History and Purpose

Design for Educational Excellence

Olivet Nazarene University offers an environment where educational excellence not only exists, but thrives. Employers continually seek Olivet graduates, for they know a college diploma has greater value when the person who earns it has gained the interpersonal skills, self-knowledge, self-esteem and personal integrity.

The liberal arts curriculum offers the best way to ensure the development of the whole person, so all graduates of Olivet may:

  1. be acquainted with both cognitive and affective dimensions of Christianity;
  2. be able to think, write and speak clearly and effectively;
  3. possess understanding of the dynamic processes within and between persons and the larger systems of which each person and group are a part;
  4. be exposed to an international culture;
  5. be able to understand the procedures of science and the impact of scientific issues on daily living; and
  6. have an informed acquaintance with the aesthetic experience of literature and the arts.

Building upon general education requirements, Olivet’s four Schools and one College further prepare Olivetians for success in their chosen career fields.

Faculty members aim to challenge each student, operating on the conviction that Christians can have an increased impact on the world through excellence in scholarship, logical thought and effective communication. More than 120 Olivet instructors are seasoned experts in their respective fields, and more than 68 percent of faculty members hold doctoral degrees.

Olivet holds the accreditation and approval of the nation’s top associations, including:

  • The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  • The American Dietetics Association
  • The Council on Social Work Education
  • The National Association of Schools of Music
  • The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • The American Board of Engineering and Technology
  • Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education programs

The University is a member of

  • American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
  • Midwest Association of Graduate Schools
  • Associated Colleges of Illinois
  • Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
  • Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
  • Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
  • Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
Olivet also is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area, with the special privilege of selective use of the Argonne National Laboratories for research and education.
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Olivet At a Glance

Founded: 1907

Location: Bourbonnais, Ill., just 50 minutes south of Chicago’s Loop

Campus: Beautiful, park-like campus including 30 major buildings on 250 acres

Degrees:
Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate (2007)

Academic Calendar:
Two-semester calendar, with summer offerings

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©2011 Olivet Nazarene University
One University Avenue • Bourbonnais, IL • 60914-2345
Phone: (800) 648-1463 • (815) 939-5011