Like many private and public institutions, The Master’s University offers accredited academics, a vibrant student life, competitive athletics, a beautiful campus and amenities, and top-ranked faculty. However, other aspects of the higher education experience can only be found at TMU.
Only at TMU will you find all of the following distinctives in the same place.
We teach that the Bible’s 66 books are the inspired Word of God, absolutely free from error in the original documents, infallible and God-breathed. We teach that the Bible is the only completely trustworthy source for instruction in faith and practice and that the truths of Scripture remain completely unchanged and fully authoritative from generation to generation. Scripture stands in judgment of men, not the other way around — and in every respect, our mission and educational philosophy are rooted in this belief.
TMU does not endorse old-Earth creationism, theistic evolution, or any other twisting of the biblical creation story. All of TMU’s faculty and staff affirm a literal six-day creation, and this view is taught in our classrooms. We believe that a commitment to Scripture must begin with Genesis 1:1.
All of our faculty, staff, administrators, and board members fully affirm TMU’s doctrinal statement, which has remained essentially unchanged since the inception of the institution in 1927. We live it out on and off-campus, and we teach it in the classroom, meaning students at TMU receive a cohesive, united point of view from all of the school’s employees.
TMU is one of the few schools in the country to require a statement of faith in Jesus Christ and a pastor’s recommendation for admission. This contrasts with “open enrollment,” which allows students of any faith or no faith to attend. This practice maintains a very distinct culture at TMU, allowing us to focus on our mission of providing believers with an education rooted unswervingly in Christ and Scripture.
TMU teaches a distinctively biblical approach to counseling, in contrast to psychological or integrational models. Our faculty features respected members of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, including Dr. Stuart Scott and Dr. John Street. Students who study biblical counseling at TMU, either at the undergraduate or graduate level, will be thoroughly trained in the theology and practice of counseling to help people change and grow from the inside out.
As part of general education at TMU, we require our undergraduate students (except for some transfer students) to take a series of six Bible classes: Old Testament Survey I & II, New Testament Survey I & II, and Christian Theology I & II. This ensures that our students graduate with foundational knowledge of every book of the Bible and every central point of biblical doctrine regardless of their major.
The Israel Bible Extension (IBEX) is TMU’s study abroad program in Israel. It allows students to spend an entire semester studying the Bible in the land of the Bible. For no additional tuition cost, students live at our satellite campus and experience firsthand the geography, archaeology, and culture of Israel.
Every summer, TMU sends out several teams of students for short-term mission trips around the globe. These Global Outreach teams support TMU alumni who are serving as long-term missionaries. Students return with a global mindset and lived experience of the needs on the mission field. Many students are inspired to pursue future missionary work.
TMU Italy is a study abroad program that allows a small cohort of students to spend six weeks studying intellectual history with humanities professors in the home of the European Renaissance. Students live in a historic villa in Florence, Italy, and earn nine undergraduate credits in various courses while being immersed in Italian culture and Renaissance history. The courses are taught through the lens of a biblical worldview by faculty who have committed their academic careers to studying the humanities. Students also take trips to Rome and Venice. They spend extensive time at museums, palaces, classical-era ruins, Renaissance gardens, the Vatican museum and libraries, and the famous Mediterranean Coast.
TMU is interwoven with The Master’s Seminary, Grace To You, Grace Community Church, and The Master’s Academy International — all ministries or organizations under the leadership of Dr. John MacArthur. TMU offers special scholarships to affiliates of these organizations and a 5-year B.A./M.Div. program designed in partnership with TMS.
Dr. John MacArthur, the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church and voice of Grace to You media ministry, became president of The Master’s University in 1985. He was the school’s longest-serving president before transitioning to the role of chancellor in 2019. As chancellor, MacArthur provides spiritual guidance and mentorship to the campus community, fosters trust with stakeholders, and engages with students through chapel and campus events.
The academic quality of TMU’s programs has been recognized by numerous local and national publications and institutions. From business and communication to kinesiology, English, and history, our programs across diverse disciplines have been recognized for their educational excellence without ever compromising on the matter of biblical truth. Specific rankings and statistics can be found at masters.edu/rankings.
TMU believes in educating the whole student, both mind and heart, inside and outside the classroom. Our intentionally small student body allows an unparalleled level of mentorship and discipleship in all areas of campus, including student life, academics, and athletics. We emphasize four fundamental biblical principles that promote a student’s comprehensive spiritual development: divine authority, heart transformation, sanctifying relationships, and gospel witness.
TMU offers a wide range of merit-, need-, and situation-based scholarships, which can be stacked with government aid and third-party scholarships to create a financial aid package that acknowledges the accomplishments and matches each student’s circumstances. TMU partners with over 300 affiliated churches and invests in students who further the mission of the University. Almost every TMU student qualifies for and receives some amount of financial aid.
