Academic Department Histories
Art Department
Since 1972 the Art Department has been a recognized leader in Christian visual arts education. Its graduates are serving around the world as educators, artists and designers, working in a variety of professional, service and missions organizations.
The art program has grown from its early beginnings in the late 1950’s when it was established by Dorothy Kindell, a kindergarten teacher who had a passion for art and Christian education. The first Biola art majors graduated in 1972 – with 25 students enrolled in the department. During the 1980’s, under the leadership of Professors Barry Krammes (department chair from 1987-2001), Dan Callis and Roger Feldman, the department grew and was transformed into the nationally recognized program that it is today. In 1995, the art department became accredited with the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. In 2003, the art program took a major step forward when it developed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program (B.F.A.) and moved from a liberal arts education to a professional curriculum that is the choice for students wanting professional careers in the visual arts.
Today, Biola art majors engage in a rigorous program that integrates Christian thought and artistic practice while responding to contemporary visual arts culture. Art students are trained to communicate and influence the world in which they live while studying in one of the most cosmopolitan and influential international, arts centers in world. The BFA studio art degree program equips students to meet the increasing challenges of living in the 21st century
Business
Biola University’s Business Department boasts an impressive history. Established in 1968, the program prepared students for a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. It continued to grow through the years. In 1993, the School of Business was established as the fifth school in the University. It again expanded with the 2001 addition of its Master of Business Administration degree program. It didn’t stop there.
In the next few years, the School of Business made Biola history by gaining a new name—and building. In 2005, it officially became the Crowell School of Business, named after the Crowell family, of Crowell, Weedon & Co., long-time supporters of the university and relatives of Lyman Stewart. In 2007, the new building made its debut at Biola. Through the generosity of the Crowell family and other donors, the 32,000 square-foot building was equipped with tiered classrooms and the latest technology, helping to enrich the educational experience.
Today, Crowell School of Business boasts an enrollment of approximately 400 students, earning it the title as the largest undergraduate major at Biola. It continues to maintain excellence academically and growing in spiritual transformation, equipping students to view business as ministry, encouraging them to pursue excellence in leadership, strength in mind and character, and maturity in faith so they may impact the business world for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Communications Studies
The Department of Communication Studies finds its roots in the desire of the founders of this university to train students to reach the world with the message of the gospel. In the early years, the Bible Institute offered a class in public speaking that focused on preaching, teaching and reading the Bible aloud. The Department of Speech was later formed in 1950 with the aim of teaching students how to effectively share Biblical truths through their speech. During its beginning years, the department had a successful forensics team and hosted occasional evangelistic dramas.
The department expanded in 1971 and was renamed the Communication Department. New classes were offered in drama, speech pathology and mass communication. Throughout the next three decades, programs were built in all of these areas, and by 2003, the department had grown to include over 500 students. A decision was then made to move the mass communication programs to a new department, and the current department was renamed the Department of Communication Studies.
Today, with a focus on graduating students who are trained in both the theory and practice of the communicative arts, the department has become one of the top evangelical communication studies departments in the United States. The drama program is growing, and the forensics team is nationally ranked as one of the best in parliamentary debate. With these strong programs in place and exciting plans on the horizon, the Communication Studies Department is seeing its best days and looking towards an even brighter future.
Journalism
Not many evangelical Christian colleges or universities in the U.S. have departments of journalism. Journalism as a widespread academic discipline in American higher education traces only to the early 1900s. Biola, in the 1970s, offered its first courses in journalism as part of what was then a growing department of communication led by Dr. Todd Lewis, assisted by Dr. Tom Nash. Nash recruited Dr. Doug Tarpley, a former journalist and long-time journalism educator, in 2003 to take journalism education at Biola to the next level.
Under Tarpley, Biola’s journalism curriculum was revamped and expanded, and journalism enrollment began growing. He recruited adjunct faculty with professional expertise in public relations, television and media law, and brought nationally known journalists to campus as guest speakers. Tarpley’s main contributions were to show journalism’s value within Christian academia, and build an expectation of excellence among journalism students.
In 2005, Dr. Michael Longinow was recruited to lead Biola’s Journalism program as Tarpley became Dean of Fine Arts and Communication. Longinow, a former newspaper reporter, seasoned educator and journalism historian, helped create a stand-alone department of Journalism at Biola. He hired two more full-time faculty in journalism, and further refined the curriculum and in 2007 the Journalism department was born.
Today, Biola’s more than 120 Journalism majors take concentrations in print news, television news, public relations and visual journalism. The department weaves media convergence through its curriculum, and takes a cross-cultural approach to teaching. Students get hands-on experience in writing, visuals and design for newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio and the Web.
Nursing
Dr. Leonie Soubirou had a true heart for nursing, and she felt God leading her to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
The Institute had developed a medical training program for its students studying missions, but when that course of study was discontinued, the medical program was as well. Students were still being trained to go overseas, but none were being taught how skills in healing the body could be used to minister to souls.
Dr. Soubirou saw the need and in 1945 she established the School of Missionary Medicine. This one-year program trained students in everything from dentistry to tropical medicine, and graduates were eligible to take the state test to become licensed vocational nurses.
Throughout the next 30 years, Dr. Soubirou expanded her program to meet the needs of a changing world. As a result of the growing trend towards professional nursing education, Dr. Soubirou established an accredited baccalaureate nursing program at Biola in 1966.
After Dr. Soubirou’s retirement, the Department of Nursing continued to carry the legacy of the School of Missionary Medicine. The department faculty started summer programs that enabled nursing students to meet the health care needs of the poor in Los Angeles and overseas. The curriculum is still based on a Christian philosophy of nursing, and there is a continued focus on providing health care to the underserved and ethnically diverse populations. The department has graduated over 1,200 men and women ready to serve Christ by caring for the physical needs of people around the world.
Physical Science
Prior to 1973 the Physical Science Department existed to provide service courses for general education and specific courses for biology and nursing majors. Under the leadership of Peter Kurtz and Jim Rynd, in 1973, a physical science major was established, which offered interdisciplinary studies between physics and chemistry.
The major offered excellent preparation for students interested in teaching physical science in junior and senior high schools. Its courses included analytical chemistry, thermodynamics, quantum physics and circuits and instrumentation. It also prepared students for working in technical vocations in industry and government.
The department continued to grow, and in 1991 the engineering program was added in cooperation with the University of Southern California dual degree program.
Today, the Physical Science major offers three emphases: chemistry, physics, and engineering. By next year, it plans to formally add an emphasis in science teaching for those planning to obtain a secondary teaching credential. The department continues to integrate scientific knowledge and theories with the Christian faith. With faith at its center, its future only looks brighter.
