A Message From GCU’s Provost
Welcome to Grand Canyon University! Founded in 1949, we have grown from a faith-based college that graduated only teachers and nurses to a university that has 10 different colleges. As of June 2023, GCU offers 330 programs, including 129 degree programs, 165 emphases and 36 certificate programs. We are a Christ-centered university that is focused on helping students find their purpose and engage in community outreach and service to help others prosper and flourish. GCU offers a wide variety of flexible and accelerated programs to serve both working adults and traditional students, from undergraduate studies to doctoral degree programs.
We have a culture of Lopes First, in that we are here to support and partner with you on your unique academic journey. Our faculty are committed to you, will challenge you and foster an intellectual curiosity as you move through your coursework. However, each student is expected to own their learning and dedicate themselves to excellence.
Above all, our purpose is to help you find yours. GCU is a collaborative, service-based community of students, staff and faculty, all dedicated to your learning, with the goal of helping you develop into the best version of yourself, fostering leadership with character and supporting you in living out your faith by serving others. Whether you are living on campus, commuting or fully online we invite you to actively take part in the GCU community. Get engaged and get involved!
One Foundation is our integration of faith in learning and work, providing the structure and purpose for what we do as a university. By approaching academics with a Christian worldview, we instruct our students to act on their own unique callings by preparing them to graduate, enter into their chosen vocation and impact the world as transformative leaders.
GCU has initiated a Character and Integrity program that touches all aspects of students’ lives, not only academic integrity in the classroom, but also having integrity and character in everything that you do. Whether you find yourself on the athletic fields, in student life activities, at an internship or in the workplace, the objective is to live out your faith with character.
GCU’s campus here in Phoenix, Arizona, is a thriving community of traditional learners experiencing in-person instruction but also significant co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities. Lopes Live Labs, called L3s, are a collection of over 45 campus locations where students can gain access to industry opportunities and experience the classroom coming to life. Some examples of these locations are the cadaver labs, hospitality properties, orthopedic clinic, angel investing, business incubation, music recording studio, engineering shops and a Cyber Center of Excellence. Students that take advantage of these opportunities can graduate with professional experience as they enter the workforce.
Our online degree programs can give our online learners a challenging, yet flexible route to further their education. Our multi-modality approach accommodates learners at whatever stage of life they are in.