ACU Academic Viewbook

Abilene Christian University

h eac h R Reac h higher

live up to the highest standard An ACU education gives you more because it expects more.

It starts with our commitment to bring you exceptional programs, taught by faculty who have proven themselves in their fields and who will bring out the exceptional in you.

ACU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Princeton Review named ACU as one of the “Best in the West,” receiving this distinction as an “academically excellent institution of higher learning.”

higher

Ch a llenge is the goa l

“My history professor really challenged me. I had to write a historiography, a word I hadn’t even heard before the beginning of the semester. But I researched and went to her for help along the way.

In the end, I wrote a historiography on the origins of the Cold War. It was then that I knew I was capable of working in the history field.”

Casey Monsees History major, English minor Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Lear n from the best to become the finest

The learning community must offer diverse voices that

Our Honors College is geared toward shaping gifted students like you into global leaders, social contributors and critical thinkers. As an ACU Honors student, you’ll have hands-on learning experiences, such as: ●●

deepen and broaden perspectives. Yet it must also bond its members through a higher purpose, a common set of

values and an environment of mutual support.

●●

●●

At ACU, the measure of our quality isn’t just about what our alumni accomplish. It’s what students achieve

●●

even before they graduate, like Scott Stewart, an undergraduate in ACU’s highly ranked physics program.

Scott spent a summer conducting graduate-level research alongside physicists at New Mexico’s Los Alamos National Laboratory on research that could help make next-generation nuclear reactors safer and more

The essence of a great education is a combination

environmentally friendly. Scott’s opportunity is one of

of qualities. Academic programs must be engaging,

countless awaiting you at ACU.

challenging and relevant, so that you develop a deep

Honors College

●●

Creating “This I Believe” essays to be broadcast on our Abilene-area NPR station and on iTunesU Studying abroad in countries across Europe and Latin America Exploring art, history and literature in major cities across the nation during Study America trips Presenting your work during the Undergraduate Research Festival Joining faculty and other students for Deep-Dish Philosophy Nights, Honors Small Group Chapel and other Honors social events

Our graduates launch careers in law, medicine, education, theatre, music, software development — and even forensic science. Many have gone on to continue their studies at institutions such as: Cambridge

understanding of your subject along with the skills to

●●

use that understanding throughout your life.

●●

Harvard

●●

NYU

Your professors must be among the best in their field:

●●

Penn State

first-rate teachers, scholars and researchers who

●●

Stanford

continually work to advance their knowledge for the

●●

Virginia

betterment of the world. They must be mentors who see

●●

Yale

the potential in you and know how to nurture it.

Break th

Break through Explore new possibilities

Seeking better ways to learn is a high educational value at ACU. That means exploring a broad range of tools to engage and enhance your learning, break down disciplinary and social barriers, enrich collaboration and prepare you to lead the way, no matter how fast the world changes.

U.S. News & World Report named ACU No. 1 in a new “America’s Best Colleges” category saluting innovation among 70 schools that peer institutions believe “everyone should be watching.”

hrough

Technology is the portal

“When I got the iPhone it was a bit strange at first to be using my phone in class, but it was an easy adjustment. If my professor asks a question or uses an unfamiliar term, I can look it up. With just one touch on my phone I have Dictionary.com and Wikipedia. It’s right there.”

Tyler Sutphen Business major Abilene, Texas

and connections. Because, chances are, you’re already

digitally connected in your personal life. ACU will bring many familiar technologies into your campus life,

energizing and expanding your learning.

Our thinking doesn’t stop with hardware and software.

ACU’s innovative approach extends across and beyond

Mobile Learning What if your class time were spent not following a textbook, but venturing into the world to write your own text on a subject? That’s what many students are doing at ACU, thanks to a mobile-learning experience that puts the power to connect literally in their hands.

Using mobile devices, such as the Apple iPhone or iPod touch ACU gives every incoming freshman,

campus, in such programs as Study Abroad, where

opens a free-flowing window

you can leave Abilene for a semester or a summer and

of opportunities to transform

return a remarkably changed person.

your learning.

When you think innovation, you might think technology.

You will have seen firsthand the places and subjects you’ve

Download faculty-created

At ACU, we do, too — technology as a way to give you more

studied, whether it is art history in France, the Holocaust

in your education. More information, tailored to your

in Germany, finance in England or health care in Uruguay.

strengths and needs. More options, resources, experiences

You will have met people so different from you and yet

give feedback to your professor

in surprising ways so similar, experienced the humbling

during class, which can steer that

Innovative thinkers and engaged learners

mind shift of inhabiting a foreign culture, and made friends with students and faculty who share not only your faith but the unforgettable memories of your journey.

podcasts that let you review a lesson on demand. Electronically

day’s lesson to the material you most want and need. Outside class, get homework alerts or directions to faculty offices.

Chemistry students use their Apple iPhone or iPod touch to watch their professor’s podcast of the experiment they are about to conduct. They also can download course material, register for classes and more. ACU was the first university to give such devices to its incoming freshman class as part of its ongoing mobile-learning experience, launched in Fall 2008.

To see how mobile learning at ACU could help you live up to your potential, watch the ACU: Connected movie at www.acu.edu/videos.

THE COR E QUESTIONS How do we know what we know? What can we know for sure? Who am I? What makes me “me”? Who is “the other”?

As an educated Christian, how do I live my life?

Exploring questions such as these in innovative, team-taught classes helps form the foundation of The Core — five innovative, interdisciplinary courses all students take at ACU. Classes meet in traditional places, but also in museums and restaurants, at the zoo, in the park and over a meal in your professor’s home.

The Core is the perfect foundation for the 21st century higher education you deserve, regardless of your academic major or career path. It teaches you to think critically, globally and missionally. It’s a lifechanging time of self-discovery, with just the right combination of serious as well as fun experiences you will never forget.

And you can only get it at ACU.

Serve C

Serve Christ

Discover the power of community Something in each of us longs for a place to belong. When we are surrounded by those who welcome us, support us and hold us responsible for fulfilling the promise God has for us, great things are possible. It’s the kind of community you will find at ACU.

The 200-acre campus offers abundant places where students can meet for conversation, planning and inspiration.

The sculpture Jacob’s Dream is just one of those places. Created by art professor Jack Maxwell, it draws students and others with its powerful message of the glory of God.

Christ “During a Spring Break Campaign, I served people in a Connecticut homeless shelter. On that trip, I also sat and talked with an 85-year-old woman for three hours. She just needed someone to listen to her. I was astounded by her stories and wisdom. From time to time her words will pop into my head, reminding me of God’s unfailing love and His sufficient grace.”

Katie Findley Middle school education major Abilene, Texas

The pursuit of something greater One hallmark of an ACU education is the way it infuses academics with Christian faith and principles. This blend is a big part of what makes ACU academics — and students — so exceptional, because every ACU student

Faith is the fuel

“If you believe the scripture that says, ‘Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord,’ that should include your professional life,” Bacon says. “It means that if you’re a

writer, your writing should be excellent. And if it’s going to be excellent, that means it has to be honest, complete, what your audience needs and wants, aesthetically pleasing and free of ethical flaw.”

Imagine what you might accomplish when every member of your learning community strives to live up to the highest standard.

Leadership Summit Each January, students from ACU’s College of Business Administration spend a week in the mountains of Colorado interacting with Christian CEOs and executives and learning how to live their values in the workplace.

They attend teaching sessions and films, spend time in guided periods of reflection and journaling, and hold small group discussions in what the ACU faculty calls “an expedition of the soul.”

John Aden, president of Mac Tools and a past Leadership Summit guest speaker, says

begins an education with a soaring expectation. Every

his company’s philosophy is

professor will hold you to it, including Dr. Cheryl Bacon,

reflective of ACU’s approach

chair of the nationally accredited journalism and mass

to education.

communication department.

“It is important,” he says, “to Chapel on the Hill, a 300-seat auditorium in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building, is a place of worship for the entire ACU campus community and a popular site for weddings.

foster an environment which enables ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”

F ulfill pu Fulfill pu rpose Make your mark on the world What will ACU’s exceptional, innovative and real academic experience prepare you to do? Virtually anything you want, anywhere you choose to serve and lead.

Among our 86,000 alumni you’ll find best-selling Christian authors, ministers, state judges, big-city mayors, researchers, Hollywood movie producers, teachers and superintendents, top musicians, business owners, nationally renowned physicians, Pulitzer Prize winners, and winners of Emmy, Dove, Grammy, Inventor of the Year and Teacher of the Year awards.

u rpose Marcela Gutierrez (’06)

At ACU’s College of Business Administration, Marcela got an education in the practices of the business world. She also gained insights on how her intended career could affect her faith, and vice versa. “I enjoyed my business professors because they were so real about the challenge of being a Christian in the business world,” she says.

After graduation, the Honduran citizen applied to PFSweb, an e-commerce and multi-channel outsourcing provider with U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas. There she found her first business challenge: PFSweb could not hire her as an account analyst because she lacked a U.S. work visa.

Something about Marcela caught management’s attention, because several weeks later she got a call with an offer of overseeing PFSweb’s Philippines branch. She eagerly accepted, seeing in the position the chance to make work a worthy expression of her faith.

“I was excited to go into the workforce,” she recalls. “There’s nothing wrong with being successful in the workplace – it’s a godly thing to take Christ there.”

Jarrod Brown (’00)

Jarrod Brown figured fulfillment would come in the way of earning his first million by age 30. After graduation, he landed a high-paying job and was well on his way to that goal. But he quickly discovered he felt anything but fulfilled.

During Thanksgiving 2001, he joined a mission trip to Honduras. There, Jarrod realized that putting his ACU business education to work “could be a valuable asset for the Lord’s kingdom, rather than just for my pocketbook.”

When he was an ACU student, Jarrod remembered not understanding the idea of “finding your calling.” In this hot, dirty, impoverished area of Honduras, he would finally get it. “I let my guard down and the Holy Spirit grabbed hold of my heart,” he says.

He and his wife, Allison, went on to start Mission Lazarus, a mission focused on preaching and teaching God’s Word through primary education and skill development, medical aid and health education and agricultural development.

By the way, Mission Lazarus is worth more than a million dollars.

Lance Barrow (’77)

Two years before he graduated from ACU with a degree in journalism and mass communication, Lance Barrow was already pursuing his dream career in TV sports. His confidence and talent, developed and nurtured by key professors, coaches and others at ACU, fortified Lance in boldly asking CBS Sports associate producer Chuck Will for a job.

Impressed with Lance’s knowledge and tenacity, Will hired him on the spot.

For more than 30 years, Lance has applied that knowledge and tenacity in a career that has taken him to the pinnacle of sports broadcasting. Now a coordinating producer for golf and NFL coverage at CBS Sports, Lance also was in charge of producing the telecast of Super Bowl XLI in 2008.

“My ambition when I was younger was to be a producer/director for network television,” Lance says. “I never dreamed that I would have the chance to work a Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Masters or the Daytona 500, but I’ve done all those things. I’ve been very blessed to have the opportunities that have come my way over the years to do exactly what I wanted to do.”

Carey Sharp (’99)

Practicing medicine satisfies Carey’s dual passions. “I had always been interested in science,” she says, “but I discovered that I wanted interaction with people.

The training at ACU in a Christian environment teaches you how to care about people. You have to have that aspect to make it through the rigors of medical school and residency.”

As a medical student at Baylor School of Medicine, Carey drew on another aspect of her ACU education. “My academic training at ACU was impeccable in preparing me for the academic portion of medical school. The encouragement you get from professors, as well as the help they give you on the application process and recommendations, is priceless.”

Carey is a physician in a family medicine group in a Dallas suburb. Her role in patients’ lives demands a commitment to keeping her diagnostic skills sharp. But it also requires her full empathy with patients as children of God, because “you can’t forget why you wanted to be a doctor in the first place.”

ACU m ajor undergr aduate areas of study ●●

●●

●●

●● ●●

●●

●● ●● ●●

●● ●●

●● ●● ●●

●● ●● ●●

●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Agriculture and Environmental Science: Agribusiness, Animal Science, Environmental Science Art and Design: Art, Graphic Design/Advertising, Interior Design Bible, Missions and Ministry: Biblical Text, Christian Ministry, Missions, Vocational Missions, Youth and Family Ministry, Ministry to Children and Families, Worship Ministry Biology: Biology, Life Science Teaching Business Administration: Accounting, Financial Management, Management, Marketing, Information Systems* Chemistry: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physical Science Teaching Communication: Human Communication Communication Sciences and Disorders Education: Early Childhood, Fourth Grade Through Eighth Grade, High School (Eighth Through Twelfth Grade), All-level Special Education** English Exercise Science and Health: Exercise Science, Exercise and Sport Science, Nutrition, Physical Education Foreign Languages: Spanish History: History, Social Studies for Teachers Information Technology and Computing: Computer Science, Information Systems*, Information Technology Interdisciplinary Studies International Studies Journalism and Mass Communication: Advertising/ Public Relations, Electronic Media, Journalism Mathematics: Mathematics, Actuarial Science Music: Vocal, Instrumental, Piano, Music Nursing Physics Political Science Pre-Professional*** Psychology Sociology and Family Studies: Sociology, Family Studies Social Work Theatre

* The B.B.A. in Information Systems is offered collaboratively by the College of Business Administration and the School of Information Technology and Computing.

** Students interested in teacher certification should consult the Department of Curriculum and Instruction’s section of the ACU Catalog for information about available areas of certification. *** Students who wish to prepare for professional fields can receive special advising in the following pre-professional areas: Architecture, Dentistry, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Medical Technology, Optometry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine.

Abilene Christian University Office of Admissions ACU Box 29000 Abilene, Texas 79699–9000 800–460–6228 | 325–674–2650 info@admissions.acu.edu www.acu.edu www.acu.edu/espanol

Our Promise ACU is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world.

Abilene Christian University Office of Admissions ACU Box 29000 Abilene, Texas 79699-9000 800–460–6228 | 325–674–2650 info@admissions.acu.edu www.acu.edu www.acu.edu/espanol