news at welch college   Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee, has been the official college of the Free Will Baptist Denomination since 1942. To find out more information about the school, visit www.Welch.edu.

Welch Introduces M.A. in Psychology, Other Program Changes

Gallatin, TN — Welch College will unveil a new Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychology this fall, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. Pending accreditor approval, the program is set to launch August 25, 2025.

This new program will be the sixth master’s degree available from Welch College, joining existing master’s programs in Humanities, Organizational Leadership, Teaching, Theology and Ministry, and the Master of Divinity degree.

The proposed 34-hour program will be available online and on-campus. Including a 16-hour psychology core with planned clinical and research tracks, the program builds on existing strengths within the B.S. in Psychology and will make use of a limited number of existing courses in other master’s programs.

“The M.A. in Psychology offers an exciting opportunity to shape future practitioners in the social sciences with a distinctly Christian worldview approach to soul care,” McAffee said. “Under the able leadership of Dr. Sarah Bracey, we believe this program will garner success in drawing a unique set of students to graduate studies at Welch.”

The program is designed to provide a shorter, more general psychology master’s for students unsure of which specialty area of psychology they wish to pursue.

Graduates would be well-positioned to transfer coursework into more specialized programs at other institutions. Upon approval, Welch plans to pursue transfer agreements with other graduate programs in areas like clinical psychology, counseling, and social work.

The degree is also designed to meet the needs of pastors and ministry workers with an interest in pursuing coursework to help them better serve in ministry. “The program has been designed not only to benefit students interested in an advanced degree from a Christian worldview,” Bracey said, “but the dividends of their training and skill sets will also spread to the local churches and the communities they serve.”

Welch will begin enrolling students in the program after accreditor approval. Prospective students interested in the degree may contact Dr. Bracey at sbracey@welch.edu for more information.

In other program news, Welch College intends to close its Associate of Science in Business Technology and Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood. The college will teach out these programs for any current students but will not enroll students in these programs after August 23, 2025.

The Associate of Science in Business Technology is being closed for a lack of interest. Individuals with questions related to this closure should contact Dr. Rebecca Deel: rdeel@welch.edu.
The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood is being closed because of recent changes in the Tennessee Department of Education. Welch will continue to offer the Associate of Science in Early Childhood (which has become the industry norm for daycare workers rather than the four-year degree).

Additionally, the college will continue to offer the Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Learning (K-5), which can be applied in preschool settings and has the added benefit of providing state licensure for elementary school teachers. Individuals with questions related to this closure should contact Dr. Stephen Beck: sbeck@welch.edu.

Learn more about all program offerings from Welch College at welch.edu/academic.

Soccer and Golf to Return

Gallatin, TN — Welch College will restart its men’s and women’s intercollegiate soccer programs and men’s golf program, according to Athletic Director Greg Fawbush. Welch paused both programs following the COVID pandemic, owing to recruiting restrictions at that time, and will bring all three teams back in the fall of 2025.

“We are excited to restart these programs after four years of stabilizing our athletic department following the pandemic,” Fawbush said. “Having the ability to field both soccer and golf programs will increase opportunities for Welch students and the students in our community.”

The restart of the soccer programs is made possible by a large donation from a generous donor and significant gifts from Free Will Baptist Foundation and funding from the Alumni Project of the Welch College Alumni Association. These gifts will make possible the construction of a soccer field on the Welch campus as well as other associated costs. “We encourage friends and alumni to give to help fund the restart of these teams,” Fawbush said, encouraging potential donors to visit welch.edu/give.

“We’re planning to begin construction on the new field immediately in hopes it will be finished by the fall of this year,” Fawbush continued. “The generous donation will also allow us to restart the golf program, which is a growing sport in our community.”

Students or prospective students interested in men’s or women’s soccer or men’s golf may contact Coach Fawbush at gfawbush@welch.edu for more information.