Located in beautiful Southern California, San Diego Christian College is a non-denominational liberal arts college listed as one of the Top 10 Best Small Colleges in California. SDC is regionally accredited by the Senior Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
SDC’s mission is to equip the next generation of Christian leaders to impact the world for Christ. By integrating faith and learning, students at SDC develop a strong Christian worldview in a God-focused community of staff, faculty, and peers. Service learning and internship opportunities encourage students to apply their learning as they respond to the call on their lives to serve Christ in all things.
History
SDC was founded as Christian Heritage College in 1970 by Dr. Tim LaHaye, Dr. Art Peters, and Dr. Henry Morris. These men saw the need for a Christian college on the West Coast where studies could be developed within the framework of creationism based on Genesis. The first degrees were awarded in 1973. Originally affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention, the college shared the campus of Shadow Mountain Community Church.
In 2005, Christian Heritage College became San Diego Christian College (SDC). In 2014, SDC moved to its new high-tech campus in Santee. While the name and location have changed, its mission remains the same: to educate and inspire students through the truth of Scripture and the development of competencies that prepare graduates whose purpose is to impact the world.
Setting
San Diego Christian College is located at 200 Riverview Parkway in Santee, California, just a short distance from the ocean, the mountains, and downtown San Diego. Its campus borders a linear greenbelt that includes parks, trails, and more than 1,100 acres of natural riparian habitat along the San Diego River. Nearby recreational opportunities include hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, and birdwatching.
Santee is home to the Creation and Earth History Museum, a popular homeschool field trip destination. The city of Santee has one of the lowest crime rates in San Diego County. Easy access to freeways allows travel to any of San Diego’s attractions within half an hour. San Diego’s many cultural, entertainment, and research centers provide SDC students an excellent opportunity to participate in a wide variety of educational, recreational, and cultural activities.
Academics
SDC provides an excellent liberal arts education that thrives on making the Bible come alive. In keeping with its mission as an institution of higher education, the college offers a wide range of traditional or online Associate’s and Bachelor of Art/Science degrees that are designed to prepare each student for his or her career and life beyond college. The Master of Arts in Teaching is the first graduate program to be offered at SDC.
Major programs include: Aviation, Biblical Studies, Biological Science, Business Administration, Communication, English, History, Kinesiology, Leadership & Justice, Liberal Studies, Performing Arts, Psychology, and Interdisciplinary Studies. The most popular majors in recent years have been Business Management and Bible Studies. The Aviation department now offers an exciting new concentration in Unmanned Aerial Systems.
The college’s student/faculty ratio is 14:1, allowing for small class sizes. All SDC programs are built on the foundation of a Christian worldview and structured around a core of general education competencies. Faculty and administration “desire each and every student to purposefully seek after God in all they do, to pursue an incredible educational experience while earning a Bachelor’s degree, and to learn how to become the next generation of Godly leaders.”
SDC is committed to the idea that the assessment of student learning helps maintain a dynamic learning environment. Assessment efforts in general education are at the core of developing student skills in written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, and critical thinking. In addition, each degree program at SDC culminates in senior capstone learning experiences structured to demonstrate student mastery of the established program learning outcomes.
Honors Program
SDC’s Aletheia Honors Program engages high-achieving, active learners in academic discourse toward aletheia (unveiled truth) with prominent global scholars, applying scholarly learning to contemporary issues from a biblical worldview. Potential Honors students must have a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and a minimum test score of 1635 (SAT) or 24 (ACT). Honors applicants will need to write a 500 word essay on “The Value of Christian Scholarship” and participate in a phone interview followed by a face-to-face interview.
All Honors students will complete their General Education requirements in the Honors program, while also progressing in the major coursework for their chosen field of study. In a curriculum structured around the dynamic voices of global cultures, students will engage in research pursuits, explore a variety of leadership opportunities, and impact the wider community through service and ministry.
Award-Winning Technology
In 2014, San Diego Christian College received the San Diego Top Tech award. With over 250 nominees in five categories, SDC won the award as the leading educational institution. All aspects of the campus are built on innovative technology, including the following high-tech innovations: a cloud-based infrastructure; full integration of web services including email, telephone (removed all physical telephones), video conferencing, messaging, and more through Office 365; fiber optics throughout the campus; implementation of a one-card system for purchases and access to buildings; full campus WI-FI connection; migration to a new Learning Management System, and more. Robert Jensen, Vice President for Advancement and Administration, stated: “If education is a door that leads to many new opportunities, then technology is a key that can open those doors. It is necessary to prioritize technology as a catalyst in the learning environment.”
Student Life
SDC has over 18 Christian denominations represented in its student body. The students come from 29 different states and 14 countries. Of the total 600 students, the current ratio of women to men is 3:2. Approximately 50% are resident students, and 50% commute or attend classes entirely online. In addition to being homeschool-friendly, SDC was granted Military Friendly® School status for providing a supportive educational environment that assists veterans in their academic and career pursuits.
The SDC resident complex is made up of five individual apartment-style buildings. (Click here for a list of items that are provided/not provided.) A dining hall, health services, library, and chapel are located on campus. Chapel attendance is required of all traditional undergraduate students carrying 12 or more units. SDC’s extensive library of print and electronic resources, classified by the Dewey Decimal system, support the research and educational needs of students, faculty and staff.
“Community Matters” is the motto of the Student Life Department at SDC. In an effort to promote community engagement, and to educate and empower students to become civically minded people, they love to do community service projects and missions. Also, in the event of a campus or community crisis, SDC has developed an Emergency Action Plan for its students and employees.
San Diego Christian’s athletic teams are nicknamed The Hawks. SDC is a member of the NAIA Division I, and GSAC (Golden State Athletic Conference). Current sports programs include: Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Women’s Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball.
Admissions & Dual Enrollment
It’s free to apply online at http://sdcc.edu. The acceptance rate is about 50%. Over 95% of SDC students receive financial assistance through a variety of programs. Homeschool students will need to provide a signed certificate or transcript of their coursework. The college accepts CLEP credits, and also offers high school juniors and seniors who have a minimum GPA of 3.0 the opportunity to enroll in a challenging college-level experience through its Concurrent Enrollment Program. Upon graduating from high school, those students desiring full-time student status at SDC must submit an application and meet the necessary admissions requirements. This includes an academic recommendation and a spiritual life recommendation, both of which must be completed by a non-relative.
College Visit Day
College Visit Day enables you to experience life at SDC. Meet with counselors, interact with faculty and staff, tour the campus, sit in on a class, attend chapel, and enjoy all that SDC has to offer. Professors will also be available to meet with you and answer your questions about the major and/or career you believe God is calling you to pursue. The next College Visit Day will be November 13, 2015. Register here to attend or call 800-676-2242 for more information.