English
العربية
Deutsch
አማርኛOur School
Holy Sophia University
University Leadership
Amid the remarkable educational renaissance led by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Dr. Fr. Abraham Azmy founded Holy Sophia University on July 1, 2019. The university commenced its first academic courses with the Fall Module on September 2, 2019.
Holy Sophia University is dedicated to preserving and disseminating the rich tradition of Coptic Orthodox Christianity — its history, Patristic heritage, ecclesiology, worship, theology, and dogma — all of which are profoundly interconnected. The university is committed to proclaiming the truth of God, revealed to humanity and handed down through apostolic succession under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Sophia faithfully adheres to the direction and vision of the Coptic Orthodox Holy Synod, headed by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
"Where the wisdom of the early Church illuminates modern life."
Our Name
The name Holy Sophia, which means Holy Wisdom, is a title of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Wisdom, which was personified in the Old Testament. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Incarnate Logos, and Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is the Wisdom of God, as St. Paul describes in his first epistle to the Corinthians chapters 1 and 2.
He is the Wisdom from whom we receive the wisdom that is from above that our father James explains in his epistle — wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
This Coptic Orthodox School of Theology has as its mission the enlightenment and growth in wisdom of all its students and faculty through our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Holy Sophia of God the Father, through the Holy Spirit of Truth.
Mission Statement
Holy Sophia University is committed to spreading the teachings of the Coptic Orthodox Church in accordance with the faith received from the Fathers of the Early Church. The university seeks to provide its students with a transformative and accessible education rooted in the ancient wisdom of our Patristic heritage.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ — the Holy Sophia — the university aims to embody the life of Coptic Orthodoxy in a way that engages and dialogues with the complexities of contemporary culture.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in Her dynamic life in the Holy Spirit is a living Church that, while historic and traditional, is alive, flourishing, and ecumenically driven. Holy Sophia is a direct expression of this ecumenicity through programs of rigorous academic study and Spirit-filled education. Unity with God and love of God and neighbor are the fundamental guiding principles of all that we do at Holy Sophia, and it is with this guiding telos that is at the center of Holy Scripture that we invite you to join our mission for the glory of God and the salvation of the world.
Educational System
Holy Sophia University adopts a widely recognized American model of online higher education. Each course is delivered over an eight-week period, referred to as a module. There are six modules offered per year:
Fall
Fall 1 & Fall 3
Spring
Spring 1 & Spring 3
Summer
Summer 1 & Summer 3
Each module runs weekly from Monday to Sunday. Weekly learning includes designated readings, academic and reflective writing assignments, and participation in online discussions. All interaction between students and professors occurs on the university's digital Blackboard platform.
Weekly assignments may be submitted at any time during the week, offering students flexible access to education regardless of geographic location or time constraints. Holy Sophia's structure is particularly well-suited to the needs of busy learners.