5 Benefits Biology Students Gain at a Christian College
- The Living World as God’s Creation
- Integration of Church and School
- Built in Support
- Greater Job Potential
- Broader Worldview
There is a common misconception that beliefs in science and Christianity cannot coexist. Perhaps this is because many colleges and universities teach it from one particular viewpoint, and many scientifically driven students are not of the Christian faith. This can leave Christian physical science students feeling isolated, devoid of the ability to freely understand their fields through a Christian lens. Here are five benefits of studying biology at Christian colleges.
Resource: Top 10 Biology, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Degree Programs at Christian Colleges 2018
1. The Living World as God’s Creation
There is nothing about the genetic makeup, growth, and development of living creatures that needs to be contradictory to Christian beliefs and values. They can all be viewed as part of God’s creative process when He made the world. At a Christian college, students will be taught the same biological facts from the same biological research as at other institutions of higher education. However, they will feel free to understand it, discuss it, write about it, and research it through the Christian lens, without fear of being misunderstood or ostracized.
2. Integration of Church and School
It is completely understandable why public schools in the United States lean away from integrating Christianity with education. Christianity is one of the many religions celebrated in the United States, and many others choose not to ascribe to any religion. Christian colleges are great for those students who wish to integrate their faith with their acquisition of higher knowledge. College is a busy time, and having a place to practice one’s familiar faith within their new and busy world makes this process easier.
3. Built In Support
College is not only a busy time, but it is also a stressful one. The exacerbation and development of mental health struggles increases greatly for many college students due to the pressure to succeed, lack of time for work life balance, and financial hardship of earning a higher degree. One of the main ways that Christians seek comfort and strength in times of stress is through religion. It is one thing to be a college student at a secular school and seek a religious community on the side. It is even more helpful if many of the various faculty, staff, and students around them share and support in the same faith.
4. Greater Job Potential
Degrees from an accredited Christian college are every bit as prestigious as a degrees from any other accredited college or university. Secular employers, or at least ones that a self-respecting individual would want to work for, are unlikely to turn away highly qualified applicants from Christian degree programs solely on the basis of religion. However, if one wants to work for a Christian institution, having some theological studies is necessary. While it is possible to study theology and sciences together at a secular college, it is built in at Christian colleges.
5. Broader Worldview
Understanding one’s own faith requires understanding it in comparison with other faiths. Degrees from Christian colleges, regardless of the major, often require completing coursework on other religions. Students who graduate from Christian colleges therefore graduate with even greater world knowledge than many students from secular colleges. As if this were not incentive enough, U.S. News & World Report explains that enrollment in Christian colleges is on this rise because this additional education comes at a lower tuition cost than many secular alternatives.
Many Christian high school seniors, especially those interested in physical sciences, feel like they come to a crossroads when it is time to choose college. They feel like they have to choose between their faith and their chosen career path. Thanks to these five benefits of studying biology at a Christian college, students can enjoy both and so much more.