Facts about Trinity Western University
Established: 1962 as Trinity Junior College; 1972 as Trinity Western College; 1985 as Trinity Western University
Member: Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC); Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU); recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Founding Denominations: Evangelical Free Churches of Canada and America
Funding: Tuition, private donations and supporting services.
Programs: 42 undergraduate majors; 16 graduate programs.
Campus: Main campus: Langley, B.C. 157 acres, 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver and 2 1/2 hours from Seattle.
Extension Campuses: The Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa. TWU Bellingham in Bellingham. Crows Nest Ecological Research Area on Salt Spring Island.
Residences: On-campus housing available for 842 students.
Library Resources: More than 210,000 print holdings, 4500 non-print holdings, 20,000 electronic resources and 350,000 microform units at the main campus' Norma Marion Alloway Library.
Athletics: Member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS); men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and soccer.
Rankings and Awards: Canada's most "enriching educational experience" according to Maclean's ranking of the National Survey of Student Engagement. Highest rating in quality of education for four consecutive years in the Globe and Mail's 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Canadian University Report – the only university to achieve this result.
Undergraduate Programs: (BA, B.Sc., BFA, BBA, B.Ed., BHK) Acting, Applied Linguistics, Applied Mathematics with Computer Science, Art, Biblical Studies, Biology, Biotechnology; Chemistry, Christianity and Culture, Communications, Computing Science, Corporate Communications, Drama, English, Environmental Studies, European Studies, Fine Arts, General Studies, Geography, History, Humanities, Human Services, Inter-Cultural Religious Studies, International Studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Music, Natural and Applied Sciences, Nursing, Philosophy, Political Studies, Psychology, Religious Studies, Social Sciences, TESOL.
Graduate Studies: Biblical Studies (MA); Business Administration (MBA); Counselling Psychology (MA); Interdisciplinary Humanities (MA); Leadership (MA); Linguistics (MA); Marriage and Family Therapy (MA); Nursing (M.Sc.); Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA).
Schools: School of Business; School of Education; School of Human Kinetics, Sport & Leisure Management; School of Nursing; School of the Arts, Media and Culture.
Graduate School of Theological Studies: Christian Studies (MA), Counselling (MC), Cross-cultural Ministries (MA), Divinity (M.Div.), Applied Linguistics and Exegesis (MLE), Theological Studies (MTS), Theology (MTH), Ministry (D.Min.).
Study Tours: Students earn credit while studying with TWU in England, Guyana, Hawaii, Italy, Lithuania, New York City, Northern Ireland, and more.
Student Services: Full dining facilities; Centre for Life Calling and Career Development; Cooperative Education (available in 16 study areas); Full-time, on-campus Registered Nurse and Medical Doctor; Counselling Centre.
Campus Life: Extensive and broad range of leadership opportunities including: student government, chapel and extension ministries, cross-cultural missions, community outreach, international student ministries, sports, fine arts and social concerns clubs.
University Services: University Bookstore and computer store; Conference Centre; English as a Second Language Institute; Canada Institute of Linguistics; Web site with on-line research information.
History: In 1957, the Evangelical Free Churches of America (EFCA) appointed a committee to explore establishing a liberal arts college in the Fraser Valley. David Enarson, a Christian educator and church leader, with a vision for an accredited Christian university, was one of the guiding members of the committee. Members of the committee purchased the Seal Kap dairy farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley and developed plans to build the college. Trinity Western University started as Trinity Junior College in 1962.
Since its first days in 1962, Trinity Western has held a unique vision for Christian liberal arts and sciences education in Canada. The first president Dr. Calvin B. Hanson (1962-1974) helped shape the early vision. Two decades later, with 800 students enrolled, the college achieved two important milestones. In 1984, under the leadership of TWU’s second president, Dr. R. Neil Snider (1974-2006), Trinity Western was granted full membership in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), and in 1985, the British Columbia legislature granted the college a charter under the name Trinity Western University.
The next milestones for the University included incorporating ACTS Seminaries and the School of Graduate studies, which offer masters and doctoral programs in theological studies, counselling psychology, and humanities.
TWU leads the way in Canada for liberal arts education, and offers 42 undergraduate and 16 graduate degree programs. TWU has earned national recognition in educational surveys for its quality of education reported in The Globe and Mail and Maclean’s magazine. TWU has three Canada Research Chairs: in Developmental Genetics and Disease; Interpretation, Religion, and Culture; and in Dead Sea Scrolls Studies.