Southern Adventist University

What is the history of Southern Adventist University?

Southern Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university whose roots go back to 1892, when an Adventist school opened in Graysville, Tennessee. It later moved to Collegedale, where its campus and academic programs developed.

Its successive names reflect changes in scope. The institution became Southern Junior College, later Southern Missionary College, and then Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists. It adopted the name Southern Adventist University in 1996. The university now offers graduate as well as undergraduate programs, while its Adventist affiliation remains central to its identity.

What are the faculties and departments at Southern Adventist University?

Southern Adventist University organizes its programs through academic schools and departments rather than a single general-education faculty. Its offerings span health professions, business, education, computing, communication, the arts, religion, and the liberal arts.

Examples include nursing, business administration, computer science, teacher education, social work, music, and theology or ministry-related study. Students can pursue undergraduate degrees and selected graduate credentials; the available credential and admission pathway depend on the program. Applicants considering a regulated profession, such as nursing or teaching, should review the current academic catalog for the exact degree requirements, clinical or fieldwork components, and state licensure disclosures. Admission to the university does not necessarily mean admission to a selective major.

What is the location of Southern Adventist University?

Southern Adventist University is in Collegedale, Tennessee, east of Chattanooga. Its campus has a small-city setting rather than a downtown location, so transportation needs may differ for students living on campus and those commuting from the wider Chattanooga area.

Chattanooga provides regional shopping, health-care facilities, and potential sites for internships and clinical placements. Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, historically known as Lovell Field, is the nearby commercial airport. Students planning to rely on public transportation should check routes and schedules for their specific housing and placement locations rather than assume that a Chattanooga address will be convenient without a car.

What is the mission and vision of Southern Adventist University?

Southern Adventist University describes its educational purpose in explicitly Christian, Seventh-day Adventist terms. Its stated mission connects academic study with faith, service, and preparation for work and life; those are institutional aims, not independently measured outcomes.

That affiliation has practical implications for campus life. Worship, religious study, service activities, and observance of the Sabbath are part of the university's environment. Applicants of any background can assess the fit by reading the current student handbook and visiting during an ordinary academic week, particularly if they want to understand how community expectations affect weekends and campus programming.