General Education

At Southwestern Adventist University, a Seventh-day Adventist liberal arts education emphasizes preparing students with a broad academic background to enable them to contribute to society in many, varied ways.  Flexibility, adaptability, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to lifelong learning go beyond the confines of a specific discipline.  We believe that broad skills and connections across disciplines, including an emphasis on the distinctive beliefs and history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, foster the development of the whole person who will be a responsible citizen of this world and the world to come.

Educating the Whole Person
1. Spiritual and Physical Wellbeing. An education focused on the whole person requires a preparation of the mental and physical body for learning.  General Education in this area should focus on the theological and historical foundations of our faith with an emphasis on the SDA health message.
2.  Intellectual Curiosity and Inquiry. Learning utilizes discovery, synthesis, analysis, and problem solving, skills which must be intentionally embedded across the curriculum in ways that inspire lifelong learning and enable students to apply them to a variety of situations and environments.
3.  Clear and Effective Communication. The ability to communicate thoughts and ideas in a clear and effective manner facilitates the participation of an educated person in society.  This concept extends beyond traditional oral and written forms to encompass current modes of expression and their personal, moral and social implications.