Programs
Bethany College of Missions programs function in conjunction together as they build upon each other. Students are given the option of attending BCOM for 1 year, 2 years, or 4 years. The one year program is called the Certificate in Bible and Missions, the 2 year is the Associate of Arts in Intercultural Ministry and the 4 year is the Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies. BCOM also offers graduate level courses and degrees through their Master's program called Bethany Center for Graduate Studies. BCGS has three MA degrees available in Intercultural Studies, Intercultural Leadership and Intercultural Education.
The Certificate in Bible and Missions is the foundational program consisting of the first year (two semesters) courses and requirements of the BA and AA degrees. These courses focus on biblical and theological studies, personal spiritual development, missions and ministry.
Program Overview:
Duration: 9 months
Location: On-campus
Academic Components-
The Certificate programs consist of 81 credits, with a minimum of:
12 credits of Bible & Theology
The remaining credits are distributed within the following concentrations depending on which certificate you are pursuing:
Intercultural Studies
Spiritual Development
Communications
Christian Ministry
Montessori Training
A student enrolled at the certificate level may decide to either finish with just their Certificate in BIble and Missions or they can elect to transfer into either the Associates or Bachelor’s degree programs after the certificate year. They can do this as the course content for the Certificate in Bible and Missions is the same as the core course content for both the AA and BA degrees. This makes the Certificate in Bible and Missions a good choice for students who desire basic discipleship and grounding in the Christian faith, while exploring these continuing education options.
Students enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Intercultural Ministry degree follow the same basic pre-field training format as the BA degree. This is because AA degree students spend their first two years of study focused on biblical and theological studies, personal spiritual development and courses in missions and ministry. The final requirement for the Associate of Arts in Intercultural Ministry degree is for the AA students to participate in a short-term, 2 to 3 week, mission trip experience called TREK through Bethany’s short term mission arm, STEM (Short Term Evangelical Missions) during the summer after their freshman year or sophomore year. TREK is designed to give students an introduction to life and work on the mission field.
Program Overview:
Duration: 2 years
4 semesters on-campus as well as one short-term missions trip called TREK.
Academic Components-
The AA program consists of 81 credits, with a minimum of:
18 credits of Bible & Theology
18 credits of General Education
6 credits of Short-Term Missions through TREK
The remaining credits are distributed within the following concentrations:
Intercultural Studies
Spiritual Development
Communications
Christian Ministry
As a BA degree student the first two years of study will consist of the same pre-field training and TREK mission trip as is required for the AA degree. After pre-field training BA students are ready to head overseas! They then spend the next 16 months on Global Internship, living and studying in another country with a team of fellow students. Global Internship functions as the field-based experiential and academic learning component of the BA program. Students are placed in learning teams of 5-10 in various countries around the world where they build upon their two years of pre-field training by taking courses taught by local ministry leaders while participating in local ministries within the country and engage in language and cultural learning. Global Internship is an outstanding catalyst to explore culture, participate in a variety of real life ministries, and find out how you personally fit into God’s plan for the world. At the end of Global Internship the team will return to the Minnesota campus for a final semester designed to help a student process and integrate all they have experienced. They will then graduate from BCOM with an understanding of their personal strengths and spiritual gifts, ministry-focused career options, contacts in the US and abroad, and a tangible plan for the next step God has for them.
Program Overview:
Duration: 4 years
2 Years - Pre-field Training (On-campus)
A 2-3 week mission trip called TREK (between freshmen and sophomore year)
16 Months - Global Internship (Overseas at one of our GI sites)
4 Months - Re-entry (On-campus)
Academic Components-
The BA program consists of 153 credits, with a minimum of:
30 credits of Bible & Theology
36 credits of General Education
The remaining credits are distributed within the following concentrations:
Intercultural Studies
Global Internship
Spiritual Development
Communications
Christian Ministry
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies also have the option within the program structure to pursue the following concentrations:
Kingdom Justice
The concentration in Kingdom Justice allows students to focus their Intercultural Studies program on issues directly related to seeing the presence of God’s Kingdom on earth exemplified in responding to issues created by human injustice such as racism, oppression, human trafficking and persecution. Students will examine biblical perspectives of justice, and historical patterns of injustice as well as the Church’s historical and contemporary response to injustice. This concentration will prepare a student to work in partnership with others in intercultural environments to bring Kingdom principles to bear on issues of injustice in the world today.
Social Entrepreneurship
The concentration in Social Entrepreneurship allows students to focus their Intercultural Studies program on bringing social change through the use of innovative partnerships and entrepreneurial business models to collaboratively identify problems and define solutions. Students will examine historical and contemporary roles of international businesses and non-government organizations (NGOs), the concept of building social capital, and a basic overview of macro and microeconomics. This concentration will prepare a student to work in partnership with others in intercultural environments to identify issues and create solutions for social change.
Early Childhood Development
The concentration in Early Childhood Development allows students to focus their Intercultural Studies program on the specific needs of younger children. Students will gain a foundational understanding of theories of how children develop and learn and will examine the planning and implementation of learning activities for young children in areas of practical life, language development, science, art, mathematics and culture. This concentration will prepare a student to work in partnership with others in intercultural environments to minister directly to the needs of pre-school age children.
For students who wish to pursue higher education past their BA degree they can enroll in one of Bethany Center for Graduate Studies Master's programs; MA in Intercultural Studies, MA in Intercultural Leadership or an MA in Intercultural Education. These degree programs are offered exclusively online as they are designed so that even people with busy lives who are juggling life, family, ministry and/or missions work can participate and further their education and training from anywhere around the world.
Read more about this topic: Bethany College Of Missions
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