WHAT IS A BIBLE COLLEGE?

The difference between Bible college and seminary might be best explained by defining each individually first.

Bible colleges are undergraduate programs that have a unique focus on the Bible and a biblical worldview to their general education studies. In other words, you can get an Associates degree or Bachelor’s degree at a Bible college.

While you can often major in nursing, criminal justice, etc., the major focus of most Bible colleges is studying the Bible, doctrine, and professional skills needed in ministry. Courses include: Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Doctrine, Life of Christ, Greek, Hebrew, as well as your basic general education courses like English, Math, and History.

Some Bible colleges are accredited (such as through ABHE, www.abhe.org), while others are not. The idea of accreditation is that a higher authority has validated the school, giving it greater worth. Many graduate schools will only recognize degrees from other accredited schools.

Bible colleges serve an important role in higher education. Obviously, you get the foundational teachings in Bible, doctrine, and ministry. But you also study grammar, history, and philosophy from a biblical worldview. Many students will attend a Bible college for their first two years (Associate degree) to get a biblical foundation before transferring to a university that trains them in a particular field, such as engineering, medicine, biology. The advantage to the student is that a Bible college is often significantly more affordable than a state university or private college.