Graduate and Online Programs Information

History of Graduate and Online Programs

Since its inception as Central College in 1897, Huntington University has had programs for the professional development of adult learners. A Theological Seminary was founded in 1940 to grant Bachelor of Divinity degrees.  

The Graduate School of Christian Ministries served ministry students from 1972 to 2010. The Master of Education degree was launched in 2004, adding breadth to Huntington’s graduate offerings. In 2005, the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry Leadership was launched with off-site locations as well as online learning components through 2015. The Master of Arts in Counseling program was developed in 2007, leading to state licensure in counseling. In 2008, the University began to offer online degrees in the Professional Programs, now Online Programs. The Graduate Christian Ministry program, which includes a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership, started in 2014. The Doctorate in Occupational Therapy also began in 2014, located on the Parkview Hospital Randallia campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A new location of OTD students was added at the Peoria, Arizona location in the spring of 2021, and an OTA/PTA to OTD Bridge program was added in the Spring of 2024. In the fall of 2015, an online Master of Arts in Counseling and an online Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership was launched, including a credential in executive coaching and counseling and a certificate in leadership coaching. The leadership coaching certificate aligned the course work with the International Coaching Federation in 2020.The Master of Business Administration degree commenced in 2017 offering both face-to-face and online components, now students are able to enjoy a Hyflex modality choosing to participate in classes that fit their schedule.

Community Life

Huntington University strives to create and promote an atmosphere that will encourage students to develop the highest attainable degree of maturity within the framework of an evangelical Christian faith. The primary obligation of all students is to live as responsible members of a Christian community, seeking to live up to their own ideals as they themselves grow personally, morally and spiritually. 

Student Services

The Office of Career Development offers a multitude of services ranging from career counseling, online career information and assessments and graduate school information.  

Career services are available to alumni. Career coaching and resume assistance is free and can be conducted through various technology means.

Friesen Center for Service and Experiential Learning

Huntington University's Friesen Center for Service and Experiential Learning provides various learning opportunities to students through service and professional development experiences. Involvement in service builds self-efficacy as students address a community need or social issue. Service also contributes to developing soft skills such as collaboration and leadership through practical, hands-on projects with diverse populations.

Professional development, like practica and internships, offers students work experience that helps students develop vital skills and enhances career choices. Activities such as internships, practica, job shadows, and class-related observation extend classroom learning through professional experiences. Students can create professional documents, undergo interviews and assessment, and work alongside professionals associated with a wide range of majors and interests.

Academic Center for Excellence

The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), located on the second floor of the RichLyn Library on the Huntington campus, provides academic support to students in individual or small group settings. The ACE staff coordinate peer tutoring, by appointment, with trained peer tutors in a wide variety of courses. In addition, the ACE director provides individualized assistance to students in evaluating and improving study habits and skills such as time management and test taking. The ACE also administers CLEP and DSST exams.

The Writing Center is open to students who wish to improve their writing skills. English tutors provide personal assistance, so students may learn to express ideas more effectively. This support ranges from brainstorming and organizing a project to editing compositions and improving grammar, punctuation and spelling. Drop-in hours for the Writing Center are posted for each semester.

Library Resources

RichLyn Library provides an excellent learning resource for the University. The entire library staff is dedicated to supporting the academic mission of Huntington University by teaching and helping students discover how to access, evaluate, and ethically use information. 

The library houses over 300,000 items including books, journals, audio-visual materials, and printed and recorded music with an additional access to over a million eBooks, audiobooks, streaming music, and streaming video. All materials are indexed in the library’s internet accessible discovery tool. Over 110 research databases are provided to support the various major disciplines with hundreds of thousands full text scholarly journal articles and research documents. Additional sources are available through a fast and efficient interlibrary loan system which provides access to materials around the state and from libraries across the nation.

Other collections include the Curriculum Materials Center containing teaching materials and juvenile literature; a United States Selective Depository of government documents; and the United Brethren Historical Center which houses the archives of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ as well as the archives of Huntington University. The library also displays a portion of the Wilson fine art collection and houses a collection of student art award winners.

The library is arranged to accommodate multiple studying and learning styles. The Main level of the library enhances collaborative study, while the arrangement of the upper level encourages quiet study. The atrium in the lower level of the library overlooks Lake Sno-Tip and offers a pleasant environment in which to study.