Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University International Student Insurance

Azusa Pacific University (APU), located in Azusa, California, was established in 1899. It’s a private, evangelical Christian school that opened in Whittier, California, as the Training School for Christian Workers in 1900, the first Bible college on the West Coast. It relocated to Azusa in 1946. Among mergers with other schools and changes in status, it changed its name several times from Pacific Bible College in 1939 (the first year that four-year degrees were offered) to Azusa College to Azusa Pacific College to Azusa Pacific University in 1981. The school enrolls just over 10,000 students and counting per year. Its colors are brick and black, and its athletic nickname is the cougar.

Azusa offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs on its main campus, online, and at seven regional locations in Southern California (Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, High Desert, Monrovia, and Murrieta). The Azusa Pacific Seminary, part of the Graduate School of Theology, prepares students for careers in ministry, church leadership, teaching, and community engagement. In line with its Christian orientation, the university’s “Four Cornerstones” are Christ, Scholarship, Community, and Service.

On Campus

The university libraries include a number of unique collections, including five first-edition prints of the King James Bible and five fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Research initiatives at Azusa include the Center for Research on Ethics and Values, which promotes interdisciplinary dialogue and ethics research; El Centro Teológico Hispano, which offers courses, guest speakers, and relationship-building opportunities in the field of Hispanic church studies; the Center for Vocational Ministry, an undergraduate program providing resources and support to students considering a career in ministry; and the Office of Faith Integration, which seeks to promote dialogue between academics and the Christian faith.

Notable Alumni

Notable Azusa Pacific University alumni include Olympic decathlon medalist Bryan Clay; leadership coach John C. Maxwell; Broadway actress Marcie Dodd; Internet personalities Baked Alaska and Colleen Ballinger; journalist Tracee Carrasco; Harlem Globetrotter Kevin Daley; and musician and activist Malynda Hale.