Columbia International University

[EduCativ]

For nearly a century, CIU has educated people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with Christ's message.

We educate people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ. That is our mission. That is what we have been doing since 1923, and now our graduates work to bring those eternal values to the ministry and the marketplace in 150 countries around the world.

As a biblical university, Christian faith is our foundation. That is our statement of faith that CIU affirms the Bible as the foundation for all life and learning.

Scholarship, community, and the purposeful drive empowered by a zeal for the Great Commission have attracted thousands of students for nearly a century to our Christian University and seminary. We have never strayed from our core values. You do not have to either. At CIU, you will form Christ-centered partnerships that will last a lifetime.

CIU focuses on developing leaders while affirming the Bible as the foundation for all learning. We live by our motto, "To Know Him and to Make Him Known."

We are a multidenominational, evangelical, coeducational Christian university, graduate school, and seminary, all with full accreditation.

Located in Columbia, South Carolina, CIU offers more than classes and degrees. You bring us your passion. We will provide you the space for personal growth, academic excellence … the avenues you need to pursue your dreams.

During your academic experience at CIU, we want you to engage your head, heart, and hands. That's the Educational Triad. Yes, we want students to excel academically. However, we also want to help you yield to Christ unconditionally while enriching your spiritual life, achieving your personal and career goals, and practicing your vocational skills wherever God leads you.

Today, we continue that effort, offering 19 undergraduate majors, graduate and seminary programs, professional certificates, and convenient online programs for working adults. The love of God's word anchors the experience providing you with a foundation that will guide you for the rest of your life.

Our faculty and administration bring years of Christ-centered teaching and hands-on experience from around the world. In our small class settings, you receive one-on-one attention from professors and cultivate relationships with them. Christian community is at the heart of CIU. Student life offers you opportunities to build lifelong friendships, pursue interests outside the classroom, and explore creative ways to serve others on- and off-campus.

Everyone who leaves CIU with an undergraduate degree majored in Bible. They also chose from 19 other majors that prepared them for a professional life in the ministry or the marketplace. Our top five undergraduate programs are Psychology, Teacher Education, Intercultural Studies, Business & Organizational Leadership, Youth Ministry, Family, & Culture.

That is the top five in numbers of students. Every major, every class, every day spent at CIU helps prepare you for a life lived from a biblical worldview, making an impact wherever you are and whatever you do. The same goes for our graduate and seminary programs, many of which are available 100% online.

Athletic and fitness opportunities are available to you at CIU and extracurricular activities and student organizations from the formal to the casual. That includes fun trips (we are close to the mountains and the beach) and studying abroad. Everything at CIU comes together to nurture students' spiritual life and empower student life.

Classwork, faith, and deeds come together in CIU's Educational Triad: Head, Heart, and Hands. They form the core of the academic experience here. They are our educational philosophy.

At CIU, the Bible is the head of all learning, the heart is growing in maturity in Christ, and the hands develop skills to meet your personal and professional goals. Classes are small and led by professors accomplished in academic and professional life. Challenging academics helps put our students at the head of the class.

Building the spiritual life whose call brings students to CIU is at the heart of what we do. Daily chapel gatherings, prayer days, and inspiring conferences empower unity, worship, and joy. Quiet places on our beautiful campus inspire private moments of personal growth. Away from the classroom, CIU students lend a hand around the world – teaching, coaching, and leading.

Your journey to becoming a CIU student starts here. As the front door to the University, our admissions team is ready to assist, select, and enroll a diverse class of undergraduate, graduate, and seminary students who are actively pursuing God's calling to impact the nations with Christ's message.

Please explore this site to learn more about the admission and financial aid process, our academic offerings. Schedule a visit to come to see what CIU has to offer.

At CIU, there are various services and activities to enhance your academic experience, build long-lasting relationships with fellow students, and fulfill your personal and spiritual growth. Rossi Student Center is the CIU student's first stop to get connected to student life on campus. You can hang out with friends at the Ram Shack while enjoying a coffee or the foods you love. If you like to play games, challenge fellow students to table tennis or pool. The dining hall and post office are also in the Rossi Student Center.

The Academic Success Center provides tutoring, study groups, time management, and special needs amenities. CIU students can choose to work on campus, and through Career Services, explore careers as you near graduation. The CIU student's spiritual life is integrated into every part of the CIU experience. CIU challenges students to pursue spiritual formation earnestly and supports this charge with Shortess Chapel and the Victory Prayer Towers for worship, prayer, and reflection.

Get involved and get active! At CIU, athletic competition and physical fitness are an integral component of spiritual health. Become a CIU Ram, or participate in intramural/club sports. The Moore Fitness Center offers aerobics equipment, a weight room, and basketball and volleyball courts. Students who prefer to get in touch with nature, on-campus hiking trails, and the lake provide a pleasant outdoor experience—donated land.

In 1964, the campus survived a fire that destroyed the Old Main classroom building and the East Wing Dormitory. What remained of the columns became a symbol for the College and has since been incorporated into the logo. Columbia College serves as an institution for higher education with approximately 1,200 male and female students in both undergraduate and graduate courses.

View full university