Olivet Nazarene University

What is the history of Olivet Nazarene University?

Olivet Nazarene University is a private university affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. It traces its founding to 1907, when it began in Georgetown, Illinois, as Illinois Holiness University. Its religious roots remain part of its academic and campus identity.

The institution later became Olivet Nazarene College and moved to Bourbonnais in 1940. It adopted the name Olivet Nazarene University in 1986, reflecting its broader range of undergraduate and graduate programs. The Bourbonnais campus, rather than the original Georgetown location, is the setting prospective residential students should evaluate today.

What are the faculties and departments at Olivet Nazarene University?

Olivet offers undergraduate and graduate study across the liberal arts, professional fields and Christian ministry. Its academic organization includes colleges or schools focused on arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, nursing, theology, and graduate and continuing education.

Representative fields include biology, communication, computer science, engineering, teacher education, nursing, psychology, social work, business and ministry. A student comparing programs should look beyond the major's name: teacher preparation and nursing, for example, involve fieldwork or clinical requirements that can affect scheduling, admission to the major and time to completion. Adult learners should also distinguish programs offered on the Bourbonnais campus from online or other continuing-education formats.

What is the location of Olivet Nazarene University?

Olivet's main campus is in Bourbonnais, Illinois, in the Kankakee area south of Chicago. It offers a small-community setting rather than an urban campus, while placing Chicago within reach for occasional trips and some professional opportunities.

For everyday planning, the distinction matters more than proximity on a map: students considering an internship, clinical placement or job outside Bourbonnais should check the actual travel time and whether a car is needed. First-year students may register or park a car on campus. Students comparing online, graduate or continuing-education options should confirm where their particular program requires attendance.

What is the mission and vision of Olivet Nazarene University?

Olivet describes its educational purpose in explicitly Christian terms, connecting academic study with faith, service and preparation for work and life. Its affiliation with the Church of the Nazarene is an institutional commitment, not merely a historical detail.

That identity is visible in religious studies, ministry programs and campus worship opportunities. Applicants need not assume that every program has identical religious activities or requirements; the current catalog and student handbook are the appropriate places to check chapel expectations, conduct policies and degree-specific Christian studies requirements. Students should weigh those expectations alongside the curriculum when deciding whether the university fits their preferences.