ACU Compass | Abilene Christian University

Your Roadmap

Compass defines your rich experiences as a student and your meaningful career going forward as an ACU graduate. It integrates academics, spiritual formation, experiential learning, career preparation, leadership development and much more for your holistic formation.

Study abroad or join a mission trip. Be mentored and become the mentor. Attend chapels and find your role in a local ministry. Discover your skills and polish your final work. There are many transformative experiences to take you beyond the classroom.

Learn More

Take Experiences With You

Mark your progress across all five lanes on the Suitable app. Suitable is a mobile-first platform that allows you to complete activities and pursue achievements while developing your collegiate experience as a Wildcat. Earn badges as you develop along each lane and track the progress within the app.

Download the App

The Global Experience

Go beyond the classroom and bring your Christian faith to action. Accept the opportunity to travel abroad and expand your servant leadership. Our students participate in semester-long programs and summer trips to Germany, Uruguay and England.

Study Abroad

Themes of Spiritual Formation at ACU

As you work with your advisors and professors to build your personal learning experience, each of these themes mark your spiritual growth year-over-year with intentional focus on one of these concentrations each year.

Year 1: Community

Discover the distinctive nature of Christian community by engaging in a relationship with God and others through student organizations and the local church.

Year 2: Hospitality

Become a welcoming presence for all by extending compassion and offering hospitality through service to others.

Year 3: Calling

Advance your understanding of vocation by integrating your career and vision for life with the call to lifelong discipleship.

Year 4: Wisdom

Prepare for a new season of life beyond the university, prioritizing kingdom living as you launch into your career.

Inspire

Here is a sample of a Compass roadmap to demonstrate your holistic journey at ACU. It’s more than a degree — it’s a lifestyle.

Begin Your Journey	First Year Pursue Community	Second Year Pursue Hospitality	Third Year Pursue Calling	Fourth Year Pursue Wisdom
Grow Intellectual	Wildcat Week Department Visit Cornerstone (CORE 110) Life & Teachings of Jesus (BIBL 101) Early Christians (BIBL 102)	Attend Undergraduate Research Festival Message of the Old Testament (BIBL 211)	Engage in a Faculty-Mentored Research or Creative Project Participate in Information Literacy Workshop	Present Research/Creative Project at Undergraduate Research Festival or Conference Capstone Course
Grow Spiritual	Participate in Chapel Candlelight Devo Join a Local Church Practices of Meal Fellowship, Testimony, and Breath Prayer	Participate in Chapel Volunteer in the Abilene Community Practices of Intercessory Prayer, Pilgrimage and Journaling	Participate in Chapel Global Service Trip Practices of Silence, Spiritual Listening and Examen	Participate in Chapel Departmental Senior Blessing Candlelight Sendoff Practices of Relinquishment, Developing Rule of Life
Grow Personal	Take Strengths Finder Inventory Join a Student Organization Connect with a Faculty or Staff Mentor Develop a Personal Exercise Plan	Exercise in the Rec Center and/or Play Intramurals Participate in a Student Organization	Serve in a Leadership Role on Campus Lead in a Church Ministry or Local Service Organization	Mentor First-Year Student(s) Lead a Student Club or Organization
Grow Cultural	Attend Events Hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)	Attend Events Hosted by the International Students Association (ISA) Study Abroad in Oxford, Leipzig or Montevideo	Attend Events Hosted by the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action Participate in a World Wide Witness Summer Internship	Lead a Multicultural or International Student Event Apply to Fulbright Scholar, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Intercultural Service Opportunity
Grow Professional	Activate Handshake Profile Take the Career Explorer Inventory Participate in Creative U	Develop a Résumé in the Career Center Participate in Mock Interview	Create LinkedIn Profile Complete internship Apply for Graduate School	Secure Letters of Recommendation Finalize Résumé Apply for Jobs

The ACU Experience

It’s not about the tests you take or the grades you achieve. It’s about who you are becoming. We have five lanes for the different areas of your education, but together, they culminate a personalized experience curated for you.

Intellectual

Sharpen your mind through critical thinking, problem solving and engaging in original research or creative projects. Build knowledge in your field and develop relevant skills through innovative and experiential assignments and activities.

Spiritual

Grow in likeness of Christ as you cultivate our pillars of Christian community, hospitality, vocation and wisdom through reflective participation in community practices such as worship, study and service.

Personal

Mature as a whole person through mentorship, peer-to-peer relationships and cultivated habits that produce wellness. Discover your strengths, become a productive team member and grow as a leader.

Cultural

Deepen intercultural knowledge and the ability to communicate with and relate to people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and geographic areas. Foster a greater respect and empathy for all people by building dynamic and mutually rewarding relationships in local and global contexts.

Professional

Prepare for a meaningful career by exploring options, participating in career development activities, gaining relevant experiences and making purposeful connections that launch your professional life.

Inspire Within