Carolina University is a non-denominational Christian school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1947 by Dr. Charles H. Stevens, it offers courses from theology to engineering.
In 1945, Stevens began teaching theology to World War II veterans to prepare them for ministry and missionary work. Shortly after, he officially chartered an institute known as the Piedmont Bible Institute. In 1948, the institute added an undergraduate program that made it a Bible college as well as a seminary. In 1956 it became a member of what is now the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
The 1970s brought significant growth during the tenure of Dr. Donald K. Drake, who oversaw the addition of a residence hall and a gymnasium complex. During this period, programs in aviation and teacher education were also established. In 1994, the institution began offering its first graduate-level courses and expanded internationally by offering classes in Bangladesh.
In 2002, Dr. Charles Petitt became president of the institution. Under his leadership, the university acquired seven Christian universities, colleges, and seminaries. These mergers, along with the Piedmont Bible Institute, led to the formation of Piedmont International University. Between 2003 and 2018, Spurgeon Baptist Bible College, Atlantic Baptist Bible College, Tennessee Temple University, Temple Baptist Seminary, Southeastern Bible College, and John Wesley University merged with Piedmont International University. In 2020, the institution adopted the name Carolina University. (The history of John Wesley University goes back to 1903.)
Carolina University today is composed of six distinct schools: the John Wesley School of Leadership and Innovation, the Moore School of Education, the Patterson School of Business, the Piedmont Divinity School, the School of Computing, Applied Science, and Engineering, and the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
As of 2023, Carolina University had 893 students, including both undergraduate and graduate students and offered both campus-based and online education. Dr. Heather Burkard currently serves as interim president.