appropriate resources
5. Expand student access by removing financial, physical and social barriers to student success
6. Apply technology to advance innovative teaching and learning, build community and increase organizational effectiveness
7. Be a dynamic educational, cultural and social center of the community

Our Values

The values of our founding Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary also support our daily work. You do not have to be a Catholic, or profess any faith, to be a part of the Marylhurst community. But all of us in the Marylhurst community embrace and respect the Sisters' values as the foundation for the way we operate. Among those values most important to us are the Sisters' calls to:

• Respect the life and dignity of each person, and the liberating effects of education
• Promote peace and social justice
• Put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first
• Care for the planet
• Live your beliefs