Olivet Nazarene University

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From the College

Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private, Christian liberal arts university with a strong emphasis on both academic excellence and Christ-centered living. ONU offers one of the finest liberal arts educations in the Midwest, world-class facilities for learning and entertainment, and an atmosphere that promotes fun, relationship building, and spiritual growth.

Olivet’s high retention, graduation, and employment/placement rates demonstrate the University’s commitment to students’ success. The members of the faculty, staff, and administration are dedicated to teaching, encouraging, and mentoring each student as a whole person–academically, socially, and spiritually.

With 4,600 students (2,600 undergraduates), Olivet offers an ideal student population for a private institution, maintaining diversity without sacrificing personalized attention. Nearly half of the student body comes from the Nazarene denomination, and the rest come from some thirty other denominations. Most U.S. states are represented, as are more than twenty countries.

The campus offers a championship-caliber athletics department (seventeen intercollegiate men’s and women’s sports in all) and a large intramural sports program. Music and drama groups involve hundreds of students, and many clubs are organized for a wide variety of interests. Olivet students are also heavily involved in dozens of ministry groups and volunteer efforts, small-group Bible studies, and weekly student-led services.

The University recently completed a number of campus improvements, including the renovation of the lower level of Ludwig Center, the student union, to include a glass-enclosed gaming room featuring plasma TV screens, a convenience store, and new student leadership offices. In addition, the first floor of Nesbitt Hall, a residence hall, was converted into a fourth dining option for students, and the Department of Communication moved to a new, technologically advanced facility in Benner Library, which also houses some of the University’s art programs, representing a partnership between the Departments of Communication and Art. Future plans call for a new chapel/performing arts center.

The University is home to the Chicago Bears’ summer training camp and Shine.fm, a 35,000-watt station ranked among the top stations in the nation and staffed by Olivet’s broadcasting students.

In addition to its traditional undergraduate programs, Olivet offers six degree-completion and continuing-studies programs, nearly twenty master’s degrees, and a Doctor of Education in ethical leadership. The School of Graduate and Continuing Studies strives to meet the needs of the ever-expanding number of adults returning to school. Adult degree-completion programs are designed to assist working adults so they can complete their degree requirements without an interruption to their employment. The school serves as a resource for adults striving to enhance their personal and professional lives in a constantly changing world.

In addition to the classes held on the main campus, the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies offers courses for students throughout the Chicago area. Numerous students gather with other working adults for classes in churches, schools, hospitals, and other convenient locations near their home or workplace.

The main University campus is located just 50 minutes south of Chicago’s Loop in the historic village of Bourbonnais. The area includes malls, restaurants, entertainment, and natural recreation centered on the Kankakee River State Park system. Olivet students enjoy many activities nearby and often make the quick trip north for the limitless offerings of Chicago and its surroundings.

In addition to recreation, students find numerous opportunities for employment and internships in the area, which is ranked as one of the top locations in the nation for small businesses and the vast professional resources of Chicago. Students, faculty members, and staff members also find themselves working side by side in local and regional ministry projects. Olivet students are recognized professionally and ministerially as a valuable commodity by area businesses, churches, and parachurch organizations.

Olivet confers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and/or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in the following fields of study (includes all majors, minors, and concentrations): accounting, art, art (education), athletic coaching, athletic training, biblical languages, biblical studies, biochemistry, biology, biology (education), business administration, chemistry, chemistry (education), child development, children’s ministry, Christian education, church music, communication studies, computer science, corporate communication, criminal justice, dietetics, digital media (graphics), digital media (photography), digital production, drawing/illustration, early childhood education, economics/finance, electrical engineering, elementary education, engineering, English, English (education), environmental science, exercise science, family and consumer sciences, family and consumer sciences (education), fashion merchandising, film studies, finance, French, general science, general science (education), general studies, geological sciences, Greek, health education, history, history (education), hospitality, housing and environmental design, information systems, intercultural studies, international business, journalism, literature, management, marketing, mass communication, mathematics, mathematics (education), mechanical engineering, military science, missions, music, music composition, music education, music performance, nursing, painting, philosophy, physical education/health, physical science, physical science (education), political science, practical ministries, predentistry, prelaw, premedicine, preoptometry, prepharmacy, pre–physical therapy, pre–physician’s assistant studies, pre–veterinarian studies, psychology, psychology (education), public policy, radio, religion, religion and philosophy, science (education), secondary education, social science, social science (education), social work, sociology, Spanish, Spanish (education), sports management, television/video production, theater, writing, youth ministry, and zoology.

Olivet seeks to offer an “Education with a Christian Purpose.” The University believes that this commitment to Christ mandates nothing less than the highest-quality academic programs. Olivet’s liberal arts curriculum requires that students complete 45 to 58 hours of general education courses. With the addition of major and minor programs of study, students must complete a minimum of 128 credit hours to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Credit may be earned through AP and CLEP tests. Students may also participate in ROTC.

Olivet operates on a two-semester schedule, from August to May. Two summer sessions are also available.

Olivet students are encouraged to participate in the various off-campus study programs offered each semester. International locations include Xiamen, China; San José, Costa Rica; Cairo, Egypt; Drummoyne, Australia; Oxford, England; Nizhni Novgorod and St. Petersburg, Russia; Mukono, Uganda; Sighisoara, Transylvania (Romania); and Quito, Ecuador. Domestic opportunities include the American Studies Program in Washington, D.C.; the Los Angeles Film Studies Program in Los Angeles, California; the Focus on the Family Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the Contemporary Music Center on Martha’s Vineyard; and the AuSable Institute (environmental science) in northern Michigan. Costs are usually comparable to a semester at Olivet, and credit is given for these programs. In addition, some sources of financial aid are applicable.

Many Olivet students participate in numerous educational and missions-oriented short-term trips that are available during the Christmas, spring, and summer breaks.

Olivet’s 250-acre campus offers leading-edge academic facilities. These include high-quality performance halls and athletic venues; excellent natural science, engineering, and nursing laboratories; smart classrooms; and an observatory. It is one of only a handful of small college campuses in the nation to have a planetarium, which was completely renovated in 2008 with the same technology used in Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. Each department uses the top software in its field. More than a dozen campus computer labs are available for student use, and two network ports in each dorm room and the campuswide wireless network give students access to e-mail, the Internet, and classroom applications 24 hours a day.

Benner Library and Resource Center provides unlimited access to any material a student needs, either on-site or through the interlibrary loan system. Benner Library offers more than 170,000 books, 350,000 other items in various formats, 700 periodicals, over 15,000 full-text electronic journals, and more than 30,410 electronic books.

Tuition, based on 12 to 18 credit hours, will be $22,750 per year in 2009–10. Room and board, based on double occupancy and the fourteen-meals-per-week plan, will cost $6400 per year. Additional fees will be $840 per year.

Approximately 96 percent of traditional undergraduates receive a total of $24.9 million in scholarships and grants, of which $15.5 million comes from Olivet scholarships and grants.

Olivet’s cost is below average for private colleges nationwide. The University also participates in all federal and state financial aid programs. The priority deadline for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is March 1. To apply for aid, students must fill out the FAFSA as well as Olivet’s application for financial aid. The student must be an accepted applicant before a financial aid package can be created. Olivet offers a monthly installment plan in addition to the traditional three-payment plan. Olivet believes funding a student’s education is a partnership between each family, Olivet, and the state and federal governments. The friendly staff is committed to making an Olivet education affordable to every young person.

Olivet’s more than 100 full-time faculty members are the key to excellence in and out of the classroom. Teaching is a ministry for these dedicated Christian individuals, and Olivet’s student-faculty ratio gives them an opportunity to teach, mentor, and encourage students on a personal level. To that end, the faculty is heavily involved in campus life, whether sponsoring social organizations or participating in talent shows.

Within the traditional liberal arts curriculum, more than 75 percent of Olivet’s faculty members have earned a Ph.D. or other terminal degree in their fields.

The Associated Student Council is the student government organization on campus. Its Executive Council consists of a president, vice president of finance, vice president of spiritual life, vice president of social affairs, vice president of women’s residential life, vice president of men’s residential life, vice president of office management, the GlimmerGlass (student newspaper) editor, and the Aurora (yearbook) editor. They work alongside the University’s administrative team to ensure the health and promotion of campus activities and organizations.

Admission to the University is moderately difficult. Students are considered for admission on the basis of their high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. An ACT score is required for placement in courses. For international students, TOEFL results are an additional factor in the admission decision. Students with low test scores and GPAs may be admitted on a provisional basis. A campus visit and interview are strongly recommended for all prospective students.

Admission is on a rolling basis until the application deadline of May 1. An early decision is required for some scholarships. Students may apply via Olivet’s home page online or in print. The application process includes the written (or electronic) application, high school transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, and a health form. There is a $25 application fee, and an Enrollment Deposit is collected to prioritize both student housing and class registration.

For more information or to arrange a campus visit, students should contact: