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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 seven undergraduate majors:

  • Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science
  • Bachelor of Science in  Computer Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Operations and Management - Business Management Concentration
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Operations and Management - Computing and Projecting Management Concentration
  • Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Operations and Management - Data Science Concentration
  • Bachelor of Science in Data Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Web Systems and Design
  • Computer Information Science Minor
  • Computer Science Minor
  • Cybersecurity Minor
  • Data Science Minor
  • Web Systems and Design Minor

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 have the opportunity to lead math labs, serve as a math tutor or help with math contests SBU hosts for elementary and middle school students. Research opportunities and cutting-edge technology are available to undergraduate students to make their experience in the program the best.

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: 

  • Associate of Science in Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Elementary education
    • Focus Areas:
      • Early Childhood
      • Middle School Language Arts Middle school education 
      • Middle School Mathematics
      • Middle School Science
      • Middle School Social Science
  • Bachelor of Arts or Science in Global Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Middle School Education
    • Content Areas:
      • Middle School Language Arts
      • Middle School Mathematics
      • Middle School Science
      • Middle School Social Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Physical education

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. The division offers a master of science in education, with concentration options available in:

  • Master of Science in Educational Administration
  • Master Certifications
    • Master of Science in Education - General Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - K12 - Art Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - K12 - Music Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - K12 - PE Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - Elementary Education Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - Secondary Education Certification
    • Master of Science in Education - Literacy Certification

The division also offers further advanced degrees:

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:

  • Computer and Information Sciences, B.S.

The Web Systems and Design major is a recent addition to the College and as a result is not currently accredited.

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
2021-22 67th percentile
2020-21 83rd percentile
2019-20 87th percentile

Assessment Indicators Report (PDF)

Employment Rates of Graduates

Students graduating from colleges and universities across the United States tend to fall into one of the five following situations: 

  1. A student has been active in seeking employment prior to graduation, has been offered a position with an organization, and agreed to accept the position upon graduation.
  2. A student has applied and been accepted to a graduate program they will pursue upon graduating with a bachelor's degree.
  3. A student has begun looking for employment or is seeking acceptance into a graduate program but has yet to secure the desired position.
  4. While finishing his or her bachelor's degree, the student is not geographically positioned where he or she would like to live or is not devoting attention to the job search process early enough to secure employment prior to graduation.
  5. The student shows little, if any, initiative to find employment or pursue further education.

The College of Professional Programs rarely sees individuals which would fall into the fifth category discussed above. This is partially related to the rigor and quality of the programs offered. The programs provided at SBU simply do not appeal to that type of student. However, we do have students which would fall into the first four categories which leads to the employment rates provided below.

Since 2013, we have actively tracked continuing education or job placement of our graduates. We want to know when our graduates accepted employment offers or have been accepted into an additional educational program such as an MBA, PhD, etc. We evaluate this information at three different points of time: graduation day, three months after graduation, and six months after graduation. The following chart communicates the percentage of our graduates that accept employment or are admitted into an educational program.

Graduates by Program: 2017-2018
Accounting 5
Accounting and Information Assurance 1
Management 18
Marketing 13
Sport Marketing 4
Economics/Finance 2
Computational Finance 0
International Business 6
Public Relations 3
General Business 6
Computer Information Science 5
Web Systems and Design 4
Computer Science  9
MBA 6
Undergraduate Placement
Time Period At Graduation 3 Months From Graduation 6 Months From Graduation Of those employed, how many are utilizing their degrees?
Fall 2017 64% 79% 86% 86%
Spring 2017 66% 79% 85% 75%
Fall 2016 76% 88% 94% 88%
Spring 2016 67% 91% 98% 90%
Fall 2015 75% 94% 100% 94%
Spring 2015 81% 94% 100% 86%
Fall 2014 57% 100% 100% 71%
Spring 2014 70% 95% 97% 79%
Fall 2013 36% 64% 82% 67%
Spring 2013 49% 77% 86% 81%
Graduate (MBA) Placement
Time Period At Graduation 3 Months From Graduation 6 Months From Graduation Of those employed, how many are utilizing their degrees?
Spring 2017 100% 100% 100% 100%

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
  • Accenture
  • Cerner Corporation
  • IBM
  • Wal-Mart ISD
  • Shelter Insurance
  • Jack Henry & Associates
  • Gateway
  • Garmin
  • Alarm.com
  • Tyler Technologies
  • Central Bank
  • Enterprise Leasing
  • Department of Defense
  • O'Reilly Automotive
  • ANPAC
  • Perceptive Software
  • CGI Federal
  • FIS Global

Retention Rates

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

Fall 2015 to Fall 2016 74.2%
Fall 2014 to Fall 2015 70.0%
Fall 2013 to Fall 2014 78.3%
Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 69.8%

Graduation Rates

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

Fall 2011 first-year students that graduated by 2016 58.9%
Fall 2010 first-year students that graduated by 2015 54.2%
Fall 2009 first-year students that graduated by 2014 41.2%
Fall 2008 first-year students that graduated by 2013 38.5%
Fall 2007 first-year students that graduated by 2012 47.1%

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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