Columbia International University

Columbia International University (CIU) is a Christian institution of higher education located in Columbia, South Carolina.

As an institution of higher education, CIU’s primary emphasis is on its academic programs. Like most other Christian colleges, the traditional academic emphasis has been placed on the humanities and liberal arts rather than natural sciences. 

In addition to a strong emphasis on ministerial and biblical studies, even at the undergraduate level. This is evidenced by the fact that there are undergraduate majors relating directly to ministerial skills but no programs in the sciences. A Business & Organizational Leadership major was added in 2012.

CIU also offers online degrees and other degrees that are a hybrid of on-campus and online courses. The structure of this program has the clear advantage of permitting the student to obtain a degree but without relocating closer to the campus or leaving full-time employment.

One obvious disadvantage would be that the student only has limited interaction with other students and the faculty. Some courses are offered on-campus as one-week intensives at CIU's main campus in Columbia or at CIU's extension sites in Atlanta and Korntal, Germany.

Like most evangelical schools and many seminaries, CIU does have doctrinal affirmations and lifestyle standards which all students (regardless of degree sought) are expected to affirm as a part of admission.