The purpose of the College at Southwestern is to provide a Christian liberal arts education based on the history of ideas to prepare students to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively while engaging the culture through their respective callings. The College at Southwestern is the baccalaureate school of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The College offers the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, a degree that focuses on the Bible and the history of Western ideas with optional concentrations in music, education, homemaking, missions, and further study in the history of ideas. This degree is designed to equip students to understand and engage the cultural climate of our day. The degree accomplishes this by introducing the student to the history and development of Western thought, which shapes the culture. All students take a 60-hour core in History, Life and Thought that integrates class lecture with readings in primary and secondary literature of the period. This degree program also requires all students to complete a 24- hour course of study in Bible and theology with opportunities for focused research in those disciplines. Graduates of the College will be uniquely prepared to address the culture from a sound Biblical worldview.
The College also offers the Bachelor of Arts in Music which is the same degree as the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities but without the languages, physical education, and fine arts. The Bachelor of Arts in Music offers three concentrations: worship, performance, and composition.
The College baccalaureate program is ideally suited for high school graduates who feel the Lord may be calling them to ministry. The degree presupposes that the student will be firmly committed to the Christian faith and open to God’s leadership in directing his or her life’s work. This degree will also prepare students to continue graduate studies in our seminary.
The College B.A. leads students through a fascinating yet rigorous learning experience. Before arrival, students should cultivate a strong spiritual life, emotional stability, a healthy life-style, and a positive attitude toward learning. Students should specifically develop strengths in reading, reasoning, and writing skills. All incoming students are strongly encouraged to take the college preparatory track, or its equivalent, or honors program in their high school studies before enrolling at the College. Students are required to own and be thoroughly comfortable with the use of a personal computer.
The History, Life and Thought core of the College B.A. is truly unique and builds from the beginning to the end of the program. Since philosophical, political, social, scientific and other ideas grow out of earlier concepts, the need for a historical sequence is critical. As such, students will gain the most benefit from taking these courses in proper sequence. Other courses in the curriculum may be taken at any time provided any necessary prerequisite course work is completed first.
The weekly chapel services at Southwestern enhance the Christian qualities so vital to anyone seeking to serve the Lord. College students who do not transfer credits to Southwestern must pass six semesters of chapel to graduate from the College at Southwestern. Those students transferring credits will have the number of required semesters reduced based on the number of credits transferred. Students must register for chapel in order to receive credit for attendance. The exact number of required semesters will be communicated at the conclusion of the transfer process. Chapel services are regularly held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:50 to11:50 a.m. unless otherwise posted. The services are held throughout the semester in Truett Auditorium. Guests and parents are always welcome.
Beginning in the Fall 2009, all College students will be required to meet together in Truett Auditorium once a month (dates will be provided at the beginning of each semester) for worship, prayer, announcments and to address specific topics pertinent to College students. The current senior class will have major responsibilities for the conducting of these meetings.