McMurry University

Founded in 1923 as a United Methodist institution, McMurry University is a vibrant and comprehensive center of undergraduate education. McMurry has a national reputation for excellence and value through the achievements of its faculty, students and graduates. The University enrolls more than 1,000 students and has an average class size of 16. No graduate assistants teach courses and 77% of our professors have achieved the highest degree in their academic discipline.

Offering a diverse academic curriculum students can choose from 45 majors in the arts, business, education and the sciences as well as our pre-professional programs in medicine, dentistry, engineering, law, pharmacy, physical therapy and others. The three-week May Term gives students an opportunity to explore a subject outside their major, and the Servant Leadership Program teaches students about ethics and helps develop leadership qualities.

McMurry has 40 clubs and organizations and 20 intercollegiate sports. Students are engaged with the community and average 24,000 hours of annual service. Our beautiful campus is located on 52 acres in Abilene, Texas, a city of over 118,000 friendly people. McMurry is guided by our core values: Christian Faith as the foundation of life, Personal Relationships as the catalyst for life, Learning as the journey of life, Excellence as the goal of life, and Service as the measure of life. Our students are equipped to exceed expectations and go on to make their mark in the world, by leading lives of leadership, service, and professional success.

While the McMurry commitment to academic excellence and student engagement continues to flourish, the current national economic climate and institution specific challenges necessitate a comprehensive planning effort. Widespread buy in of the plan coupled with an across the board implementation and execution of the final Centennial Plan, will be essential to ensure that McMurry University continues to serve its students for a second century.

“Shaped by Christian principles, McMurry University challenges students to examine our complex world from multiple perspectives in preparation for lives of leadership, service, and professional success.” The University fulfills this mission by fostering a campus culture that is distinctive in the following ways:

McMurry is shaped by Christian principles. As a United Methodist institution grounded in traditions of intellectual achievement and vital piety, McMurry nurtures and cares for students as they face the many challenges of higher education. The institution provides the support necessary to encourage students to grow as whole persons – spiritually, emotionally, morally, intellectually, socially, and physically. The McMurry community expresses its Christian principles through hospitality and gracious interactions with those who do and those who do not identify with the Christian faith. The institution encourages connections between people of varying circumstances, cultures, languages, and beliefs.

McMurry challenges students to examine our complex world from multiple perspectives. The goal of a McMurry education is to provide the foundation for an examined, informed, and purposeful life. To that end, academic programs encourage students to build on the broader curricular experience and integrate the various disciplines’ core ideas while developing fundamental skills in communication, analysis, and reasoning. McMurry strives to create an environment in which students can examine their own and others’ perspectives to become, not simply consumers of knowledge, but sophisticated producers of knowledge connected to a global world. Such an environment better prepares women and men of all backgrounds to engage others in working toward the common good.

McMurry prepares students for lives of leadership, service, and professional success. Through its curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, McMurry gives students practical experience in leadership and service. The institution places particular importance on servant leadership, an approach that focuses on empowering followers by encouraging and supporting the growth of others. The university develops servant leaders who seek to transform communities through listening first, emphasizing excellence and empathy, and inspiring an attitude of service. McMurry graduates have a solid basis for achievement in their religious, civic, professional, and family communities. McMurry expects its alumni to perform as servant leaders in diverse and complex environments and to use their leadership skills for the betterment of community and society.