Baylor University provides undergraduate students with a truly transformational education — one in which students develop their leadership potential, explore their faith and beliefs, increase their desire for wisdom, and prepare for service in a diverse and interconnected global society. In short, one in which students acquire the knowledge and vision to change the world.
Embodying Baylor’s distinctive integration of Christian faith and intellectual life, our faculty members are distinguished scholars who deeply value teaching undergraduate students. Faculty and staff members take a personal interest in the lives of undergraduate students, providing mentorship both within and beyond the classroom.
At Baylor, undergraduate students become part of a dynamic community of accomplished, remarkably diverse men and women who come from all 50 states and more than 85 countries. Within this community, students are challenged and inspired to build community and fulfill their dreams of personal growth, professional achievement and faith-based service.
At Baylor, learning is more than just what happens in the classroom. Our students’ educational experiences connect their academic and creative strengths to the surrounding world, providing experiential learning opportunities in the local community and beyond that help prepare them to become leaders who can resolve challenging problems in our state, nation, and world.
Baylor will continue to provide transformative undergraduate experiences that combine unwavering Christian commitment, informed engagement, and academic excellence in a way that is unparalleled within higher education.
To remain competitive within the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, the University must recruit, retain, and graduate an academically excellent and diverse student body. The most high-achieving prospective students expect academically excellent programs that provide them with undergraduate research opportunities and leadership development possibilities. This quality of student body also provides the type of learning environment that students need as they develop into the leaders each desires to become.
“Our Christian mission drives the decisions we make in the organization and informs the curriculum — the people we hire, the way we do business — in a way that is different than if you’re at a secular institution. There is a deeper way of thinking about the formation of student life. We’re developing students intellectually, socially and physically, but we’re also helping them grow and develop spiritually.”
Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, PH.D.
The high-quality students that Baylor attracts expect engaged learning opportunities that are interdisciplinary, research-driven, and combine curricular and co-curricular experiences.
To continue to provide the powerful learning experiences that have always been the cornerstone of a Baylor undergraduate experience, the University will increase the number and diverse nature of high-impact programs that foster transformational learning. Undergraduate research possibilities, internship offerings, study abroad experiences, and discipline-specific missions experiences integrate all of the factors that engage students in the transformative experiences that distinguish a Baylor education.
At Baylor, we believe in and embrace Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our Christian mission is at the heart of our Baylor identity. Living out this great commandment as we study, work, and live life together is vitally important to the transformational education that is a hallmark of Baylor University. The rich diversity of the Baylor Family reflects the diversity of our world and is one of our greatest blessings.
The Baylor community is fully committed to nurturing an environment for knowing, being, and doing across the campus where people of all backgrounds can sharpen their intellect, broaden their worldviews, deepen their capacity for compassion, enliven their passion for learning, and expand their ability to experience and offer the grace and peace of Christ to each other and to the world.
At Baylor, the academic development of students is animated by the Christian faith. To continue to provide the integrated undergraduate experiences that are foundational to a Baylor education, the University will deepen the moral/spiritual formation of students through curricular and co-curricular experiences that emphasize a theological understanding of vocation.
Baylor students will graduate and enter into a rapidly changing world that is driven by globalization and technological revolution. To thrive in this environment and provide the type of leadership, ethics, and Christian witness that the world needs, a Baylor education will expand and strengthen students’ cultural and global perspectives while emphasizing the values and precepts that shape our understanding of human dignity and worth.
Baylor has always provided the world with students who are prepared for worldwide leadership and service. Similar to the way in which the academic and moral/spiritual formation of students are integral to one another, so are the academic and civic formation of Baylor undergraduates. Illuminate will expand opportunities for student leadership development and civic-mindedness by deepening collaboration between Student Life and Academic Affairs to ensure that the University continues to graduate the kind of individuals who are increasingly essential to the flourishing of communities and institutions around the world.
Baylor exists within a higher education landscape that challenges the institution to demonstrate that the undergraduate experiences we provide have a direct impact on learning outcomes. A Baylor undergraduate education should result in measurable learning outcomes that illustrate how students have grown throughout their undergraduate experience. To ensure that such learning is occurring and to make curricular revisions as needed, the University will continue to pursue excellence in the four general education outcome areas of Christian Perspective, Civic Leadership, Communication, and Critical thinking.