Providence University College and Theological Seminary, formerly known as The Winnipeg Bible Training School, was founded in Canada in 1925, and renamed a short time later to Winnipeg Bible Institute[3] with one of its founding leaders named Reverend H. L. Turner. When it received a provincial charter to grant theological degrees in 1949, it was renamed Winnipeg Bible Institute and College of Theology, and started a full degree-granting program before being renamed Winnipeg Bible College in 1963.
In 1970, the college moved 50 kilometers south to Otterburne, Manitoba, where it acquired the vacant building of the former St. Joseph's College, a Roman Catholic high school.[4] A graduate division was formed as Providence Theological Seminary in 1972, which had full membership in the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). In 1992, the school was renamed Providence College and Theological Seminary.[5] The name was further changed in 2011 to Providence University College and Theological Seminary.[6] The school had an enrolment of 525 in the University College and Seminary in 2019.[7]
Academics
Providence University College
Providence University College offers bachelor degrees in the Arts, Science, Business Administration and Theology. Some of its most popular majors include Aviation, Communications & Media, Biblical Studies, Biology, Business, Health Science, Psychology and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).[8]
Providence University College is home to two distinct schools which include: an English Language Institute which prepares international students, whose first language is not English, for successful academic studies at the post-secondary level, and the Buller School of Business that offers two-year, three-year and four-year programs.
University graduates at Providence find work in various industries including the airlines, healthcare, media, social services, government and church ministry. Small class sizes and mentor-minded professors help students grow academically, personally and spiritually.
While most courses are taught on the main Otterburne campus in rural Southeastern Manitoba, the university branched out in 2022 to offer a two-year Associate of Arts in Business in downtown Winnipeg and continues to develop a significant presence in the city.
The seminary offers one-year graduate certificates, diplomas, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in areas such as leadership, chaplaincy, christian studies, educational studies and counselling. Its most popular program is a Master of Arts in Counselling as well as a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. The various programs offer options for students who are continuing their education, seeking ordination, advancing their training, general knowledge and skill sets.
There are a number of flexible learning offerings in the Seminary, as it offers Distance Education which includes courses delivered through in-person classes, modular classes, hybrid format, directed study, and online learning. Because the faculty and student body are international in scope, professors and students bring an enriching range of perspectives and experiences to the classroom setting and broader community life.
In 2023, Providence launched its Centre for On-Demand Education (CODE). This is a new offering that seeks to address the needs of: individual students who want to continue their education and upgrade their skills; as well as employers who want to develop their employees with on-the-job training. The program allows employers to invest in their employees, create the leadership that will carry them forward in the years to come, and address generational knowledge loss through mentorship.
CODE’s goals are to make education accessible, applicable and affordable. The CODE Transforming Leadership degree is holistic and contextual. The workplace becomes the classroom, all assignments are tailored to their specific field, and students advance through mentored assessment. As soon as students demonstrate competency in the customized curriculum, they can move forward. The model is subscription-based, and a student pays a monthly fee that is roughly half the regular tuition cost.
William Falk Library and Learning Resource Centre
The Providence Library and Learning Resource Centre provides room for more than 100,000 volumes and the latest in technology. The number of private study carrels and other private work stations has increased to 200. The facility is around 20,000 square feet [10] and open to both students and the public. Visit prov.ca for library hours.
Providence is the home of the Pilots, who compete in both the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), as well as the Manitoba Colleges Athletics Conference (MCAC).[11] Providence has teams for Men's and Women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, and futsal. Providence University College is equipped with a fully functional gymnasium, soccer fields, an outdoor ice rink and two beach volleyball courts. They play all their home games at the Niverville's Community Resource and Recreation Centre (CRRC).
