Founded in 1924 as Harding College in Morrilton, Arkansas; Harding University is a four-year, private Christian institution of higher learning committed to the tradition of liberal arts and sciences. The institute is named after James A. Harding, an early prominent leader in the Churches of Christ. It is now located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States. The main campus spans over 300 acres and is composed of over 40 buildings. Each year, thousands of domestic and international students come here to earn various degrees and learn the important values of life.
Apart from the main campus, Harding also operates satellite campuses in North Little Rock and Bentonville. It has international campuses in London, England; Vina del Mar, Chile; Florence, Italy; Brisbane, Australia; Porto Rafti, Greece; France; and Zambia, Africa. Harding University also operates Harding Academy in Searcy; Camp Tahkodah in Floral, Arkansas; and the Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee.
Harding University
Academics
Harding University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in diverse areas of study such as communication management, biochemistry, health care management, mechanical engineering, and web design & interactive media. Undergraduate degree programs include Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music Education, and Bachelor of Science. Graduate degree programs include Master of Education, Master of Science, and Master of Ministry. Harding University also offers doctorate degree programs such as Doctor of Education and Doctor of Pharmacy.
There are several on-campus organizations that help students with their academic and career goals. TRIO Student Support Services offers academic assistance, career & major development, personal counseling, and cultural enrichment opportunities. The Academic Resources Center (ARC) is a nationally-certified program that provides a variety of information and services required by students to attain academic success. The career center offers career related guidance to the students. Those seeking jobs can also get help from the career center.
Harding University is composed of the following academic units: College of Business Administration; College of Communication; College of Education; Honors College; College of Nursing; Center for Adult & Extended Education; College of Business Administration; College of Communication; College of Pharmacy; and Graduate School of Religion.
Harding Online:
Harding University provides an online MBA degree that students can earn entirely through Internet. This online program provides an added advantage to professionals who wish to earn an MBA degree while working. No matter what you do and where you live, you can easily pursue an online MBA degree by Harding University, without having to attend the college. The online format is equivalent to the traditional on-site program, and is highly valued by employers across the world.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Harding University.
Harding University welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 53 foreign countries. Freshman students seeking admission to the University must take either the ACT or SAT test and send the scores along with the complete online application form to Harding. The tests are important especially when you are planning to apply for scholarship. Harding enrolls nearly 200 International students each year. International students (whose native language is not English) must take either the TOEFL or IELTS test apart from ACT/ SAT.
Financial Aid
Harding University offers financial assistance to nearly 90 percent of the students. The institute offers financial aid to needy and deserving students in diverse ways. Students must complete the online FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form to be considered eligible for the scholarships and grants. Some of the popular forms of financial aid include:
Federal Grants
Arkansas Scholarships
Veterans Benefits
Federal grants offered by the University include Federal Pell Grant; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG); Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant); The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG); The National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant); Institutional Grants; and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
Harding University offers the following scholarships to the students: National Merit Scholarship; Trustee Scholarship; Academic Achievement Scholarship; and Transfer Student Scholarship. Several types of fee waivers and discounts are also provided, such as Christian College Employee Discount; Christian Ministers Discount; Christian School (K-12) Discount; Christian Missionary Discount; Tuition Exchange Discounts; and Orphan Discount.
The work study programs help the students get a job so that they can earn while studying and bear their own education costs. Harding helps such students take up jobs in their area of interest and expertise. Federal student loans are available as well, but this kind of monetary assistance has to be repaid with interest.
Student Financial Aid Details
How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Harding University 2198th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best Arkansas scholarships and financial aid
Students at Harding University not only gain excellent academic skills, but also get a rich college life experience. Each weekday morning, the students attend the chapel for a 35-minute devotional gathering. The presentations are usually led by the students or faculty, but on special occasions guest speakers do the honor.
There are several on-campus clubs and organizations run and managed by the students. Some of the student organizations include Academic Quiz Team; Alpha Chi Malachi; Bisons for Christ; College Democrats of Harding; The Dyssack Trainers; Harding Dietetics Club; Kappa Delta Pi; The Roosevelt Institution, and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
Harding provides several opportunities for the students and faculty members to see the world and gain rich experiences. Some of the International programs include HUA (Harding University in Australia); HUE (Harding University in London, England); HUF (Harding University in Florence, Italy); and HUG (Harding University in Athens, Greece).
Though Harding doesn’t have any local chapter of national social fraternities and sororities, it sponsors social clubs that provide a similar kind of networking function to the Greek system. There are more than ten women’s social club and twelve men’s social club at Harding. Some of the honor societies are Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Beta Lambda, Pi Sigma Alpha, Sigma Tau Delta, Delta Mu Delta, and Kappa Pi, the International honorary art fraternity.
Spring Sing is a musical production, held each year during Easter Weekend. It features performances by the social clubs, which are widely attended by the existing and future students, alumni and community residents. Nearly more than 10,000 people attend the much-awaited show each year.
Media and Publications:
Harding Magazine is the student-run publication that is published three times a year. The Link is the student-operated campus newsblog that provides latest information and news about Harding. The radio station KVHU 95.3 (The Voice of Harding University) is a commercial FM station serving central Arkansas with an assorted mix of classic hits from different genres and generations.
Campus Facilities:
The campus is home to more than forty buildings that include different departments and administrative offices. The George S. Benson Auditorium where the chapels are hosted daily is situated at the heart of the campus. Brackett Library, located in the American Studies Building includes a wide variety of books and manuals relating to the academics. The campus also has the testing lab, computer labs, multimedia center, and technology classrooms. Being strategically located in east central Arkansas, Searcy; life at Harding offers students access to the entertainment and cultural opportunities of urban areas without sacrificing the unique charm of small-town living.
Housing and Dining:
Harding University provides excellent housing facility to the students. There are several men’s and women’s residence halls situated in the campus. Each room has a separate connection for the campus DormNet system and one cable television connection. The traditional residence halls for women are Cathcart; Kendall; Pattie Cobb; Sears; Stephens; Searcy; Pryor and Shores. The general facilities include storage, beds, bathroom, cable television, computer, kitchen, furniture, refrigerator/ microwave and decorations.
Men’s residence halls at Harding are Allen, Armstrong, Graduate, Harbin, Keller, Cone, and West Apartments. Freshman students stay in Armstrong and Harbin residence halls. Allen, Graduate and Keller are for the sophomores, juniors and seniors. West Apartments houses the juniors and seniors. Special approval is needed to stay in the Cone Hall. General facilities include wall decorations, bathroom, beds, furniture, refrigerator/ microwave, cable television, and computer.
Harding also has five apartment complexes available to families or single individuals eligible for off campus housing. The complexes include Village apartment, West apartment, Stafford apartment, Pleasure Oak apartment, and Center Place apartment. University guests and tourists can put up comfortably in the Heritage Inn hotel situated on the campus.
Charles White Dining Hall brings you world-class dining options right on the campus. Students can choose from the wide variety of entrees, traditionally-motivated foods, vegetarian selections and much more. Other lip smacking destinations include The Grille, The Comfort Station, Healthy Options Station, Deli Bar, Omelet Bar, Dessert Station, and Produce Market.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Harding University?
Harding University’s athletic department fields men’s and women’s sports teams in different varsity sports such as baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and track and field. The sports teams are nicknamed as Bison and Lady Bison. The colors are Black and Gold. Harding is a member of the Gulf South Conference, NCAA Division II. The sports facilities at Harding include First Security Stadium (football), Ganus Athletic Center (training), Jerry Moore Field (baseball), and Rhodes Field House.
Intramural Sports:
Harding University’s intramural athletics program is designed to provide an opportunity to partake in an assortment of recreational activities. There are men’s and women’s clubs which organize several events and recreational programs. The interclub competitions involve the following sports: volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football, swimming, track and field and soccer. There is something for all students, faculty members and staff to enjoy.
Alumni
Harding graduates have earned reputation in diverse fields. Some of the notable alumni include Stephen Mark Brown, opera star; LaMar Baker, eminent businessman; Granville Sewell, notable mathematician; David Slater, Star Search champion; Roxanne Beck, actor formerly known as Ann Ulrey; Ed Madden, activist and professor; George S. Benson, conservative activist; Elwin “Preacher” Roe: former Major League Baseball pitcher; and Kenneth Starr, eminent lawyer and professor.
Harding University
Additional School Information
U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” issue ranked Harding as one of the best regional universities in the South, along with such esteemed institutions as Loyola University, James Madison University, and The Citadel. It has maintained its rank for 17 consecutive years. In the 2011 edition, Harding was regarded the highest-ranked Arkansas school, and was also named a “best value” institute.
The Princeton Review includes Harding University in its top 146 list of schools honored with the ‘Best Southeastern College’ designation.
Bibliography
Harding University. 2011.
Burks, David B. Ganus, Clifton L. McInteer, Jim B. Pryor, Neale T. Against the Grain: The Mission of Harding University. Harding University. 1998. Print.
Demographics – Main Campus and Surrounding Areas
Reported area around or near Searcy, AR 72143
Surrounding community
Distant town (between 10 to 35 mi. away from an urban cluster)
Feel free to add comments or additional information regarding Harding University, or discuss this school in the University Discussion Forum
about 2 years agoMrs. Judy Purnell
This comment concerns your Board's decision to terminate chemistry professor, Dennis Provence. I am extremely dismayed at this decision. Three years ago, the Provences' counseled my daughter and husband who were having marital dificulties resulting in a marriage saved and a relationship much improved. This couple works together to counsel students, couples and others who need help. Due to all three of my children living in Searcy and due to their being a part of the medical and business community, I know the details of this situation. I know the details of the Provence history in helping people. My knowledge of this goes back to several years. You just gave this man an award for being the best teacher at Harding!
All three of my children have left the Church of Christ and now attend Fellowship Bible Church due to the judgmental attitudes that they have seen in Searcy at the Church of Christ. This situation is just another example of why this happened. Your Board of Directors should be ashamed. I am ashamed. Your attitudes will result in the downfall of The Church. Your Board is made up of the wrong kind of people. They need to look at the life of Jesus - he came to save. If Dennis Provence made any errors it was in caring too much for his students and wanting to provide a comfort zone for kids needing someone who cared. I live in Batesville. I am a senior citizen and member of the Church for 45 years. I really hate the example this has given.
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This comment concerns your Board's decision to terminate chemistry professor, Dennis Provence. I am extremely dismayed at this decision. Three years ago, the Provences' counseled my daughter and husband who were having marital dificulties resulting in a marriage saved and a relationship much improved. This couple works together to counsel students, couples and others who need help. Due to all three of my children living in Searcy and due to their being a part of the medical and business community, I know the details of this situation. I know the details of the Provence history in helping people. My knowledge of this goes back to several years. You just gave this man an award for being the best teacher at Harding! All three of my children have left the Church of Christ and now attend Fellowship Bible Church due to the judgmental attitudes that they have seen in Searcy at the Church of Christ. This situation is just another example of why this happened. Your Board of Directors should be ashamed. I am ashamed. Your attitudes will result in the downfall of The Church. Your Board is made up of the wrong kind of people. They need to look at the life of Jesus - he came to save. If Dennis Provence made any errors it was in caring too much for his students and wanting to provide a comfort zone for kids needing someone who cared. I live in Batesville. I am a senior citizen and member of the Church for 45 years. I really hate the example this has given.