New and enhanced academic programs across the university’s 10 schools are evidence that innovation and market focus continue to be at the forefront of the Samford experience. New degree and certificate programs, as well as minors and concentrations, offer students opportunities to expand their professional preparation and further integrate their coursework with spiritual development.
The Department of Christian Ministry in Samford’s School of the Arts is now offering two new minors: church and culture, which offers all majors an opportunity to engage the Christian ministry curriculum; and intercultural engagement, which is focused on missions and designed to be attached to most degree programs.
These minors are offered in addition to the department’s Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry, which equips graduates for the work of ministry and missions through a biblically grounded, missionally focused curriculum.
This fall, the College of Health Sciences will welcome students in the School of Public Health’s new Doctor of Public Health program, which is designed to equip graduates with high level competencies in management, innovation and communications to assure they are prepared to assume leadership roles in the health sector.
In addition, the School of Health Professions will welcome its inaugural Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies cohort. As with other new programs in health sciences, the physician assistant program was designed to meet the growing demand of the market place. U.S. News & World Report ranked the profession No. 3 on its list of “100 Best Jobs in 2019.”
Data analytics
Brock School of Business has launched a new curriculum to offer a concentration and a minor in data analytics. The concentration for business majors and the minor for nonbusiness majors will equip Samford students, our future business leaders, with the knowledge necessary to succeed in the ever-evolving world of data.
Students will be able to apply their coursework to real-world problems using the new, first-of-its-kind data and sports analytics lab. The lab will support teaching, learning and research in all areas where analytics impacts sports, including fan engagement, sponsorship, player tracking, sports medicine, sports media and operations.
Cumberland School of Law introduced four new online certificate programs including financial services regulatory compliance; health law and policy; higher education law and compliance; and legal project management. The law school also offers these areas of study as concentrations in its online Master of Studies in Law and Master of Laws degree programs.
Under the leadership of new department chair Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., M.Div., the Department of Religion has been renamed the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies. The department will offer a new major in biblical studies and a new minor in theology and ethics.
The required biblical core curriculum course for all Samford undergraduate students was also revised with a new course description and updated set of student learning outcomes. The Biblical Foundations course is intended to provide an enriched foundation of biblical knowledge for intellectual and faith development.
Finally, Samford’s Ministry Training Institute (MTI) exists to equip Christians to be leaders in their churches and communities through theological education and practical ministry training. MTI has established new extension sites this year at First Baptist Church of Oneonta, Choctaw Baptist Association and Morgan Baptist Association. A total of 1,400 enrollments were received through the various extension sites and online certificate programs. A new certificate in church planting was also created in partnership with the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Continued commitment
These new program additions and enhancements illustrate Samford’s continued commitment to academic excellence, career preparedness and the faith development of our graduates. (Samford)
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Fast facts
5,619 students from 44 states and 30 countries
10 academic schools
13:1 student-to-faculty ratio
245 undergraduate and graduate majors, minors and concentrations
170 student organizations and more than 1,000 student life events each year
200+ annual arts events
17 NCAA Division I varsity sports
96% of undergraduate alumni are working or in further study within six months of graduation
51,926 alumni in 59 countries
Founded in 1841 by Alabama Baptists; 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S.
$424.8 million annual fiscal and economic impact on Alabama (Samford)
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2019 rankings
#1 in Alabama, The Wall Street Journal
#1 in Alabama for student athlete graduation success rate, NCAA
#2 in the South for best colleges for veterans, U.S. News & World Report
#5 nationally for best Christian universities, College Atlas
#7 in the South for most innovative, U.S. News & World Report
#12 nationally for student engagement, The Wall Street Journal
#34 among private universities in the U.S. for value and affordability, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
One of the nation’s top universities granting merit-based financial aid, U.S. News & World Report
A best value top college for the employability of graduates, Educate to Career (Samford)
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