Vision International University

Vision International University (VIU) is an online institution of higher education that offers academic degree programs for the training of persons pursuing a career in the Christian ministry. It is located in the town of Ramona, California, about 35 miles northeast of San Diego.

VIU is a nondenominational Protestant institution aligned with the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. It is a member of the Vision International Education Network, which originated with the founding of Vision International College (VIC) in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, in 1974. VIC is now located in Minto, New South Wales, some 23 miles southwest of Sydney.

The university offers a bachelor’s-completion program for those with an associate degree, in addition to a number of master’s and doctoral programs.

VIU’s academically rigorous curriculum permits students to study a broad spectrum of theological issues from a non-dogmatic perspective. The school also emphasizes Christian character development, within a framework of church planting and community service. The Founder and President of VIU is Stan E. DeKoven.

Among VIU’s notable alumni, we may mention the following:

• Meadowlark Lemon (1932–2015)
• Guillermo Maldonado (b. 1965)
• Shelley Lubben (1968–2019)

VIU has affiliate status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education. However, the school lacks full academic accreditation. This means that credits earned from VIU may likely not be accepted by other institutions if students wish to transfer. Moreover, degrees earned there will most likely not be accepted as meeting prerequisites for advanced degrees at other institutions. For these reasons, prospective students should tread cautiously and inform themselves thoroughly about VIU and its programs before matriculating there.