Our Mission
THE BYU HISTORY
The 1875 establishment of the Brigham Young Academy offered an academically stimulating and gospel-oriented education to 29 students. The one-acre school grounds presided over by Karl G. Maeser have since developed into 560 acres and 97 academic buildings. The foundation of the University thrives with the fourfold focus of being 1) spiritually strengthening, 2) intellectually enlarging, 3) character building, leading to 4) lifelong learning and service.
Brigham Young University provides an outstanding education in an atmosphere consistent with the standards and principles of its sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMICS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates leave BYU with the skills and desire to make meaningful contributions all across the globe. With various opportunities for research and hands-on experiences, the BYU experience ensures students are well prepared to continue their education and are heavily recruited by employers.
The University consistently achieves national recognition, with students earning such distinction as Fulbright scholars, Mellon fellows and Barry M. Goldwater scholars.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT BODY
BYU students arrive with superb preparation. The entering class has an average high school GPA of 3.71 (on a 4.0 scale) and an average ACT score that ranks in the 89th percentile nationally. The University consistently places in the top 20 for enrollment of National Merit Scholars.
Nearly half of these scholars have lived outside the United States, and three-fourths are fluent in at least two languages. The variety of cultures and backgrounds, coupled with an institutional commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ, adds to an already rich academic experience that challenges the mind while feeding the spirit.
BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS SETTING
Located 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, Provo, Utah, is a city of more than 115,000 situated 4,500 feet above sea level. The campus sits at the western base of the Wasatch Mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain Range. Surrounded by mountains, Provo is at the heart of Utah Valley with a combined population of more than 440,000. Utah Valley is framed by the 23-mile-long Utah Lake on the west and 11,750-foot Mount Timpanogos on the east.
BYU has several other campuses serving an additional 12,000 students in La’ie, Hawai’i; Rexburg, Idaho; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY
Faculty members hold advanced degrees from universities around the world. Their achievements are compelling and wide- ranging as they pursue consequential research work that is making a real difference. Alleviating hunger worldwide through more efficient agriculture, finding low-pollution energy alternatives and making significant contributions to the strengthening of families are among their many pursuits. Faculty members are regularly called upon to head national and international professional organizations and to consult with corporate and governmental entities. Above all, these high-principled men and women share an unmatched devotion to bringing the best possible education to their students.
INTERNATIONAL STUDY AND LEARNING
BYU is a Center for International Business Education Research (CIBER), a program designed to promote the competitiveness of United States business through an integrated international curriculum, faculty and student international research and outreach programs. BYU’s David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies provides support to colleges and departments in pursuing their international interests.
More than three-fourths of BYU students speak a language other than English -- 107 languages in all. Six percent of the student body is from outside the United States. Additionally, 82 percent of the men and 13 percent of the women at BYU have served missions for the Church, often gaining fluency in a second language from the experience.
Regular classes are offered in 43 languages, with an additional 23 available with sufficient student interest -- among the most offered anywhere in the country. The prior experience of many of the students allows for a higher standard of instruction, using the language to teach other ideas -- literature, history, culture -- and to enhance their opportunities outside the lab and classroom.
BYU MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Brigham Young University—founded, supported and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued.
All instruction, programs and services at BYU, including a wide variety of extracurricular experiences, should make their own contribution toward the balanced development of the total person. Such a broadly prepared individual will not only be capable of meeting personal challenges and change but will also bring strength to others in the tasks of home and family life, social relationships, civic duty and service to mankind.
BYU’s faculty, staff, students and administrators should be anxious to make their service and scholarship available to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in furthering its work worldwide. In an era of limited enrollments, BYU can continue to expand its influence both by encouraging programs that are central to the Church’s purposes and by making its resources available to the Church when called upon to do so.
We believe the earnest pursuit of this institutional mission can have a strong effect on the course of higher education and will greatly enlarge Brigham Young University’s influence in a world we wish to improve.
PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE
A strong curriculum delivered by outstanding faculty is key to the academic excellence of BYU graduates. From business management to nursing, from the humanities to engineering, the University’s 11 colleges -- supported by comprehensive offerings from religious education -- continue to be internationally recognized for the quality of their education and the professional preparation they provide. In addition to the challenging course work and hands-on research, numerous programs offer academic and service outreach opportunities. Study abroad centers, distance-learning courses and worldwide performing arts tours are a few of the offerings that enrich BYU’s academic experience.
CHURCH BELIEFS
BYU is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church was officially organized on April 6, 1830, with six members. Today, congregations of the Church are found in more than 160 nations and territories. With more than 12 million members, it is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world and one of the largest Christian churches in the United States.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christian but is neither Catholic nor Protestant. Rather, it is a restoration of the original church established by Jesus Christ.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is regarded as divinely inspired scripture, as is the Holy Bible. Both volumes are used by Latter-day Saints side by side. For more information on the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit www.mormon.org.
