The Master of Arts requires the equivalent of 37 hours of on-line training within the students’ context of ministry, using the inductive approach to learning.  Only those qualified as a Creating Understanding Instructor will be considered for admission to the MA program.

The objectives of the MA program are achieved within seven Learning Units that encourage analytical thinking and problem solving, discovering widely-applicable principles from specific case studies and the students’ own ministries. The Learning Units listed are major categories, with several shorter components (Sections) within each. Tutorials may be assigned by the Learning Unit Mentor after analysis of assigned case studies is submitted by the student working group. The Mentor will consider the strengths and omissions of the analysis and assign Tutorials that will enable the student to do a strengthened analysis. After completion of all seven Learning Units, two Summary Papers crystallize lessons learned during the study program.

A cohort (group) of students beginning the on-line program at the same time will maintain contact during the period of study, critiquing one another’s work, asking and answering ministry-related questions, sharing case studies and analyses - under the monitoring and guidance of Advisors and Mentors. In other words, they will function as a face-to-face group would function, but primarily utilizing the Internet.

Approximately one-third of the program focuses on spiritual formation (foundational communication), one-third on the context (framework of communication), and one-third on methods (functional communication).