Southwestern Adventist University is a private and parochial school owned and operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Founded by this religious institute in 1893, the university opened as the Keene Industrial Academy. It offered training courses and programs designed to help students find jobs and start their careers after immediately finishing one of those programs. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church out of Dallas raised the money needed to buy land for its future campus and to construct many of its early buildings. The first building constructed served as a space for regular church services as well as classes.
Though just 56 students enrolled in its first year, Southwestern Adventist University saw its enrollment increase over the years. It changed its name in the 1990s to reflect its new programs and to show that it offered students real educational opportunities. Located in the small town of Keene, SAU primarily admits students from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The town itself is home to hundreds of members of that church, and many local stores and companies shut down to allow workers to attend services every week. Southwestern Adventist University is unique because it is one of just 13 colleges affiliated with that church operating in the United States today.
Southwestern Adventist University Accreditation Details
Though SAU is a religious university, it has more accreditation than similar colleges have. It has regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which allows the university to grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees to all its graduating students. The campus also has accreditation from the Adventist Accrediting Association of Seventh-Day Adventist Schools, which is a religious organization that grants accreditation to colleges affiliated with this church.
The specialty accreditation that SAU holds applies to the programs it offers in business, nursing and education. It holds accreditation from the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the Texas Education Agency, Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Southwestern Adventist University is also a member of seven different professional organizations that offer opportunities for both students and faculty members, including the National League for Nursing and the Council of Independent Colleges.
Southwestern Adventist University Application Requirements
Many students apply to Southwestern Adventist University every year because they want to attend classes in a school that fosters their religious beliefs. When you apply to this university, you must submit a high school transcript that shows you took four units of English classes, four units of math and science classes, four units of social studies courses and at least two units of a foreign language. The university also requires that prospective students take one advanced math class during their senior years. You’ll also need to submit an ACT or SAT score. The university requires that students score 910 or higher on the new SAT or that they score a minimum of 17 on the ACT. Those applying for early admissions must have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher when they apply.
To fill out the application, you must visit the admissions website and enter your email in the box provided. The university will then send a link to that email address, which you can follow to access the application. It will ask you questions about where you went to high school, if you participated in any extracurricular activities, whether you took any advanced classes and any work that you did for your church. Though the university also accepts home schooled students, those students must submit additional paperwork to prove the validity of the programs they attended and to prove that those programs meet all the requirements put in place by the Texas Board of Education.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The total cost of attending Southwestern Adventist University is around $10,100 a semester or $20,200 a year. Nearly $10,000 of that figure is tuition alone, and the rest covers all university fees. This entitles you to take 12 or more credit hours during the two primary semesters as a full-time student. If you want to live in a residence hall, you’ll pay a little under $1,900 a semester. The university also offers meal plans that range in price from $1,100 to $2,200 a semester. If you take 11 credits or less in a single semester, you’ll pay $819 for each credit hour that you take plus university fees.
As Southwestern Adventist University has regional accreditation, its students can apply for financial aid via the FAFSA. Once you submit the form and the university processes it, it will notify you by mail about your award package. Most packages include a Pell grant and student loans. Loans are available from both the federal government as well as the state of Texas, and PLUS loans are available for the parents and guardians of accepted students. You can also apply for one of the nine scholarships that the university awards to incoming and continuing students every year.
Student Experience
Southwestern Adventist University offers two Bachelor of Science degree programs that are suitable for students who want to work with athletes. Both programs are available from its kinesiology department. The health and fitness program helps students find work as a personal trainer and in similar positions. In addition to general education requirements, students must take 20 credits from within the kinesiology core, which includes introduction to kinesiology research, motor learning, fundamentals of kinesiology and exercise physiology. They must also take courses from within the health and fitness concentration, which can include classes like water aerobics, fitness walking and resistance training. Students in this program have the option of doing an internship or seeking certification as a health and fitness specialist.
The university’s program in sports and fitness management is a good choice for those who want to train and work with athletes at the amateur or professional levels. In addition to the kinesiology core, students must complete a business core, which includes 21 credits of courses like microeconomics, principles of marketing, business finance, accounting principles and principles of management. The sports and fitness management classes that students take are worth 21 credits. These classes include administration of kinesiology and an internship in the field. Southwestern Adventist University offers two certification courses that let students get certified as a health and fitness specialist or a health fitness specialist.
