At Bob Jones University, the goal of all education is to help you to grow to be more like Christ. Many of our academic majors are designed to prepare students for specific career fields and ministry callings, but our emphasis is on developing the whole person. For this reason, all of our academic programs are centered on a Bible and liberal arts core.
It isn’t hard to see how our core of foundational Bible courses can help you to grow into Christlikeness by building your knowledge of God as revealed in His Word. But the study of the liberal arts—a broad range of subjects such as literature, history, music, science and philosophy—will also enhance your understanding of the Creator.
You’ll gain insight into the creative power of God (through science and mathematics) and the nature of humankind (history, philosophy and cultural studies), while learning to appreciate excellence and beauty in the world (literature, music and art). The liberal arts will challenge you to see life from a broader perspective, while also helping you develop essential life skills including:
Critical thinking
The liberal arts go beyond teaching facts—they teach you how to think. When you prepare for a speech or write a paper, you learn to sort evidence, evaluate presuppositions, consider alternative viewpoints, come to a conclusion and then articulate what you believe. Knowing how to intelligently analyze an issue for yourself frees you from relying solely on the opinions of others.
Problem solving
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. But balancing a budget and solving interpersonal conflict require very different approaches. Studying diverse fields such as science, history, logic and art gives you the flexibility to understand and solve different kinds of problems.
Communication
A liberal arts education emphasizes written and spoken communication. Being able to organize your ideas logically, evaluate your audience and clearly express your thoughts will not only help you in virtually any career, but will also enhance your service in the community and church, not to mention your relationships.
Creativity
Besides teaching you multiple ways to approach problems, the liberal arts expose you to drama, literature, music and more, broadening your cultural awareness and boosting your creativity.
Courses
Your academic course line-up will consist of the classes required for your major, 16 semester credits of Bible, and the following core liberal arts classes:
- English (9 credits)
- Essential Science (3 credits)
- Fine Arts Appreciation electives (2 credits)
- Foreign language (12 credits, Bachelor of Arts only)
- Foundations in Economics (3 credits)
- History (6 credits)
- Introduction to the Arts (1 credits)
- Philosophy or Psychology (3 credits)
- Speech Communication (5 to 6 credits)
- Themes in Western Thought (3 credits)
You will also have a number of elective courses that will allow you to customize your experience—whether you want additional study in a specific field or just want exposure to new ideas and subjects.