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College of Professional Programs

collage of photos showing computer science, exercise science, and education students

Professional Programs Degrees

The mission of the College of Professional Programs is to equip students to pursue academic excellence through professional programs with a biblical 
worldview in a caring environment committed to the principles of free enterprise.

Three divisions are housed within the College of Professional Programs:

Division of Computing & Mathematics

Area of Computing

SBU's computing degree programs are dynamic and nationally-recognized. SBU is a leading U.S. institution among evangelical Christian colleges in producing computing professionals and scientists. This area offers ten degree programs:

Area of Mathematics

The mathematics degrees at Southwest Baptist University teach graphical presentation of information, logical reasoning, and precision of statement and thought — all from a Christian perspective.

Students are prepared for continued scholarship and positions of leadership from a Christian perspective in secondary mathematics teaching, graduate study in mathematically related fields, and employment in a global society with many problems that need solutions. Undergraduate degrees are offered in:

Additionally, students can serve as math tutors or engage in research using cutting-edge technology, enhancing their experience in the program.

Division of Education

The Division of Education is a learning community preparing teachers and administrators to be caring, effective practitioners in today’s schools.

The division offers undergraduate degrees in: 

The teacher education program is approved by the State Board of Education of the State of Missouri on an annual basis. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) grants this approval. The Teacher Education Program is also recognized by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

The purpose of the Graduate Programs in Education is to provide learning experiences that will assist teachers to improve their capability to teach in elementary, middle and secondary schools. These programs provide training leading to the recommendation for certification for elementary, middle or secondary school building principalship and district superintendency. This division offers master’s degree options in:

The division also offers further advanced degrees:

Division of Graduate Technology and Information Sciences

SBU's graduate computing degree programs are dynamic and nationally-recognized; SBU is also a leading U.S. institution among evangelical Christian colleges in producing computing professionals and scientists. This area offers five graduate degree programs:

Accreditation

Specialized Accreditation

The Computer Science program at Southwest Baptist University is accredited by the Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. 

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) has accredited the following programs within the College of Professional Programs:

  • Information Systems, B.S.

The following computing programs are not currently accredited by ABET nor ACBSP: Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Cybersecurity Operations and Management, Digital Application Design, and Software Engineering.

Program Review

There are several different reporting measures the College utilizes in order to identify what our graduates obtain as a result of their educational experience at SBU.  While the pursuit of a Christian higher education has a number of intangible experiences, the items that follow will help to convey the educational significance our graduates have gained.

Major Field Test

The Major Field Test is a test given to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree by the ETS organization (the same company that administers the SAT test). ETS reports that from September 2013 to June 2015, 563 colleges and universities utilized this instrument to evaluate the capabilities of their soon-to-be graduates. 

According the ETS website, “the ETS® Major Field Tests are … outcomes assessments designed to measure the critical knowledge and understanding obtained by students in a major field of study. The Major Field Tests go beyond the measurement of factual knowledge by helping you evaluate students’ ability to analyze and solve problems, understand relationships and interpret material from their major field of study.”  The areas of study considered on the Major Field Test are:

  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Information Systems
  • International Issues
  • Legal and Social Environment
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Quantitative Business Analysis

The ETS website goes on to say that, “ETS offers comprehensive national comparative data for the Major Field Tests, enabling you to evaluate your students' performance and compare your program's effectiveness to programs at similar institutions nationwide.”

The data is presented in percentiles with 99% being the highest ranking of those taking the test and 1% being the lowest.  Here is how Southwest Baptist University students have performed over the last several semesters.

Date SBU Overall Percentile
2024-25 74th percentile
2023-24 73rd percentile
2022-23 60th percentile
2021-22 67th percentile

Assessment Indicators Report (PDF)

Employment Rates of Graduates

We actively track continuing education or job placement of our graduates. We want to know when our graduates accept employment offers or have been accepted into an additional educational program, including master’s or doctoral work. The following chart communicates the percentage of graduates that accept employment or are admitted into an educational program.

College of Business Job Placement Rate by Program (of those that responded)

Where do our students find jobs?

What follows is a non-comprehensive list of organizations that employ our graduates. It has been segmented according to each academic discipline area.

Computer and Information Sciences
  • Alarm.com
  • American National Insurance
  • Central Bank
  • CGI Federal
  • Enterprise
  • Department of Defense
  • Duck Creek Technologies
  • FIS Global
  • Garmin
  • IBM
  • Jack Henry & Associates
  • O'Reilly Automotive
  • Perceptive Software
  • Shelter Insurance
  • Tyler Technologies
  • Wal-Mart ISD

Retention Rates

The rates for retaining students from their first to their second year within the College is as follows:

  College of Business University
Fall 2024 to Fall 2025 79% 69%
Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 30% 39%
Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 76% 73%
Fall 2021 to Fall 2022 71% 65%
Fall 2020 to Fall 2021 75% 68%

Graduation Rates

The graduation rates for first-year, first-time degree-seeking students within the College is as follows:

  College of Business University
Fall 2019 first-year students that graduated by 2025 51% 45%
Fall 2018 first-year students that graduated by 2024 62% 52%
Fall 2017 first-year students that graduated by 2023 56% 50%
Fall 2016 first-year students that graduated by 2022 56% 40%
Fall 2015 first-year students that graduated by 2021 52% 50%

Assessment Reports

Computer and Information Sciences Assessment Report (PDF)

Student learning outcomes

Computer and Information Sciences Learning Outcomes Report (PDF)

Accreditation standards results

Standard 4

Standard 6

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