Mar 19, 2024  
2016-2017 Graduate Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The University


Lipscomb University

As a liberal arts university building upon a 125-year heritage of academic excellence, Lipscomb University offers an engaging, intellectually challenging environment for graduate education and a commitment to encourage and support spiritual formation in every member of the university community. Lipscomb’s 89-acre campus is located in the Green Hills area of Nashville, Tennessee, an “it” city according to The NY Times. In this dynamic and beautiful setting, Lipscomb supports a nurturing environment where students can develop professionally and personally.

The Lipscomb community is diverse, with a 4,680-member undergraduate and graduate student body representing 45 states and 43 nations that includes numerous ethnic cultures and religious traditions. More than 1,600 post-baccalaureate students are enrolled in master’s and doctoral degree programs providing academic and professional development opportunities that extend career opportunities. An average graduate class size of 17 students creates an environment for productive and rich interaction among students from diverse professional and educational backgrounds as well as between students and faculty. Lipscomb’s outstanding full-time faculty, 83 percent of whom hold a terminal degree in their field of expertise, are accomplished teachers, active researchers and dedicated Christians who present a valuable understanding of their discipline in application to the professional world.

Construction of new facilities, such as a research center where an effective treatment option for breast cancer patients is being conducted through a grant from the National Institutes of Health, development of new academic programs in response to today’s- and tomorrow’s-job marketplace and the stewardship of financial resources are all strategic in providing Lipscomb students with a quality education relevant to today’s world.

Exciting and unique graduate programs in areas such as exercise and nutrition science, sustainability, civic leadership, engineering management, biomolecular science, health care informatics, and film and creative media, coupled with traditional graduate programming in areas of business, theology, psychology and education, have broadened our appeal and strengthened the university’s reputation for excellence.

Lipscomb annually receives top rankings from U.S. News and World Report (Top 20 regional universities in the South), Kiplinger (100 best values in private universities), Washington Monthly (top 12 percent in the nation of colleges offering the “Best Bang for the Buck”), and others. As we continue our growth and educational expansion, we invite you to be a part of one of the leading institutions in the Southeast for preparing educated students to be leaders in their selected fields. Join us on a journey that will be life-changing.

Degrees and Certificates of Graduate Study

Lipscomb University currently confers the following post-baccalaureate degrees:

Doctor of Education (learning organizations and strategic change)

Doctor of Ministry

Doctor of Pharmacy

Education Specialist (education leadership, collaborative professional learning, English language learning, professional learning and coaching in reading specialty)

Master of Accountancy (concentrations in taxation, audit/accounting, or a distributed option)

Master of Arts (Christian ministry, civic leadership, conflict management, film and creative media, and leadership and public service)

Master of Business Administration (concentrations in accounting and finance, health care management, leadership, or a distributed option)

Master of Divinity

Master of Education (collaborative professional learning; educational leadership; English language learning; instructional practice; reading specialty; special education; teaching, learning and leading; and technology integration)

Master of Fine Arts (film and creative media)

Master of Management

Master of Marriage and Family Therapy

Master of Professional Studies 

Master of Science (applied behavior analysis, biomolecular science, data science, exercise and nutrition science, health care informatics, information technology, clinical mental health counseling, psychology, software engineering, and sustainability)

Master of Theological Studies

The university also awards the following Certificates of Graduate Studies: advanced applied behavior analysis, aging services leadership, serving the aging consumer, conflict management, English language learning, health care informatics, information technology, instructional coaching, literacy coaching, pastoral care for the aging, professional accountancy, software engineering, student ministry, sustainability and technology integration. These certificates do not imply professional certification but are intended to strengthen students’ qualifications and professional portfolios in specific areas.

Accreditations and Memberships

Lipscomb University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Lipscomb University.

The Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb is a member of the Association of Theological Schools. ATS is the premier accrediting organization for graduate, professional theological schools in the United States.

The College of Business programs at the graduate and undergraduate level are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. In addition, the accounting program has achieved separate accreditation for both its undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The College of Education M.Ed. and Ed.D. programs at Lipscomb University are approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education, and are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

The College of Pharmacy offers the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The Institute for Sustainable Practice is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 

Mission

Lipscomb University is a private coeducational institution whose principal focus is undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences, combined with a number of undergraduate professional and pre-professional fields, and master’s and doctoral degree programs. Its primary mission is to integrate Christian faith and practice with academic excellence. This mission is carried out not only in the classroom but also by involvement in numerous services to the church and the larger community.