University of Northwestern – St. Paul

The predecessor to the current university was first established in 1902 as the Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School by William Bell Riley, a pastor at First Baptist Church of Minneapolis.[1] The school separately opened a seminar, the Northwestern Theological Seminary, in 1933 before merging into one singular unit, the Northwestern Theological Seminary and the Bible School in 1944.

In 1951, the school began offering baccalaureate programs and, five years later in 1956, changed it name to just Northwestern College.[2] The school briefly closed from 1966 to 1972 after failing to earn accreditation from the North Central Association, although it was able eventually reopen after the purchase of the former Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the sale of its former campus in Loring Park. Accreditation was finally received in 1978.[3]

UNW also owns a chain of radio stations across the Midwest and Eastern United States, broadcasting listener-supported Christian music and teaching programs. Noted evangelist Billy Graham served as the school's second president from 1948 to 1952.[4][5]

The college gained university status in 2013, officially becoming the University of Northwestern – St. Paul on July 1.

The university was granted an exemption to Title IX in 2016 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.[6][7]

The University of Northwestern offers over 65 areas of study,[8] 6 of which are through its FOCUS Adult Undergraduate Program. Northwestern offers five master's degrees.[9]

The Graduate Studies program offers the following graduate degrees:

• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Organizational Leadership
• Master of Divinity
• Master of Theological Studies
• Master of Ministry Leadership

In February 1949, the Northwestern Schools opened KTIS AM and KTIS-FM in the Twin Cities area, the first in a series of radio stations across the Upper Midwest.

Major markets served by Northwestern stations include the Twin Cities; Fargo; Duluth; Madison; Waterloo, Iowa; Des Moines; Rapid City; Sioux Falls; Hartford, Connecticut; Kansas City; and Omaha. Northwestern also operates the Faith Radio Network The mission statement for the University of Northwestern – St. Paul's media ministry is: "to lead people to Christ and to nurture them in their spiritual growth through Christ Centered media".

University of Northwestern – St. Paul students operate a campus radio station, theMEL.fm, and a student television station. theMEL.fm is a station that broadcasts on KTIS-HD4 as well as a live Internet stream.

Music ensembles at Northwestern include the Northwestern Choir, UNW Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Con Brio Men's Chorus, Amata Women's Chorale, and numerous chamber ensembles. UNW Music degrees are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

The University of Northwestern – St. Paul's sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate athletic sports, including football, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's lacrosse. Northwestern is a member of the NCAA Division III, a Division I member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, and is one of nine full-time members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). Prior to its NCAA Division III membership, which began on a full-time basis prior to the 2008-2009 academic year, the Eagles were a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Since becoming a Division III member in 2008, the schools teams have earned bids to 32 NCAA Tournaments. In 2015 two University of Northwestern – St. Paul teams advanced to NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in men's basketball and women's volleyball. The Eagles volleyball team has advanced to ten of the last eleven NCAA Tournaments, 2 Sweet 16's (2015 & 2017), a Final Four (2016), and was a recipient of the NCAA's Sportsmanship Award for all divisions in 2009. The men's basketball team has also advanced to nine of the last ten NCAA national tournaments. The University of Northwestern – St. Paul became the first college football team in modern history to play two games on the same day. On October 8, 2005, under head coach Kirk Talley, the Eagles defeated Trinity Bible College 59–0 in a 12 noon kickoff before defeating Macalester College 6.5 miles down Snelling Avenue at 7 p.m. that night, 47–14.[12] The UNW football team has won two NCCAA Victory Bowls in 2000 and 2008. The University of Northwestern – St. Paul men's basketball team won the 2010 NCCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Tournament, defeating King College (Tennessee - NCAA Division II), for its first ever Division I championship by a score of 58–54.[13]

University of Northwestern – St. Paul athletic and recreation facilities [14] consist of the Ericksen Center (1996) (volleyball, men's and women's basketball) and the Reynolds Field complex (2014), which houses the Johnson Tennis Complex and 100 percent artificially turfed fields for baseball, softball, football, soccer and lacrosse. The outdoor facility also offers a running and jumping pit for track and field participants, a stadium, and four locker rooms.

• Benjamin Fernandes (B.A.'14) - award-winning speaker, entrepreneur and former national television presenter.
• Jonathan Papik (B.A. '04) - current Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court and judicial law clerk to Neil Gorsuch.
• Roger Youderian ('50) - American evangelical Christian missionary to Ecuador martyred in 1956.
• Dallas Jenkins - a film and television director, writer and film producer. Creator, director, and co-writer of The Chosen
• Sherman Augustus - an American actor. Augustus also played professional football with the San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings.
• Brian Lohse - an attorney and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2018.
• Elmer L. Towns (B.A. '54) - American Christian academic, pastor and writer who co-founded Liberty University.

• List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
• Higher education in Minnesota

• Official website