UNIVERSITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT

Service, as one of the Four Cornerstones at Azusa Pacific University, is at the heart of our local and international outreach, missions, and service-learning endeavors. The university desires to see the service experience connect to a deeper relationship with Christ, develop a greater sense of community, and model scholarship put into practice. To this end, the university desires that every student has an intercultural experience during their time at APU.

A student’s service may correlate with his or her academic coursework or it may be an opportunity to branch out from the classroom experience. A full-time student’s involvement in ministry opportunities satisfies the graduation requirement for service credits, which is as follows:

• 120 service credits for students beginning a fall semester as freshmen

• 90 service credits for transfer students beginning a fall semester as sophomores

• 60 service credits for transfer students beginning a fall semester as juniors

• 30 service credits for transfer students beginning a fall semester as seniors

The service requirement applies to all full-time undergraduate students, and no exemptions are made. The amount of service credits required, however, may drop 15 credits per semester if a student graduates early—for example, if you started your freshman year in the fall semester and are planning on graduating in December of your senior year, you will be required to have only 105 credits instead of 120.

Only part-time students are exempted from the policy. If you are a part-time student, you are not required to complete the service requirement.

APU recognizes the importance and value of service that happens on campus as students strive to serve one another. One of the goals of the university, however, is to encourage students to pursue opportunities to serve local and global communities outside of APU. Therefore, the following criteria must be met in order for an experience to count toward service credits:

• The experience must take place outside of the APU community

• The experience must be unpaid

• The experience cannot be serving a family member

• Community events hosted on the APU campus may occasionally count toward service credits

Through supervised, purposeful, and transformational service, APU students become consistent community contributors. Generally, students can earn credits according to the following guidelines:

• 5 credits— 5-9 hours of service (e.g. one-day service project)

• 10 credits— 10-14 hours of service (e.g. two-day service project)

• 15 credits— 15-29 hours of service (e.g. semester long, weekly service opportunity or weekend service trip)

• 30 credits— 30+ hours of service (e.g. mission trip, summer camp)

APU encourages students to broaden their horizons through different experiences, and we also recognize that students may desire to stay with a particular ministry to continue developing their gifts and sustain relationships. APU fully supports this continuity of involvement and encourages students to provide leadership in their endeavors. Each student can earn up to 60 credits maximum per academic year and up to 30 credits per semester (including summer). The following restriction exists:

• Music ministries may use up to a maximum of two ensembles for a maximum of 60 credits.

Nursing Students: Be aware that you will receive 100 service credits through your program, so you will need to take additional electives to cover the remaining 20 service credits needed to complete the 120 total credits for the service requirement. If you have any questions, contact the Center for Career and Community-Engaged Learning at ccel@apu.edu.

Verifying Your Service Credits

If you would like a letter verifying your hours of service for a graduate school or scholarship application, provide us with a prewritten verification letter addressed to the appropriate institution and include the information you would like verified (e.g., hours served, location of service, etc.). Our office would be happy to print the letter on university letterhead and sign the letter to verify your service. We have a two-week turnaround policy, so plan accordingly.

Submitting a Service Credit Report

If service takes place outside of our office, each student should complete the online Service Credit Report Form located at home.apu.edu at the end of each semester or shorter service experience. A short reflection of the service experience is required as part of the online form. Each submission will need a different reflection and duplication will result in denial.

Once completely filled out, the Service Credit Report Form will be processed, approved, and posted on the student’s home.apu.edu account. Students can expect their credit to be posted roughly 2–4 weeks after submitting their report(s). Please keep in mind that some credit report forms may take longer due to supervisor verification.

Seniors intending to graduate must adhere to the registrar’s deadlines and policies as listed in the university catalog. This procedure includes completing a Graduation Application and receiving clearance for completed service credits. For specific deadlines, visit the Undergraduate Enrollment Services Center.

FAQ’s

Please visit the APU website for Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, regarding Service Requirement and  Service Credits,

please contact servicerequirement@apu.edu