Kairos University

Kairos University is a network of seminaries and other private education providers. It was founded through the merge of 5 institutions, including Sioux Falls Seminary, a private Baptist seminary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is also affiliated to the North American Baptist Conference.

Sioux Falls Seminary Campus

History

The university was formed in 2021 through a merging of:^[1]

• Sioux Falls seminary
• Taylor Seminary
• Evangelical Seminary
• BLI School of Ministry
• Houston Graduate School of Theology

Sioux Falls Seminary

The Sioux Falls seminary was founded in 1858 (167 years ago) (1858) in Rochester, New York, and was known as the German Department of the Rochester Theological Seminary.^[2] Its purpose was to train pastors for German-speaking people in North America. In 1931, the seminary became known as the German Baptist Seminary, and in 1945, it changed its name to North American Baptist Seminary. In 1949, the seminary relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in order to be more centrally located to its constituents. The name was changed from North American Baptist Seminary to Sioux Falls Seminary on May 18, 2007. In July 2009, the seminary moved into a new, environmentally friendly campus in central Sioux Falls, nestled on the eastern edge of the Augustana University campus. In 2021, it became a founding member of Kairos University.^[3]

Academics

Sioux Falls Seminary offers the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees as well as the Doctor of Ministry degree, graduate level certificates, and non-graduates certificates.

Doctor of Professional Counseling

Kairos university is one of the few to offer a Doctor of Professional Counseling (DPC) degree,^[4] the other being Mississippi College.^[5] Both offer the DPC degree along with other programs offering PhDs and EdDs in Professional Counseling such as University of West Georgia, and Amridge University.

The idea of a DPC degree was first introduced in 2012 to provide a higher level of training to enhance the knowledge and skill of already-licensed, experienced and practicing Master's-level Counselors.^[6] The DPC is similar to the professional practice doctorates found in other social science disciplines such as those in the social work profession (Doctor of Social Work degree). As all 50 US states license Professional Counselors following the earning of a master's degree and passing the required examinations,^[7] no additional license is granted to DPC graduates.