Messiah College receives university designation

Messiah College said on Wednesday that it received university status– a move the school expects will help it bring in more adult, post-secondary and international students.

The Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County-based private Christian college began pursuing university status through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2018.

Messiah recently received the accreditation from both regulatory bodies and changed its name to Messiah University on  July 1.

University accreditation was a natural step for Messiah, being that it already has a multiple-school university structure and a mix of undergraduate and graduate programs, the school wrote in a press release.

“In many ways, university status is a much more accurate reflection of how Messiah has functioned for several years now,” said Kim Phipps, president of Messiah University. “Our future as Messiah University holds tremendous promise and opportunity.”

The transition to university is most valuable to Messiah because the status is more widely understood by international, graduate and non-traditional students.

As a university, the school expects to have more opportunities for global partnerships such as internships, study abroad programs, scholarships and research connections.

“This transition to a university highlights our shared vision to offer learning for life educational opportunities as we seek to meet the needs of a broad population of students including adult degree seekers and post-secondary learners,” Phipps said. “University status is also important to our global outreach and recruitment, which has become a strategic priority for Messiah.”

Messiah offers liberal and applied arts and sciences to nearly 3,400 undergraduate, adult degree program and graduate students currently enrolled in programs.

The school has offered master’s and doctorate programs since 2009 and has recently launched accelerated programs in athletic training and occupational therapy for students to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.