Dallas Baptist University

Dallas Baptist University's forerunner, Decatur Baptist College, was established in 1898 as the first junior college in Texas. Eventually, the college became a four-year institution offering graduate-level degrees and was renamed Dallas Baptist University (DBU). The university strives to provide Christ-centered quality education in a variety of subject areas under the broad categories of the arts, sciences, and professional studies, with the aim of producing leaders with the ability to integrate faith and learning.

DBU, through its academic divisions, offers students more than 75 undergraduate majors leading to a bachelor's degree. The university's Graduate School offers over 35 master's degree programs and two doctoral programs. A nationally ranked global institution, DBU is home to more than 4000 students representing over 50 nationalities. The varied housing and dining options available to students and the excellent student services make for a secure and welcoming environment to live and study in.

Outside of academics, DBU's Student Life Office organizes a range of events and co-curricular activities throughout the year. Various student organizations provide avenues for students to interact with peers and pursue a new skill or hobby.

The 368-acre DBU campus enjoys a strategic location, being a short drive from downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. This allows students to enjoy the benefits of a bustling urban setting that provides access to multinational corporations, high-tech industry, and cultural centers, while also savoring the scenic and serene rolling foothills of southwest Dallas.

Faith plays a huge role at Dallas Baptist University.

Integrating faith and learning, students develop and stretch their knowledge and technical abilities within a Christ-centered framework. DBU graduates are fully equipped to become world changers within their chosen field.

DBU faculty are professionals in their field and in education. Bringing their expertise to the classroom, these industry professionals are passionate about shaping and challenging students so that they are well prepared for their next steps upon graduation.

DBU offers state of the art facilities and industry specific tools and applications for students in specialized degrees. Additionally, students can take advantage of certifications embedded in their programs. These opportunities allow students to not only have practical experience upon graduation, but graduates will also have the necessary certifications to be well positioned in their careers. The partnership with Baylor University allows students to further their education in the areas of engineering and nursing.

Small class sizes of 16 students to 1 faculty member help to facilitate learning on a more personalized level. Courses are not taught by teaching assistants so professors can develop a mentoring relationship with their students, ensuring that students get the most out of their education.

Dallas Baptist University has eight different colleges . Each is responsible for setting the curriculum for its own majors and for assessment. The colleges are:

• College of Business, including majors such as cybersecurity, finance, and marketing
• Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith, with majors including biblical studies, intercultural studies, or philosophy
• Dorothy M. Bush College of Education, with various levels of education study program
• College of Fine Arts, with majors including commercial art, graphic design, theory, music and more
• College of Humanities & Social Sciences, with majors including criminal justice, English, history and others
• College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, with majors such as biology, health sciences, mathematics, or computer science
• Gary Cook School of Leadership, offering a Leadership minor as well as graduate programs
• Graduate School of Ministry

International students can also apply for an Intensive English Program as a pre-cursor to their main study program, if they are not yet at a level with their English language which is suitable for college education.

The entry requirements for international students who wish to study at DBU begin with the application form, which students must fill out online. As part of this, students must submit their transcripts from high school or their equivalent education, along with any evidence of diplomas or graduation certificates.

Students will also be tasked with writing a short essay titled "Why I Want to Study at DBU" and provide English language test scores unless they are applying for an Intensive English Program. Once the admission stage is completed, students will be able to progress onto the further steps of immigration verification, pre-arrival documentation and housing, and registration, which is when payment will be required.

All courses at DBU are taught in English, so students who aren't applying for the IEP must provide approved scores, with a range of tests accepted. Students who complete high school in an English-speaking country do not need to provide test scores.

Tuition costs for all courses at Dallas Baptist University are available on the university's website with a breakdown of the degree level costs. As a guide, undergraduate programs for the 2024/25 academic year have a full-time cost of USD 19,170 per semester.

Students can also find a breakdown of additional fees and estimates for living costs to help students budget. First year international students are required to pay upfront for their fees, tuition, insurance, housing and any food plans at the time that they register.

Financial aid is available with some scholarship options for international students. In total the university grants around USD 80 million per academic year to over 4,000 students through various scholarships, grants and loans, although the amounts available will depend on students' status.

Dallas Baptist University is always looking at ways to improve its offerings to students, whether that be through development of study program options, looking at new ways of teaching, or new partnerships that are beneficial to the enhancement of students' opportunities and skillsets.

One new offering is DBU's partnership with Baylor University, which allows students to enroll in an Associate of Engineering program at DBU and then transfer to Baylor to complete their junior and senior years. Students benefit from the small, personalized class sizes of DBU in their first year, and then move on to complete specialized certifications offered at Baylor.

DBU is consistently looking at ways of improving the standards and recognition of its courses, and in early 2024 it announced that the Association for Advancing Quality Educator Preparation (AAQEP) was awarding national recognition to all certification programs in DBU College of Education's Educator Preparation Program. This high honor of accreditation is only awarded to the top 1 percent of colleges in the United States. New accreditation such as this is reward for the hard work of the faculty and local collaborators and serves as recognition of the quality of education programs offered at DBU.

Students who graduate from DBU either move on to paid employment, potentially in the US, return home to their own country, or obtain work elsewhere in the world. Students may also prefer to continue into further study depending on the program completed and their overall ambition. Regardless of their chosen path, students are well prepared for their next steps with the knowledge and wider skills they have developed during their time at DBU.

While many universities will track graduate outcomes after 6-18 months, DBU's statistics focus more on the short-term successes of students immediately upon graduating, which is why percentages may appear lower.

Of the students surveyed in the last academic year, 66 percent reported that they had found employment upon graduation. 78 percent of students, who were interviewed three months after they had completed their studies, stated they were either employed, expected to begin employment, or were about to commence further study.