Southwestern College Professional Studies offers practical online degree programs focused on an enhanced learner experience, provided by a regionally accredited, 130+-year-old non-profit institution. Each learner can expect: hands-on counselors to help you navigate your program requirements; generous transfer credits to reduce your overall cost and time to completion; progressive, nationally recognized programs; accessible student resources to minimize the stress of degree completion; and small class sizes with experienced, practicing faculty to facilitate interaction and ensure your academic success. Long recognized as a recommended program for military members and their families, we offer generous military tuition discounts to make degree completion affordable; six-week classes offered in 8 sessions to accelerate enrollment; program flexibility to accommodate unexpected changes in your schedule.
Welcome to Southwestern College!
Southwestern College has been preparing students for lives of significance since 1885. Our main campus is located in Winfield, Kansas, and offers a traditional, residential experience in a warm and enthusiastic educational environment.
In our Professional Studies operations, we excel in developing personal relationships with our students no matter where they may be studying throughout the world. Our diverse student body is what makes us unique. Whether you are a single parent, full-time professional, or member of the armed forces, you will find a program at Professional Studies that works with your schedule.
Southwestern College Professional Studies offers a wide range of certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs. Our complete focus on you as a learner is what helps us stand out. Our online platform provides the flexibility our learners require while balancing career and family as they pursue their degree. With six-week sessions starting eight times per year, many programs can be completed at a progressive rate. Our dedicated team of academic success coaches works to guide each learner through their academic journey.
We hope you choose to become part of Southwestern College and look forward to working with you as you reach your academic goals with us.
History of Southwestern College
Southwestern College has its roots in the tradition of the Methodist circuit riders, whose love of education helped shape the educational landscape of the 19th Century. Founded in 1885 by the Southwest Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the college graduated its first class of three students on June 3, 1889. The City of Winfield contributed resources to the original campus. In 1909 its name was changed from Southwest Kansas Conference College to Southwestern College, and in 1917 the school earned accreditation by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.
Over the next 125 years the history of the non-profit college would be marked by several seminal events:
The merger of the Winfield College of Music with Southwestern, in 1926, was an event that further augmented the already strong performing arts programs. A 1950 fire destroyed the interior of Richardson Hall, the college’s administration building. The reconstruction of this building was symbolic of the renewal of the college’s relationships with the Methodist denomination and with the city of Winfield. In 1994 the first Professional Studies center opened in a storefront in downtown Winfield. With this step, the college signaled its commitment to reach learners in all stages of life development, unrestrained by physical location.
Southwestern College offers online and on-ground undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.
Traditional-aged students are housed and educated on a wooded 85-acre site in Winfield, Kansas. The curriculum and extensive co-curricular activities are designed to prepare Southwestern graduates for “leadership through service in a world without boundaries,” as its vision statement declares. The college has been forward-thinking in its approach to technology and was one of the first in the nation to issue laptop computers to all students. Campus facilities have seen major upgrades and expansion during the past quarter-century, with the most recent addition being the complete renovation of the Richardson Performing Arts Center and the construction of Richard L. Jantz Stadium.
Working adults of all ages complete college degrees through the Professional Studies program. The college’s commitment to accessibility and logistical ease has led to leadership in educational options for military personnel.
Graduate degrees are offered both on the main campus and through Professional Studies, with the college enrolling its first doctoral students (Doctorate in Educational Leadership) in 2012.
The college continues to be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Vision & Mission Statements of Southwestern College
Our Vision
Southwestern College Professional Studies is a learning community dedicated to:
- Intellectual growth and career preparation
- Individual development and Christian values
- Lifetime learning and responsible citizenship
- Leadership through service in a world without boundaries
The Mission of Southwestern College
Southwestern College provides a values-based learning experience that emphasizes intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth. Founded in 1885 by Kansas Methodists and now related to the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church, the college offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees on-ground and online.
Southwestern College:
- Prepares students for careers and for graduate studies with courses that foster critical thinking and effective communication and are characterized by meaningful professor-student interaction.
- Employs emerging technologies that promote learning.
- Strives to live by and teach a sustainable way of life.
- Provides preparation for a wide range of church-related vocations and involvement.
- Offers programs that embrace prior learning and facilitate career progression for working adults, members of the armed services, and persons in transition.
- Affords a residential learning experience abundant with co-curricular activities that build social awareness and interpersonal skills and cultivate an ethos of service and leadership.