Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational,
evangelicalEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
university located near
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in suburban
AzusaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in
Whittier, CaliforniaWhittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
. It began offering degrees in 1939. APU holds
regional accreditationRegional accreditation is a term used in the United States to refer to educational accreditation conducted by any of several accreditation bodies established to serve six defined geographic areas of the country for accreditation of schools, colleges, and universities...
by the
Western Association of Schools and CollegesThe Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
(WASC).
While officially inter-denominational, the university has ties with several evangelical
denominationsA Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
. The university's seminary, the Graduate School of Theology, holds to a Wesleyan, Arminian doctrinal
theologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. With nearly 5,000 students, APU's undergraduate student body is the largest in the
Council for Christian Colleges and UniversitiesThe Council for Christian Colleges and Universities is an organization designed to help primarily Protestant and evangelical Christian institutions of higher education cooperate and communicate with one another...
(although
Indiana Wesleyan UniversityIndiana Wesleyan University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination...
has a larger total student body) and the second largest evangelical undergraduate student body in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, behind only
Liberty UniversityLiberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
.
Campus locations
Azusa Pacific University’s Azusa campus is situated in the
San Gabriel ValleyThe San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
, located 26 miles (41.8 km) northeast of
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
The university also maintains seven off-site regional centers in Southern California:
- Inland Empire
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
Regional Center (San BernardinoSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
)
- Murrieta
Murrieta has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical . Murrieta has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and 35 days with measurable precipitation annually....
Regional Center
- San Diego
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Regional Center
- High Desert Regional Center (Victorville
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
)
- Los Angeles
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Regional Center
- Orange County Regional Center (Orange
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
)
- Ventura County Regional Center (Oxnard
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
)
History
style="font-size:1.25em"| History at a glance
| Training School for Christian Workers |
Established |
1899 |
| Pacific Bible College |
Renamed |
1939 |
| Azusa College |
Renamed |
1956 |
Azusa College and
Los Angeles Pacific CollegeLos Angeles Pacific College was a four-year liberal-arts college in Hermon, Los Angeles, California.It was founded in 1903 by a group of ministers and laymen of the Free Methodist Church...
|
Merged |
1965 |
Azusa Pacific College and
Arlington CollegeArlington College might refer to one of several academic institutions, including:* University of Texas at Arlington* Arlington College, a Christian school in California that merged into Azusa Pacific University...
|
Merged |
1968 |
| Azusa Pacific University |
Renamed |
1981 |
What is known today as
Azusa Pacific University is the product of the merger of three
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
-area Christian institutions: Azusa College, an independent Bible School;
Los Angeles Pacific CollegeLos Angeles Pacific College was a four-year liberal-arts college in Hermon, Los Angeles, California.It was founded in 1903 by a group of ministers and laymen of the Free Methodist Church...
, a Free Methodist liberal arts college; and Arlington College, a Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) school.
Azusa Pacific University was established as the Training School for Christian Workers in 1899 in Whittier, California, the first Bible college on the West Coast.
In 1939 the Training School became Pacific Bible College, and four-year degrees were offered. In 1956, the name was changed to Azusa College. Azusa College merged first in 1965 with Los Angeles Pacific College and became Azusa Pacific College, and three years later, APC merged with Arlington College.
Upon its achievement of university status in 1981, the college changed its name to Azusa Pacific University. During that decade, off-site educational regional centers throughout Southern California were instated and master’s degree programs were first approved.
During the 1990s, Azusa Pacific began offering not only undergraduate, but also graduate degrees, and during that decade the university’s first three
doctoral programsDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
were awarded. Student enrollment doubled, and graduate programs quadrupled throughout the decade.
In November 2000, then-Executive Vice President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, became president. Under Wallace’s leadership, Azusa Pacific University continued to grow. The university now offers 53 undergraduate majors, 37 master’s degrees, 21 credentials, 7 doctoral programs, and 5 certificates to a total student population of more than 9,200.
Specialized accreditation
- 1964 Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
(WASC)
- 1975 Board of Registered Nursing (School of Nursing)
- 1977 National League for Nursing
The National League for Nursing is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to more than 25,000 individual and 1,200 education and...
(Undergraduate Nursing Program)
- 1982 Council on Social Work Education
The Council on Social Work Education is the national association for social work education in the United States of America.The CSWE sets and maintains standards of courses and accreditation of bachelor's degree's and Master's degree programs in social work.The CSWE specifies foundation social work...
(Undergraduate Social Work Program)
- 1990 Association of Theological Schools
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has more than 250 member institutions...
(Haggard School of Theology)
- 1991 National League for Nursing
The National League for Nursing is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to more than 25,000 individual and 1,200 education and...
(Undergraduate Nursing Program)
- 1999 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (Graduate Physical Therapy Program)
- 2001 California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is an independent agency created in 1970 by the Ryan Act and is the oldest of the autonomous state standards boards in the nation. The mission of the CCTC is to facilitate the credentialing of California's teachers. The commission issues and renews...
(CCTC) (Graduate Teacher Education)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education was founded in 1954 to accredit teacher certification programs at U.S. colleges and universities. NCATE is a council of educators created to ensure and raise the quality of preparation for their profession. NCATE is recognized by the U.S....
(NCATE) (Graduate Teacher Education)
- International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business programs...
, Business programs
- American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
(APA) (Graduate Psychology Program)
- 2002 The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, , is an agency of accreditation for the accredits postsecondary education programs in 19 different allied health and related fields....
(Undergraduate Department of Physical Education)
- Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Athletic Training
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, , is an agency of accreditation for the accredits postsecondary education programs in 19 different allied health and related fields....
(CAAHEP) (Athletic Training Education Program)
- 2005 International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business programs...
(IACBE)
(School of Business and Management)
- 2007 National Association of Schools of Music
The National Association of Schools of Music is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music...
(NASM) (School of Music)
- 2008 National Association of Schools of Art and Design
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design , founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Member institutions complete periodic peer review...
(NASAD) (Department of Art)
Academics
Azusa Pacific University is organized into one college and six schools. The academics programs are available from College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and specifically the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, School of Business and Management, School of Education, School of Music, School of Nursing, and School of Theology.
University libraries
APU offers three libraries on its main campus and six off-campus libraries supporting academic programs at the APU Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Murrieta, and Ventura Regional Centers. The main campus libraries are the William V. Marshburn Library, Hugh and Hazel Darling Library, and Stamps Theological Library, and contain a print collection of more than 215,000 books and media, 1,800 periodical titles, and 630,000 microforms. The university network also provides access to more than 100 online databases, which include more than 12,000 full-text periodical titles and 23,000 electronic books. APU's Special Collections of which include many historical documents are housed in the Thomas F. Andrews Room of the Hugh and Hazel Darling Library.
In the fall of 2009, Azusa Pacific University acquired a significant collection of rare antiquities, including 5 fragments of the
Dead Sea ScrollsThe Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
and 5 first-edition prints of the King James Bible. These new acquisitions were displayed in an exhibit, Treasures of the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Beyond, in summer 2010.
Academic resources
Azusa Pacific University offers students and faculty various academic resources. These include career services, the Center for Academic Service Learning and Research, the Center for Global Learning and Engagement, the Center for Research in Ethics in Values, the Center for Research in Science, an Honors Program, the Institute of Faith Integration, the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education, and the Writing Center.
Athletics
More than 300 Azusa Pacific University student-athletes compete in the
Golden State Athletic ConferenceThe Golden State Athletic Conference is a college athletics conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . The conference commissioner is Cliff Hamlow of Azusa Pacific University. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. The conference was formed in...
(GSAC) of the
National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) in 17 intercollegiate sports:
- Acrobatics and Tumbling (Women)
- Baseball (Men)
- Basketball (Men and women)
- Cross country (Men and women)
- Football (Men)
- Softball (Women)
- Soccer (Men and women)
- Swimming & Diving (Women)
- Tennis (Men and women)
- Track & Field (Men and women)
- Volleyball (Women)
- Water Polo (Women)
Azusa Pacific Athletics achieved seven consecutive wins of the
Directors’ CupThe NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics...
in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 with a total of 108 GSAC Championships and 36 NAIA National Championships.
The football team plays as an
independent within the NAIANAIA independent schools are 4-year institutional members of the NAIA that play college football independent of any formal conference affiliation...
as of the 2009 football season.
As of July 11, 2011 Azusa Pacific has begun the three-year transition process to becoming a member of the NCAA. They will be joining the
Pacific West ConferenceThe Pacific West Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division II...
of NCAA Division II and becoming a football-only member of the
Great Northwest Athletic ConferenceThe Great Northwest Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which has historically operated in the Northwestern United States, but also currently includes four schools in areas not usually considered part of that region—two in Alaska , one in eastern Montana The Great Northwest...
.
Campus activities
- Chapel Programs
- Communiversity
- Health and Wellness: University Counseling Center, Health Center, and Fitness Center
- Intramurals
- Ministry and Service
- Student Government Association
- The Arts: Music, Theater
Community involvement
Azusa Pacific University was 1 of 115 U.S. institutions named to the Carnegie Foundation's 2010 Community Engagement Classification, the most prestigious distinction in the United States recognizing outstanding university commitment to community service and service-learning.
Community Service
In 2010, Azusa Pacific University was recognized for the fourth straight year by Learn and Serve America on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. APU is 1 of only 14 schools across the nation to have served “with distinction” for all four years since the Honor Roll’s founding.
More than 700 schools were nominated for this honor, which recognizes the highest levels of commitment to service and civic engagement on campus and in the surrounding community. APU is one of only two schools acknowledged in California, and one of two Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) member schools to be awarded this distinction in the past four years
Ministry and Service
APU sponsors numerous local and global programs, including: tutoring local children, sponsoring sports camps, and cleaning up local mountain trails. Farther from campus, students build on 35 years of cooperation with Mexican churches painting schools, erecting churches, and leading Vacation Bible schools in neighborhoods throughout Mexicali and Ensenada. Through Focus International, students serve in India, Kenya, Thailand, and other ministry sites around the globe.
Center for Academic Service-Learning and Research
The Center for Academic Service-Learning and Research supports programs that provide a vital link between the classroom and the community. Notable programs include the C.H.A.M.P. (College Headed and Mighty Proud) program and a collaboration with NavPress Publications in the production of devotionals for youth (
7 Minutes with God, 7 Minutes with Jesus, and
7 Minutes with the Holy Spirit).
The center serves as a bridge between academics and the community, working to organize programs that can be integrated into course curriculum. Service learning courses are offered in an average of 45 to 50 classes per semester in disciplines from education to social work and biochemistry.
Diversity
In 2011, APU was recognized by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of the nation’s top schools in awarding degrees to minority students. The university ranked among the top 100 in 11 categories, including 6th for awarding Hispanic master's degrees in the education category, and 65th for total minority master's degrees awarded across all disciplines. More than 70 countries and all fifty states are represented in the student population.
The Office of Multi-Ethnic Programs provides support and sponsors activities that increase awareness and appreciation for ethnic diversity. APU also has an International Center to assist international scholars with admissions, immigration, and cultural understanding, and also promotes community through programs and activities including the American International Mentoring Program, International Chapel, Global Fest, and the International Student Association.
Global engagement
APU students are offered, through several campus offices, a variety of missions and global awareness opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Focus International creates opportunities for sending about 200 students to serve in 20 countries, including India, Kenya, Thailand, and more. Through the Center for Global Learning and Engagement, students may choose from more than 40 study abroad opportunities, including programs in
OxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
,
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
,
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
APU’s
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
campus program , based in
Kwazulu-Natal ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, provides more than 30 students each semester with an opportunity to learn about the rich culture and society of South Africa, receive theoretical and practical training on community building and inter-cultural ministry, conduct service and research projects in local communities, and develop relationships with South African students, academics, and community members.
Notable alumni
External links