Lincoln Christian University

lincoln bible college

Degree Programs Available from Lincoln Christian University

Lincoln Christian University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Theology Degree Programs Online.

Lincoln Christian University is a university dedicated to helping students improve their spiritual nature as they study different subjects. Four associate’s degree programs are available for students who want to go to school but don’t want to spend four years working on a degree. There is a pre-nursing program for those who want to go to nursing school and an Associate of Science (AS) in Science that includes opportunities for students to research science fields. The university offers associate degrees in education and the Bible too.

With 14 bachelor’s degree programs available, the university can help students who want to study subjects such as business administration, preaching ministry and elementary education. The youth and family ministry is a popular major for students who want to teach the gospel to teenagers and adolescents. It includes courses such as Church Administration, Pastoral Care, Christian Leadership, Introduction to Youth Ministry and Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts. Other bachelor’s degree programs include majors in children’s ministry, Biblical studies, Christian ministry, and media arts and ministry.

At the graduate level, students can choose from 12 different degree programs too. Most are Master of Arts (MA) programs in areas such as church history. Students take Christianity Through the Ages, Systematic Theology and four electives that can include Medieval Christianity, Early Christian Centuries and Modern Theology I and II. The Master of Divinity program is suitable for those who want to lead church groups and other organizations. Majors take courses that include Introduction to God’s Word, New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Christianity Through the Ages and Cultural Insights for Effective Ministry and Missions. Students also need to choose a concentration in the Bible, Christian ministries or theology and philosophy. The university also offers a Master of Divinity and MA programs in spiritual formation, organizational leadership, counseling, ministry, Biblical studies, and theology and apologetics.

Students with a graduate degree can earn a Doctor of Ministry from Lincoln Christian University in one of five specializations: congregational ministry, spiritual formation, preaching, pastoral care or church and parachurch leadership. It requires that students take specialization courses and four core classes, including Orientation to Doctor of Ministry Studies and Developing a Culturally Sensitive Ministry. The university also offers two certificate programs in Christian service and spiritual formation.

About Lincoln Christian University

Lincoln Christian University is a private university that offers classes on several campuses. Established in 1944, it opened as the Lincoln Bible Institute. It served as a four-year college with a curriculum based in the Reformation Movement. In 1951, the institute added a new seminary with a separate curriculum. During the 1990s, the institute established a new program with help from Eastern Christian University, but it later ended this program as that university merged with another school. It became a full university in 2009 and adopted the name Lincoln Christian University. The university also uses the nickname LCU.

The main campus of LCU is in Lincoln, Illinois. Both the university and the city were named after former President Abraham Lincoln. Three extension centers offer other opportunities for students in Las Vegas, Nevada; Normal, Illinois; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Though affiliated with the Churches of Christ, any student who follows Christianity can enroll. LCU now has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students across its certificate, bachelor’s, associate’s, graduate and doctoral programs on all campuses.

Lincoln Christian University Accreditation Details

LCU has both institutional and national accreditation, which comes from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). It also has regional accreditation from the north-central division of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This is important for students who need financial help paying for college because it lets them use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The university has accreditation for its theology programs too.

Lincoln Christian University Application Requirements

Undergrads applying to LCU need to apply and complete two other steps before they can enroll. The enrollment application features multiple pages and will automatically save the information that students add when they move from one page to the next. It asks for demographic data as well as information on where the student went to high school. LCU asks that prospective undergrads write an admissions essay and submit a character reference form too. They also need to submit an ACT/SAT score and a school transcript. The university looks at whether the student has a strong Christian and moral background as well as his or her scores and grades.

Both the graduate and seminary programs offered by LCU have the same admissions requirements. Students will complete the online application and write an essay. The essay asks students to write 300 to 500 words on why they would be a good fit for the university, how their experiences will help them in a program and what they believe they can add to the program. Students applying to the doctoral program will write two separate essays of up to 600 words each. LCU also requires that students submit two character reference forms written and signed by those familiar with their moral and ethical character.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At LCU, undergrads pay $6,990 per semester for full-time enrollment and $3,895 for their room and board packages. The total cost of attendance is $21,770 each year before the student receives any financial aid. Sophomores and juniors must do SERVE trips each year, which will cost up to $1,000 depending on where they go. Students also need to put down a $150 deposit to secure a dorm room. Graduate students pay $466 per credit hour for more programs except for the counseling program, which charges a rate of $529 per credit hour.

Undergrads receive an average financial aid package of nearly $15,000 a year. This includes the $5,500 that they get in federal student loans and $3,900 in scholarships from the university. Students also receive close to $5,000 a year in grants from both the federal government and the Illinois state government. Graduate students often get federal loans when they attend LCU too. These are unsubsidized loans that give students the option of making payments on their loans before they finish their studies. Students in any of the degree programs at Lincoln Christian University can use other government loans, alternative loans, and external scholarships too.