GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK - Biola University

media and other activities are expected to reflect this moral commitment. Biola University does not
presume to be a censoring agency for all activities; it does, however, expect tangible evidence of
maturing Christian convictions and discerning judgment. In addition, members of the Biola community
will observe Sunday as the Lord‘s Day and give primary attention to worship, rest, Christian fellowship
and recreation, and service.
These standards apply to the student while enrolled in any of the schools or programs of the University
on and off campus. Biola therefore reserves the right to discipline or dismiss any student who, in its
judgment, does not conform to these conduct standards or to other expressed principles, policies,
programs and expectations of the university governing student conduct.
Spiritual Development
One of the most significant aspects of your Christian professional growth as an educator is the
intentional development of your spiritual life. In an academic environment, personal spirituality often
becomes the easiest area to neglect. The Apostle Paul was very intellectual, but he also sought intensely
to know more of Christ (Phil. 3:10).
Your spiritual growth is dependent in large measure upon your personal time with God. The Psalmist
emphasizes the importance of God‘s word for godly living, and Scripture promises that ―the effective
prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much‖ (James 5:16). There is no substitute for Bible study
and personal prayer if one desires to ―grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ‖
(2 Pet. 3:18) and have a fruitful ministry to others.
We urge you to set aside daily time for personal devotions. Certainly there is much to be gained from
group prayer meetings, mission‘s prayer meetings and student devotional programs. However, these are
not sufficient to satisfy the Christian‘s deepest spiritual need. Your daily schedule may be heavy,
your course of study may demand much time; but time for private prayer, meditation upon His word and
integration of scriptural truths into your personal life and public ministry are God‘s indispensable way
for spiritual development.
HANDBOOK & CATALOG JURISDICTION
We have designed this handbook to provide you reliable information about the graduate programs of the
School of Education. Our intention is to keep the contents of this handbook fully aligned with the
information in the catalog and what we provide online; however, because our catalog changes and online
information changes even more often, the catalog under which a student is admitted will be the final
authority if there are any differences between what is contained in this handbook and the catalog or what
is online. We will also not attempt to give thorough information about the different programs offered
because programs change within different catalogs. Sometimes the information provided online will be
more thorough than the catalog or this handbook. For that reason we have provided links from the
catalog to the places where you can find that information online.
http://www.biola.edu/catalog/
Revised 3.9.2012 11