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College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Overview

The liberal arts are comprised of foundational but distinct bodies of knowledge and methods of learning that facilitate an intellectually, morally, and politically free and responsible life. While some disciplines equip students for specific occupations, the liberal arts attend to the more elemental or general dimensions of an undergraduate education, regardless of one’s chosen major, professional aspirations, or vocational pathways.

To lead a life marked by liberty, one needs to understand the world, engage with important texts, questions, ideas, cultures, critiques, artworks, and discoveries of the past and present, think critically and reason well about them, and be able to deliberate and communicate about them with others.  In short, one must cultivate the capacity to educate oneself, which is the immediate aim of a liberal arts education.  As a Christ-centered community, Lipscomb University affirms that the ultimate aim of a free life shaped by the liberal arts is the love of neighbor as oneself and the love of God above all else.

A student works on her own in the lab

Undergraduate Programs

All Lipscomb undergraduates study the liberal arts to establish a broad base of knowledge. You’ll cover history, writing, math, science, languages and plenty more, all while considering how your faith intersects with what you’re learning.

View Undergraduate Programs
Dr. Chris Gonzales leads the Marriage and Family Therapy program

Graduate Programs

Our graduate programs within the College of Arts & Sciences will give you the deep expertise and real life skills to take on what’s next in your life. (There’s a reason you’re called a “master” with this education under your belt.)

View Graduate Programs
#1

Christian college biological degree program in US

McClure Opening

McClure Faith and Science Center

Opened in 2021, the McClure Faith and Science Center provides space and support for students exploring the relationship between faith and scientific inquiry. Through the center, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences aims to help students lean into their Christian identity and reconcile their understandings of science through discussions, chapels and seminars.

McClure Center
A Ward Scholar is about to receive her honor.

J.S. Ward Society

As an alum of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, you will automatically become a member of Lipscomb’s J.S. Ward Society, made up of alumni, friends and Nashville community leaders who are passionate about supporting and mentoring current students studying the health sciences. Shape the future of health care by investing in the next generation of health care leaders.

About the Ward Society
$1.8M

in HRSA grant funding for 2017

45+

Majors to choose from

People

Meet our key faculty.

  • David Holmes headshot

    David Holmes

    Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    Dr. David Holmes is a native of Los Angeles. He taught at Pepperdine University, Seaver College for over 25 years and was the first African American to receive tenure (2003)...

    Meet David Holmes
  • Randy Bouldin headshot

    Randy Bouldin

    Professor

    Randy Bouldin, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and interim Dean, holds the B.A. degree from Lipscomb University, the M.S. degree from The University of Tennessee/Knoxville, and the Ph.D. from Vanderbilt...

    Meet Randy Bouldin
  • Holly Allen headshot

    Holly Allen

    Adjunct Faculty

    Dr. Holly Catterton Allen teaches two courses: Nurturing Spiritual Development in Children and Family Ministry. She also taught these courses before she retired in 2022 from her position as Professor...

    Meet Holly Allen
  • Brandon Banes headshot

    Brandon Banes

    Associate Professor

    Brandon Banes is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics. Formerly a high school mathematics teacher at Lebanon High School, Banes earned his B.S. in Mathematics and Mathematics Education from Lipscomb University...

    Meet Brandon Banes
  • Ryan Bowen headshot

    Ryan Bowen

    Assistant Professor

    Meet Ryan Bowen
  • Alan Bradshaw headshot

    Alan Bradshaw

    Professor

    Meet Alan Bradshaw
  • Justin Briggs headshot

    Justin Briggs

    Associate Professor

    Justin Gregory Briggs joined the faculty at Lipscomb University in 2014. He completed his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Purdue University and earned his M.S. in Marital and...

    Meet Justin Briggs
  • Randy Bybee headshot

    Randy Bybee

    Department Chair - Physics and Professor

    Randy is a native Tennessean, having grown up in Gainesboro, a small town about 85 miles east of Nashville. After undergraduate work at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN, Randy...

    Meet Randy Bybee
  • Dana Carpenter headshot

    Dana Carpenter

    Professor

    Chamblee Carpenter is an Associate Professor who teaches American literature and Creative Writing. She is also an award-winning novelist. Her debut novel, Bohemian Gospel, won Killer Nashville's Claymore Award and...

    Meet Dana Carpenter
  • Brian Cavitt headshot

    Brian Cavitt

    Professor

    T. Brian Cavitt is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Lipscomb University. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Missions from Abilene Christian...

    Meet Brian Cavitt
  • Phil Choate headshot

    Phil Choate

    Adjunct Faculty

    Meet Phil Choate
  • Caleb Clanton headshot

    J. Caleb Clanton

    Distinguished University Chair in Philosophy and Humanities

    J. Caleb Clanton is the Distinguished University Chair in Philosophy and Humanities and has served as the head of the philosophy program at Lipscomb University since 2012. He taught previously...

    Meet J. Caleb Clanton
  • Rebecca Clark headshot

    Rebecca Clark

    Associate Professor and Chair of the Dept of Social Work

    Rebecca Clark is the Chair of the Department of Social Work, Associate Professor of Social Work and the Director of the Social Work Program.

    Meet Rebecca Clark
  • Kent Clinger headshot

    Kent Clinger

    Adjunct Faculty

    A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Kent Clinger received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Oklahoma Christian College in 1976. He studied in the Master of Science program...

    Meet Kent Clinger
  • Beth Conway headshot

    Beth Conway

    Prof of Bio & Assoc Chair

    Beth Conway is associate professor of Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lipscomb University. She received her bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in Biochemistry and Molecular...

    Meet Beth Conway
  • Amy Crossland

    Amy Crossland

    Adjunct Faculty

    Associate Professor Practice experience includes over five years with victim witness services.

    Meet Amy Crossland
  • Sarah Gibson

    Sarah Gibson

    Professor and Chair, Department of Communication and Journalism

    Professor Sarah Gibson is an educator and media professional from Abilene, Texas. She is a graduate of Abilene Christian University where she obtained her B.S. in Electronic Media, and the...

    Meet Sarah Gibson
  • Chris Gonzalez headshot

    Chris Gonzalez

    Professor and Director, Marriage and Family Therapy

    Gonzalez joined the psychology and counseling faculty in Fall 2010 after completing his Ph.D. in Family Social Science from University of Minnesota. He teaches several courses in the MFT program....

    Meet Chris Gonzalez
  • Richard Goode headshot

    Richard Goode

    Professor

    Selected Publications: Books And the Criminals With Him: Essays in Honor of Will D. Campbell. Eugene OR: Cascade Books. (2012) Writings on Reconciliation and Resistance. Eugene OR: Cascade Books....

    Meet Richard Goode
  • Alan Griggs headshot

    Alan Griggs

    Associate Professor

    Associate Professor Alan Griggs is a senior manager of communications with diverse experience including television news reporting and management, political and corporate communications and teaching. He is currently Associate Professor in...

    Meet Alan Griggs
  • Gary Hall headshot

    Gary Hall

    Professor

    Gary Hall is born in and has lived in Nashville all of his life. He graduated from David Lipscomb College in 1984 with a BA in Biblical Languages and Math....

    Meet Gary Hall
  • Jan Harris headshot

    Jan Harris

    Professor

    Jan Elaine Harris is an Associate Professor of English and Writing at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Her chapbook, Isolating One's Priorities, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in October...

    Meet Jan Harris
  • Susan Haynes

    Susan Haynes

    Associate Professor

    Susan Turner Haynes joined Lipscomb University as an assistant professor in political science in 2015 after receiving her PhD from George Mason University. She published her first book, Chinese Nuclear...

    Meet Susan Haynes
  • Matt Hearn headshot

    Matt Hearn

    HPAC Director

    Hearn came to Lipscomb University in Fall 1999 from Valdosta State University, where he taught for nine years as a tenured associate professor and graduate faculty member, including a stint...

    Meet Matt Hearn
  • Tim Johnson headshot

    Tim Johnson

    Elizabeth Gentry Brown Chair in Public Administration

    Tim Johnson joined the history faculty in 1991.  He is the author/editor of eight books and over two dozen articles that focus primarily on early U.S. military history.  His work has been...

    Meet Tim Johnson
  • Kelly Kidder headshot

    Kelly Kidder

    Associate Professor

    Kelly Kidder received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Foreign and Second Language Education. Her studies comprised several core areas, including Qualitative Research, French Cultural Studies, Second Language...

    Meet Kelly Kidder
  • Jill Kirby headshot

    Jill Kirby

    Associate Professor

    Jill Kirby grew up in Knoxville, TN where she developed a passion for helping others. That led her to Harding University for undergraduate work (B.S Exercise Science) and then to...

    Meet Jill Kirby
  • Tamera Klingbyll headshot

    Tamera Klingbyll

    Assistant Professor

    Tamera Klingbyll joined the Lipscomb faculty in 1990 after obtaining a Masters of Science in Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She earned her Bachelor of Science from...

    Meet Tamera Klingbyll
  • John Lewis headshot

    John Lewis

    Faith and Science Professorship

    John Lewis is associate professor of Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He received his bachelor of science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Tennessee Technological...

    Meet John Lewis
  • Katie Link headshot

    Katie Link

    Lecturer

    A native of Albany, Georgia, after graduation from Lipscomb University, Katie married Troy Link and moved to Seattle. There they grew to love the forests, mountains, and waters of the...

    Meet Katie Link
  • Jon Lowrance headshot

    Jon Lowrance

    Department Chair - Biology

    Jon H. Lowrance is a professor of biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lipscomb University. He received his bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in Biology from...

    Meet Jon Lowrance
  • Lee Mayo headshot

    Lee Mayo

    Lecturer

    Lee Mayo has been teaching at Lipscomb since 2013. While his research centers primarily on the history and philosophy of science, he is also interested in various topics within science...

    Meet Lee Mayo
  • Jimmy McCollum headshot

    Jimmy Mccollum

    Professor

    Dr. Jimmy McCollum graduated from Lipscomb in 1987. He earned his M.S. in journalism at the University of Tennessee and his Ph.D. in mass communication at the University of Alabama....

    Meet Jimmy Mccollum
  • Charlie McVey

    Charlie Mcvey

    Adjunct Faculty

    Charlie McVey began teaching German and Russian at Lipscomb in 1975, after serving as a Russian-German linguist in the US Air Force in Germany. Trained in historical Germanic linguistics (M.A....

    Meet Charlie Mcvey
  • Florah Mhlanga headshot

    Florah Mhlanga

    Ass. Prov. Und. Aca. Aff

    Florah Mhlanga serves as the Associate Dean and Professor of Biology the College of Liberal Arts and Science at Lipscomb University. She also serves as the Director of the Lipscomb...

    Meet Florah Mhlanga
  • Howard Miller

    Howard Miller

    Associate Professor

    Dr. Miller joined the history faculty at Lipscomb in 2012. He is a widely published social historian with a specialty in the history of Islamic Spain. He earned a doctorate...

    Meet Howard Miller
  • Mark Miller headshot

    Mark Miller

    Professor

    Born in Searcy, AR. Grew up in Houston, TX. Harding College: B.S, University of Houston: M.S., and Illinois State University: D.A, all in Mathematics. Teaching Assistant, University of Houston (September,...

    Meet Mark Miller
  • Bonny Millimaki headshot

    Bonny Millimaki

    Professor

    Bonny Millimaki is an associate professor of Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Middle Tennessee State University in...

    Meet Bonny Millimaki
  • Dave Morgan headshot

    Dave Morgan

    Associate Professor

    Morgan joined the psychology and counseling faculty in Fall 2013 after a several years in the Lipscomb University Counseling Center where he served as a therapist and the Director of...

    Meet Dave Morgan
  • Jake Morris headshot

    Jake Morris

    Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

    Morris joined the psychology and counseling faculty in July 2009, after 10 years of teaching in the psychology and counseling programs at Freed-Hardeman University. His received his doctorate in Educational...

    Meet Jake Morris
  • Melanie Morris headshot

    Melanie Morris

    Associate Professor

    Melanie Morris coordinates the Practicum and Internship process for the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and supervises practicum/internship students. Morris received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University...

    Meet Melanie Morris
  • Amy Nelson headshot

    Amy Nelson

    Professor

    Amy and her husband Randy are both alumni of Lipscomb University, although they did not meet there. Amy taught high school at a local Christian school for a brief time...

    Meet Amy Nelson
  • Ted Parks headshot

    Ted Parks

    Professor

    Ted Parks is an Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of English and Modern Languages. He has taught all levels of Spanish at Lipscomb, and, before moving to Nashville...

    Meet Ted Parks
  • Linda Phipps

    Linda Phipps

    Director of Environmental Health Safety

    Phipps has over 35 years of experience in environmental science and chemistry. She served as the Pretreatment Coordinator for Dallas, TX, where she administered the pretreatment permitting and enforcement program...

    Meet Linda Phipps
  • Steve Prewitt

    Steve Prewitt

    Associate Professor

    Prewitt is Associate Provost for Student Academic Support. In 1997 he joined the Office of the Provost as director of Academic Program Development. In 2002 he was appointed Associate Provost...

    Meet Steve Prewitt
  • Shanna Ray headshot

    Shanna Ray

    Executive Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

    Dr. Shanna Ray is a Nashville native and proud Lipscomb alumna. Since joining Lipscomb's faculty in 2002, Shanna Ray has been involved in various administrative roles. Currently, she serves as...

    Meet Shanna Ray
  • Kimberly Reed

    Kimberly Reed

    Professor

    Kimberly Reed is professor of English & Modern Languages and a University Research Fellow. She has co-edited two books, "Approaches to Teaching Henry James's 'Daisy Miller' and 'The Turn of...

    Meet Kimberly Reed
  • Douglas Ribeiro headshot

    Douglas Ribeiro

    Director of Graduate Counseling and Chair of Psychology

    Ribeiro joined the psychology and counseling faculty in Fall 2012 after completing his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. He teaches Introduction to Psychopathology and Adaptive Behavior, Multicultural...

    Meet Douglas Ribeiro
  • Marc Schwerdt

    Marc Schwerdt

    Associate Professor and Chair of History, Politics and Philosophy

    Marc Schwerdt joined the Lipscomb political science faculty in 2004. His research has concentrated on perceptions of public service in children's literature and has been published in peer-reviewed journals Social...

    Meet Marc Schwerdt
  • John Smith

    John Smith

    Professor

    Smith grew up in New Jersey where he attended Drew University, earning his B.A. in Chemistry with a Writing minor. He then worked in publishing before heading to graduate school...

    Meet John Smith
  • Willie Steele headshot

    Willie Steele

    Professor

    Willie Steele grew up in Ohio before completing his undergraduate degree (English and Speech Communication) from Lipscomb University where he ran cross country and track. He stayed in Tennessee to...

    Meet Willie Steele
  • Denis' Thomas

    Denis Thomas

    Adjunct Faculty

    Denis' (pronounced Denise) Thomas is the faculty director of the Center for Play Therapy and Expressive Arts. She has been at Lipscomb since 2012 teaching graduate courses in the psychology,...

    Meet Denis Thomas
  • Cayce Watson

    Cayce Watson

    Adjunct Faculty

    Watson is a Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor with over ten years of practice experience.

    Meet Cayce Watson
  • Amanda Williams headshot

    Amanda Williams

    Assistant Professor

    Amanda Williams was raised in Providence, Kentucky. She met her husband, Rick, at the Green Hills Starbucks when they were both college students at Lipscomb (B.S., Biology). Upon graduation, she...

    Meet Amanda Williams
  • DeAndrea Witherspoon Nash headshot

    DeAndrea Witherspoon Nash

    Director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

    DeAndrea Witherspoon Nash earned her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University. She is licensed as a professional counselor-mental...

    Meet DeAndrea Witherspoon Nash

Graduate Programs


While we offer a number of graduate programs, each of our areas of study will provide you with much more than a degree. Join a faith-based community that combines academic excellence with practical experience, and gain the skills to take the next step in your career toward your calling.