In 1945, Charles Stevens and a group of North CarolinaBaptist leaders founded Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. and opened Piedmont Bible Institute. Three years later, the institute added two years of junior college. Although the academy associated with Piedmont Bible Schools, Inc. was discontinued in 1952, the Bible institute and the college continued. In 1956 Piedmont completed the accreditation requirements of the Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges. Their acceptance allowed Religious Education and Theologybachelor's degrees to be awarded, starting in 1957, with the acceptance of the State Department of Education. The college added a graduate program in 1994 and joined the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools one year later. In 2004, Spurgeon Baptist Bible College of Mulberry, Florida merged with PIU to create Piedmont’s Spurgeon School of Online Education, which allowed several undergraduate and graduate programs to be available entirely online, including a master's degree in Biblical Studies offered in Spanish. The accreditation of two international branch campuses in restricted access nations sprang from partnerships with nationals in Asia and the Middle East. In 2012, Piedmont officially changed their name from Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School to Piedmont International University. In the mid 2010s, three institutions were merged into Piedmont. In 2015, Tennessee Temple University of Chattanooga, Tennessee, dissolved and merged with Piedmont. Southeastern Bible College of Birmingham, Alabama closed in 2017, merging with PIU later that year. In 2018, John Wesley University, a small evangelical college approximately 19 miles from Piedmont's Winston-Salem campuses, merged with Piedmont. In 2019, PIU started partnerships collaborating with Sheriff's Offices in North Carolina and Tennessee to create a collaborative criminal justice degree program with law enforcement. On June 24, 2020, the Piedmont International University Board of Trustees voted to change the university’s name to Carolina University. The Piedmont School of Divinity was created to "honor Piedmont’s historic name and heritage of training ministers and teaching Bible and theology."
Mergers and Acquisitions
Several Christian colleges and universities have joined forces with Carolina University over the years. With each merger, CU has grown its student body and improved its academic offerings.
Spurgeon Baptist Bible College
Spurgeon Baptist Bible College was established in 1970 in Lakeland, Florida as a college for training preachers and missionaries. The first president of the college was Dr. G. Arthur Woolsey, a Baptist Bible Seminary graduate. The college merged with Piedmont International University in 2003, and PIU's Spurgeon School of Online Education was created as a result of the merger.
Atlantic Baptist Bible College
Atlantic Baptist Bible College was located in Chester, Virginia where it served to prepare men and women for effective ministry in churches. The school merged with Piedmont International University in December, 2008.
Tennessee Temple University
Tennessee Temple University and Temple Baptist Seminary were located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The university opened in 1946, followed by the opening of the seminary in 1948. During the 65-year life of the school, it served over 100,000 students. TTU became the third school to merge with Piedmont International University, the process of which was completed in 2015. As a result of the merger, degree programs including Sign Language Interpretation were added to PIU's offerings. Additionally, the Temple Baptist Seminary name transitioned to Piedmont International University. The John Wesley School of Leadership was also created from TTU assets.
Southeastern Bible College
Southeastern Bible College was located in Birmingham, Alabama where they provided Bible, theology, ministry, and missions degree programs. The school was founded in 1935 by Edgar J. Rowe. In 2017, the school closed due to financial struggles, but after three months, SEBC merged with Piedmont International University.
John Wesley University
John Wesley University (located in High Point, North Carolina merged with Piedmont International University in 2018, becoming the fifth school to do so. Founded in 1903, it was the oldest undergraduate theological education institution in North Carolina. JWU was renowned for its nursing and business degree programs, many of which became a part of Piedmont International University as a part of the merger.
Academics
Carolina University comprises five undergraduate and graduate schools.
The School of Arts and Sciences is home to several new undergraduate programs in areas including Public Health, Esports, Information Systems, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Studies. CU's Patterson School of Business offers both undergraduate and graduate business programs including the BBA and MBA. In addition to those programs, several concentrations are offered in areas such as Business Analytics, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management. The Moore School of Education at CU offers both undergraduate and graduate programs, in addition to five concentrations. Key programs include the BS in Deaf Studies, the BS in Elementary Education, and the Master of Education. The John Wesley School of Leadership, named as a result of the merger with John Wesley University, is home to two graduate leadership programs: the MA in Leadership and the PhD in Leadership. The Piedmont Divinity School at Carolina University comprises all the ministry and Bible-related degree programs at the university. These schools offer programs such as the 5-Year BA and MDiv, various Biblical Studies degrees, and two Graduate Certificates.
Athletics
Carolina University athletic teams are known as the Bruins. The university participates in the National Christian College Athletic Association at the Division I level in the South Region. The university currently fields 11 teams. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The university's athletic department expanded in recent years, growing from three sports in 2017 to nine in two years. CU plans to add several more over, including the additions of men's volleyball and women's cheerleading in 2020–21. The university also moved the athletics department from NCCAA Division II to the Division I level and added athletic scholarship opportunities. One notable former coach is Josh Howard, a former NBA All-Star player and Dallas Mavericks player, Howard got his start in collegiate coaching as the CU men's basketball head coach from 2016-2020.
