Baptist College of Florida

florida baptist colleges

Degree Programs Available from the Baptist College of Florida

Baptist College of Florida appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Theology Degree Programs Online.

At the Baptist College of Florida, students can choose from several undergraduate and graduate degree programs. This is one of the only colleges in Florida that offers both associate and bachelor degree programs. Students can choose from Associate of Arts (AA) programs in Music or General Studies or an Associate of Divinity. The Associate of Divinity program includes 66 credits hours of courses such as Biblical Backgrounds, Introduction to the Christian Worldview, Introduction to Pastoral Ministry Practice and Introduction to Pastoral Ministry Philosophy. Both of the college’s AA programs include similar classes.

Sixteen Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs are available from the college as well as a Bachelor of Music Education and a Bachelor of Music in Worship Leadership. The majors that students can choose from include history and social studies, Christian studies, Biblical studies, business leadership, education studies, ministry studies, and music. In the missions major, students can pick a concentration in aviation and get college credit for their missionary trips. Some of the courses in the worship leadership program include Music History: Antiquity to Baroque, Single Singing, Music Literature, Worship Ministry Field Study and Field Experience Practicum. Students must sing individually and in small groups.

Students can also enroll in one of three graduate programs. The Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling program features 30 credits and includes several research components. It prepares students for entering a doctoral program and for counseling others through their churches. Issues and Ethics in Counseling, Case Management, Group Dynamics, Counseling and Spirituality Integration and Community and Crisis Counseling are among the courses in the program. The courses in the music and worship graduate program include Introduction to Graduate Research, The Fine Arts Academy, Visual Media in Worship and History of Christian Music and Worship. Majors must take a comprehensive exam and do a music internship too.

Every degree program offered by Baptist College of Florida is available online too. This includes the college’s MA in Christian Studies program, which helps students take a more in-depth look at the Bible and other religious literature. It is available as a thesis program or without a thesis requirement and has concentrations in Biblical Studies or Christian Ministry. Multiple education programs are available for undergrads online too, including elementary education, English secondary education and history and social studies secondary education. Education majors have the chance to take courses on teaching students and do internships in local schools.

About the Baptist College of Florida

The Baptist College of Florida is a private college in Florida that is affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention. Established in 1943 as a training institute, the college opened as one of the only schools in the south that offered training for Baptist ministers. The early students prepared to work for their churches and received additional training after they took on positions as preachers. Some of the college’s first students were soldiers who used the benefits they earned in World War II to attend the college. Also known as BCF, the college is located in the small town of Graceville, which is close to the Alabama border. Though the college experienced some financial difficulties over the years, its commitment to its students helped it rebound and come back. BCF now offers multiple degree programs for Baptist students from around the world and across the US.

Baptist College of Florida Accreditation Details

Though BCF has religious accreditation, it also has regional accreditation, which comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) through the Commission on Colleges (COC). This accreditation allows the college’s students to apply for financial aid when they submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They can also bring credits to the college and transfer their BCF credits to other schools. The college has accreditation for its music programs through the National Association of Schools of Music too.

Baptist College of Florida Application Requirements

Prospective BCF students have several admissions requirements that they need to meet when they apply. The college recommends that students apply between six and nine months before the next semester to make sure they have time to submit all their documents and information. They need to apply and pay the $25 application fee, which they can do online. The college has a letter of recommendation form and asks that students submit two. One form should come from someone with a personal relationship with the student. The other must come from a pastor or a church employee. BCF asks for two photographs that are no more than six months old and immunization records too.

Future graduate students need to meet similar requirements, including applying via the BCF application and paying an application fee. They will need to provide two photographs and submit official transcripts to show that they have a bachelor’s degree. BCF requires two recommendation forms with at least one that comes from a pastor and a resume that shows the student has experience in the field he or she wants to study. Students may need to interview with faculty members to get admissions to select programs.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Unlike other colleges that offer several tuition rates, BCF offers just one. All students attending the college pay $360 per credit hour. The only exception is for high school students signing up for a dual enrollment program. They pay $150 per credit hour. BCF estimates that students pay an average of $525 per semester for their books and supplies. Students who want to live in a dorm room will pay $2,098 per semester, which comes with 10 meals each week too. The college also has some apartments that include options for married students with children. They’ll pay a minimum of $1,750 per semester with some additional fees charged if they have more than one child.

To get financial aid at BCF, students must file the FAFSA. They can get aid from the federal government that includes subsidized and unsubsidized student loans and Pell grants. State funds include multiple grants that are only available for Florida residents. The Florida Baptist Convention offers financial aid for members of the organization too, including more than 100 scholarships. Both graduate students and undergrads in any of the degree programs at Baptist College of Florida can get financial aid.