University of Saint Katherine

   AthleticsNAIA – Cal PacNicknameFirebirdsWebsitewww.usk.edu

The University of Saint Katherine (USK) is a private university located in San Marcos, California. Founded in 2011, USK offers teaches liberal arts and sciences in over 25 fields of study.

History

The University of Saint Katherine (USK) was founded by Frank J. Papatheofanis, MD, PhD and incorporated on June 30, 2010, as a California not-for-profit public benefit corporation. USK was formerly known as Saint Katherine College. USK was approved for a name change in November 2016 upon addition of graduate studies by the California Bureau for Private and Post-Secondary Education (BPPE). BPPE approved the university for operations in 2011. When the Western Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) granted accreditation in 2016, authority to issue degrees shifted to WSCUC purview.

The university was originally located in Encinitas, California from 2010 to 2014, and moved to San Marcos, California in August 2014. Since its founding, the university has offered baccalaureate degrees (BA, BS) in liberal arts and sciences. In 2020, it began to offer a Master of Arts (MA) in Organizational Leadership; in 2022, a Master of Science in Kinesiology and an online Master of Arts in Orthodox Theology were added. Classroom instruction began in September 2011.

The university relies on student athletes to build enrollment, with about 85% of students playing on a USK sports team as of the 2022–23 season.^[2]

Academic

Areas of study

The University of Saint Katherine (USK) teaches liberal arts and sciences. USK offers a distinctive set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in over 25 fields of study.

Applied Biological Health Science - BS concentration, Art – BA concentration or minor, Biological Sciences – BS concentration, Business Management – BA concentration or minor, Chemistry & Biochemistry – BS concentration, Communications & Public Relations – BA concentration, Computer Science – BS concentration, Digital Marketing – BA concentration, English Language and Literature – BA concentration or minor, History – BA concentration or minor, Human Resource Management – BA concentration Interdisciplinary Studies – BA concentration or minor, Kinesiology – Exercise Science & Athletic Performance – BS concentration or minor, Kinesiology – Health Science – BS concentration or minor, Music – BA concentration or minor, Orthodox Christian Theology – BA concentration or minor, Psychology – BA concentration or minor, Public Health – BS concentration, Supply Chain & Project Management – BA concentration, Organizational Leadership - MA, Organizational Leadership - Biotechnology - MA concentration, Organizational Leadership - Wealth Management - MA concentration, Kinesiology - MS, Orthodox Christian Theology - MA, Orthodox Christian Theology - Orthodox Ecumenical Theology - MA concentration.

Affiliated institutions

The university maintains collaborative partnerships and articulation agreements with the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies (Cambridge, UK), Point Loma Nazarene University (graduate school), and the University of San Diego (teaching credential qualification), as well as others. A partnership with Lake Erie College of Medicine allows students to apply early and be guaranteed acceptance in medical, dental, or pharmacy school while completing undergraduate study at the University of Saint Katherine.^{[citation needed]}

Distinctions

The university hosts a chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa national honor society. Students are inducted each year based on academic performance, leadership, and community engagement. A university graduate became its first Fulbright Award recipient in 2020. The university has published the Saint Katherine Review since 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Athletics

The Saint Katherine (USK) athletic teams are called the Firebirds. The majority of USK students are athletes. The university was admitted as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) since the 2019–20 academic year.^[3]

USK competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, soccer, tennis and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

In 2020–21, all but two collegiate teams qualified for post-season championships. Also, in 2020-21, the men's basketball team made history by facing off against 10 NCAA Division I opponents.^{[citation needed]} In 2023, the women's indoor volleyball team achieved a NAIA CalPac record of 20-0 to win the Conference and added two more All-Americans to the program.

References

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website