Founded in 1960 as
Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College, Arizona Christian University's original campus was located at 2625 E. Cactus Road, in
Phoenix. Since its founding, the university has undergone a number of name changes, including
Southwestern College, until its name was finally changed to
Arizona Christian University in January 2011. The university was founded to prepare students for careers in vocational ministry and missions, offering degrees in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministries. In 1972 the college first received accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and added regional accreditation through the
Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in 1992. ACU became a
non-denominational Christian college in 2007. In 2012, under the leadership of ACU President
Len Munsil, the university received approval from the
Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to offer degrees in biology, communication, and political science. Additional undergraduate degree programs are being planned. In March 2017, ACU received HLC approval to offer online degrees.
Len Munsil assumed the presidency of Arizona Christian University in 2010. During Munsil's tenure, ACU enrollment has grown from around 400 to more than 1,000 total students, and in 2021 achieved its seventh straight year of record enrollment. Notable graduates of Arizona Christian University include Mark Bailey, Chancellor and former President of
Dallas Theological Seminary, who also began his teaching and academic administration career at then-Southwestern College. Former
National Basketball Association All-Star and coach
Paul Westphal began his coaching career at then-Southwestern College, leading the school to a Christian college championship. ==Cultural Research Center==