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The College of Arts & Sciences at Southwest Baptist University fosters academic excellence in a Christian community that integrates communication skills, creativity, appreciation of the arts, an understanding of cultural heritage, and scientific awareness.
Five divisions exist within the College of Arts & Sciences:
The Division of Art facilitates and promotes excellence in the visual creative process. Three majors are available within this division:
Within the art education program, students work toward earning K-12 teaching certification. The commercial art program provides opportunities for students to work with real clients and learn from faculty with more than 20 years of experience in commercial art. The general art degree helps students on their journeys to becoming professional studio artists and achieving master's degrees in their chosen art fields.
SBU's music programs offer a learning environment that inspires and leads its constituents to achieve excellence in performance, scholarship and appreciation. Faculty encourage the highest levels of artistic achievement in a variety of performance media while recognizing the value of historical and cultural perspective and scholarship in the practice and appreciation of the musical art. Five degrees are available from this area:
Students with any music degree also may pursue a Performer's Certificate option.
SBU Music features both choral and instrumental performing groups. Non-music majors are able to audition for many of these performance ensembles.
Performance Ensemble Information
The majority of SBU music students are selected to receive financial assistance through a music performance scholarship in one or more areas (keyboard, vocal and instrumental). Awards are renewable annually. Requirements for receiving scholarships are listed with each scholarship:
Choral and Instrumental Scholarships - Participate in an assigned role in SBU ensembles.
Keyboard Scholarships - Perform assigned accompanying duties for soloists and/or ensembles.
All scholarships must maintain a 2.5 minimum grade point average in all college course work.
Degrees are offered in:
Both majors and non-majors are invited to join SBU's theatre program which produces four or more theatrical productions each year from a variety of genres.
The Division of Behavioral Sciences prepares students to investigate and evaluate the human experience and to develop skills of intervention, prevention, and protection accompanied by the integration of faith and discipline. Four majors are available in this division:
These criminal justice, psychology, social work, and sociology degree programs are focused on supporting students to serve others in their communities. Their work in these professions is grounded in Christian values and will lead their development as professionals in their respective fields.
The Courts Redford division of Christian ministry equips people for Kingdom building around the world. Students develop ministry skills to be pastors, Christian education ministers, youth ministers, children’s ministers, other staff positions or missionaries, as well as for lay ministry. Theology courses teach an understanding of and appreciation for the Bible and Christian intellectual tradition. The division offers the following degree options:
Are you planning to major in something else but want to have a foundation of theology and ministry knowledge? The Christian Studies major is a secondary degree that can be added to any academic plan, other than another Theology and Ministry major. This is great for students considering bi-vocational ministry, going on to seminary or who are just interested in expanding their understanding of the Bible and the Christian intellectual tradition.
Southwest Baptist University now offers a unique master of arts in Christian ministry degree, designed to equip those in various ministry roles with innovative approaches to ministry.
The area of history and political science prepares students in the broadly defined academic disciplines of history and politics. The faculty approach this with special regard to the dynamics of the cultural heritage of both this nation and the world, from a worldview integrating both the Christian faith and Biblical values. Three majors are available in this area:
This area also coordinates pre-law advisement.
The language and literature program at SBU creates a Christian atmosphere in which students are taught to write effectively, comprehend the nature of language, understand literary traditions, think critically about literature and language, and foster an awareness of humankind. Four majors are available in this area:
The English and English Education BA programs at SBU prepare students for a variety of career paths including working as an author, editor, freelance writer, librarian, media writer, and educator. SBU’s BA in Spanish instructs students on how to be leaders in the global community. This degree program also prepares students for a future in teaching. Finally, the writing degree focuses on teaching a wide variety of written communication types from academic writing to technical and creative writing.
The Bob R. Derryberry School of Communication Arts will help you discover and maximize your God-given voice through rigorous study, engaging performances, and the thoughtful application of the dynamic arts of human communication. Five majors are available within this area:
Each program is unique in their instruction and focus areas. SBU’s general BA in communication focuses on teaching students good written and oral communication. Many students in this program go on to pursue a masters degree in their chosen discipline. The journalism and mass communication degree prepares students for work in all facets of media communications from traditional print journalism to digital and social media professions.
The BA in organizational and strategic communication degree focuses on teaching skills in a variety of disciplines including public relations, nonprofit work, hospitality, and digital communication. Becoming a student in speech communication and theatre education fosters individuals desire to teach others. Finally, whether you have a passion for acting, directing, set design, lighting design, script analysis, or stage management, the theatre program will prepare you for a career in theatre.
SBU is home to a nationally-acclaimed, award-winning forensics speech and debate team, with 12 Pi Kappa Delta national championships.
Speaking Bearcats Team Information
The SCOP Journal is the official literary journal of SBU's Division of Language and Communication and features the originals works of SBU students and faculty.
Download Most Recent Edition of SCOP
Biology programs at SBU allow students to thrive in small class and lab sizes, allowing our faculty who all have Ph.D. degrees to provide a more personalized learning experience. This area offers three undergraduate biology majors:
SBU biology students have the unique opportunity to participate in the SBU Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program. This summer research program allows undergraduate students the beneficial opportunity of conducting research with a faculty member while getting paid for the work.
Whether you are looking to pursue a career as a chemist, go to graduate school, earn an engineering degree or teach chemistry, SBU has a degree program that will work for you. This area offers undergraduate degrees in:
In addition to the small class sizes, knowledgeable faculty, and one-on-one advising for all students, these programs lead students in their spiritual journeys to discover how their work in the chemistry and physics fields can inform their faith.
If you are pursuing a career in medicine or another allied health field, faculty will work with you individually to provide pre-health advisement to help set you up for success. As you pursue your undergraduate degree in biology and/or chemistry, faculty will help you apply to graduate school, study for the MCAT (medical school acceptance exam), write reference letters for you and provide the guidance and support you need to be equipped for your career goals.
The Darrell R. Strait Center for the Integration of Science and Christian Faith (CISCF) pursues excellence and seeks to honor God by offering an interdisciplinary program of study in the integration of science and Christian faith. This program incorporates appropriate scientific and Biblical principles, grounded in the Old and New Testaments, and consistent with the Christian faith, Christian worldview, Biblical values and Baptist heritage of the University.