Zekaryah Wells is now in his second year of pursuing a Christian Ministry degree. His plan is to go into full-time Youth Ministry once he graduates. He said that the student-to-faculty ratio is beneficial to his studies.
“Compared to other colleges, Criswell definitely has more students than faculty. We have a better one-on-one situation,” Wells said.
At Criswell, each professor is committed to investing in students’ lives and giving them the personal attention they need to become leaders who are equipped for what God has called them to be. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1, professors teach smaller classes where students will receive individual attention. Ninety-two percent of Criswell’s full-time faculty have doctorates, making our faculty highly qualified and experts in their disciplines.
Junior Emma Shockey did a semester at a previous college before coming to Criswell. Once she arrived, she could tell the difference.
“I wanted something smaller and more personable, and when I arrived on campus it was exactly that. People knew you by name and they would start conversations with you,” said Shockey. Student-faculty ratio is a lot better. The fact that Dr. Warstler, my program advisor, knows me by name and knows me personally, not just a face. I could just go into his office, and he knows me well enough to give me advice.”
Current residents live in local apartment-style housing in downtown Dallas. Criswell partners with Dallas Theological Seminary and Vue Live Oak Apartments, located just two blocks from the Criswell campus. Apartments are fully furnished with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, where 2-4 residents live together. Criswell is in the process of building an on-campus residence hall that is projected to open in January 2021. It will offer 108 beds and have gathering places on each of the five floors.
The Housing Office offers safe, comfortable, and affordable living arrangements for undergraduate students. Students who take advantage of our housing options receive the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Christ alongside like-minded believers and to encourage and support one another.
Before leaving Magnolia, Texas, Wells considered tuition costs and discovered that Criswell, in comparison to other colleges, would be more affordable.
Investing in a future through higher education should not cost a fortune. Criswell College strives to make its programs as accessible as possible to students of all backgrounds. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency List, Criswell’s tuition cost is among the lowest 14% of private not-for-profit, 4-year colleges. Criswell offers an outstanding, faith-driven education at an affordable price. Tuition is $495 per credit hour for undergraduate students and $525 per credit hour for graduate students.
After doing cost comparisons, Wells realized that Criswell was not as costly as other colleges he was considering.
“In comparison to every other college that was doing Bible programs and Christian Ministry, it is not even half. It is way more affordable,” Wells said.
Criswell 360° is a 4-year sequence of classroom and campus activities that are both challenging and supportive and crafted to ensure that every student becomes the leader God is calling them to be. In the first year, students start to grow and cultivate the skills, mindset, and habits that will shape them into ambassadors, cultivators, peacemakers, problem-solvers, and professionals. First-year students take the Roots of a Christian Scholar course, an introduction to the Holy Spirit’s role in the Christian’s life and to the basic disciplines necessary for the development of the Christian disciple as a student and a leader. First-year students also join peer groups that meet weekly with a peer mentor to process their experiences together and explore essential topics regarding success.
In the second year, students learn how to serve cross-culturally. Every student goes on a global learning and service trip, either to Israel or a U.S.- Mexico border town. By the end of the third semester, every student will have declared their chosen major. Students will talk face-to-face with those working to understand and solve problems in their communities and seek to understand people whose cultures differ from theirs.
In the third year, students learn to serve locally and take an introductory course in the theology and practice of missions. Students must complete a minimum of 20 hours of involvement in a local mission project through a local church or ministry as arranged by their professors. As students begin studying more closely with professors in their chosen major, they also begin consulting with alumni in their chosen careers.
In the fourth year, seniors prepare for professional life by engaging in an internship, consolidating career advice from alumni and professors into a career plan, and preparing an ePortfolio to showcase their experiences, learning, and accomplishments as students.
Wells said Criswell College is preparing him for a life of serving the Lord and serving people.
“My goal is to fulfill God’s calling, and I do believe the school is preparing me for it,” Wells said.
Seniors graduate ready to enter their professional life as leaders who serve the world as ambassadors, cultivators, peacemakers, problem-solvers, and professionals.
