Let's start off with a bit of history... TMU originally was part of the Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary (LABTS - not a mouthful at all), founded in 1927 with no permanent campus. The seminary started their first bachelor's program after World War II to help accommodate the veterans who were coming home.
The college grew a lot over the next few decades and eventually moved in 1961 from what had become their campus to where the college is located now. The college continued to grow, and just before it's 50th anniversary was accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
In 1984, the president of the college resigned and the board asked John MacArthur to become the new president. MacArthur accepted, and in 1985 he assumed the position and the college's name was changed to The Master's College. The board and MacArthur decided that it should become a nondenominational college.
John MacArthur is still the president to this day, and since he became president the college has grown immensely. There are now about 1000 students on campus, and many more participate through the online program (including me!). Master's has an extension campus in Jerusalem as part of their IBEX program, and now boasts two Master's Degree programs. Oh, and they changed to a university now. So they're fancy. XD
Anyway... I basically just summarized that from the history page on TMU's website which you can read in its entirety here if you're interested. XD I could probably go on and on about everything I love about Master's but I won't. Instead, I'll just give a quick outline of how I was introduced to Master's and stuff...
So I don't really remember when I first heard about Master's... My mom and dad went to Grace Community Church (where John MacArthur preaches) before I was born and after I was born for a while. My uncle got his PhD at the Master's Seminary which is associated with the University and so John MacArthur and TMU and the Seminary have sorta always been part of my life.
Originally I wanted to get a degree in biology so I was super interested in any schools that were young earth creationist. Master's was the main one that I knew of, so I started to really pay attention to it around my freshman year in high school. That year was also when I took my first biology course and it fascinated me (it still does...).
I think it was around that time that the Master's Chorale came to our church. (It was either late freshman year or early sophomore years.) They are so so so amazing and so talented. Here's a recording of my favorite song they do - "And Can It Be". You must go listen to it. It is beautiful.
Along with the chorale, Master's also sent a group of people from their admissions department so I picked up some information. I actually also got the business card of the main guy in their admissions department and saved it. It's taped to my desk now. XD
Anyway. It was in April of 2017 that I went to this event they have called "Monday at Master's". Basically, you go and spend the day there - go to chapel, visit classes, ask questions to students and admissions counselors, etc. It was so much fun. I had a blast. This visit really cemented that I wanted to go to Master's. There was still the question of money, but I would say "If I can afford it, I'm going to Master's." That was my plan.
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| Here's a picture Master's posted on their Instagram. I'm sitting at the table in the very front. Pretty much third from the left sitting down at that one table. Sorry for the awful quality. XD |
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| This is me earlier that morning standing on the basketball court at the church we used to go to when I was like five. I clearly remember playing sharks and minnows on this court so I wanted to get a picture on it. Don't mind how awkward I look. XD |
The next thing I did with Master's was attend classes. Online classes, but still... they were Master's classes! Basically, as a junior or a senior, you can dual enroll through their online program (also on campus but I don't live close enough). My first class was the first semester of my junior year. Actually, it was the first quarter of the first semester. Master's online squishes a 16 week course into 8 weeks so their system is divided into quarters.
My first class was spoken communications, and then I took a break over the second quarter. The second semester of my junior year I took World Literature I and New Testament Survey I. Then this past senior year I've taken (/am taking) Philosophy, Essentials of Music and Art, Economics, World History I, Government, and World History II. The last semester of my senior year I'm basically taking a full college load through Master's - and I've loved (nearly) every second of it.
This past October I got to go to View the U at Master's, which is basically an extended Monday at Master's except you spend the night too. I got to stay with a good friend of my cousins' named Kate which was really fun. We got to attend the opening game of the basketball team, as well as go to classes, eat, and just hang out. Plus, I got to go to the theater production Master's was doing, and stay an extra night. It was a fun taste of college life. XD
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| The basketball game... We stood the entire time. XD |
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| On the way to breakfast and chapel in the morning. |
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| In the dorm lounge area on Friday night. There was a bit of a music session going on. So cool!! |
And that's basically been my experience at Master's! From hearing the chorale for the first time to getting to spend a night there, it's been the most amazing experience. I would 10/10 recommend Master's to anyone who is considering going there, or who is on the fence. I don't know if that's what God has for me - at least not at this stage of life - but I'm excited to continue to watch the school grow and bring God glory.
Whelp! That's it for my post this week. See y'all in two weeks!
~ Anna
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