Purpose and Outcomes
The Master of Arts in Christian Studies/Master of Science in Global Development is awarded jointly by the School of Ministry and the School of Arts and Sciences. The goal of the MACS/MSGD Dual Degree is to educate students to think like an economist, policy expert, entrepreneur, philosopher and theologian in order that they might create sustainable development that lifts us all and causes real-world change. The program is directed toward providing didactic and experiential education to students that will allow them to:
- develop the economic, theological and philosophical knowledge to assist leading and administering a church or para-church organization; and,
- design and implement strategies and policies that produce effective developmental practices.
Course Schedule/Structure
There are a variety of scheduling options for successfully completing the MACS/MSGD Dual Degree coursework. The time required will depend upon the student’s initiative in scheduling Global Development courses while still completing MACS courses, either during summer sessions or during a fall or spring semester.
To increase the likelihood of success and preventing students from overextending themselves academically, each student will be required to design a complete course sequence for both the MACS and Global Development requirements by the end of his/her first semester. This plan must be formulated in consultation with and authorized by the student’s MACS advisors and the Chair of the Global Development program.
Degree Requirements
A total of 72 credit hours are required. As part of the Dual Degree, students must successfully complete 30 credit hours of MACS coursework and 42 credit hours of MSGD coursework. When completed separately, the traditional MACS program at PBA requires 36 credit hours and the MSGD 43 credit hours.
Students must be admitted into both programs separately in order to enroll in the dual degree option. Upon admission to both programs, the dual degree program students are able to enroll in both MACS and MSGD courses during the same semester as time and schedules permit. No degrees will be awarded until the student completes the entire program and meets all degree requirements for both degrees.
Students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-ministry major are required to complete up to 24 hours of specific foundational coursework at the undergraduate or graduate level. These courses must be successfully completed prior to attempting the graduate courses. Students’ foundational courses in which grades below “C-” have been earned are not acceptable.
A grade of at least “C-” and a GPA of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale is required for “successful” completion of all MACS coursework. A grade of at least “C” and a GPA of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale is required for “successful” completion of all MSGD coursework. Students must complete all degree requirements within 10 years from the start of the program.
Curriculum Requirements
72 Credit Hours
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