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Home E Academics E Online Learning E M.A. in Strategic Leadership (Online)

LPU Online

M.A. In Strategic Leadership

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Overview • Thriving Online Programs • Program Format • Curriculum • FAQs • Your Next Steps • Quick Links • Related Programs • Contact the Office of Admissions

Overview

The Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership (MASL) is an online degree program serving leaders who have a bachelor’s degree and desire to pursue further specialized education and develop additional skills in leadership and ministry. It is no secret: our world is experiencing rapid change and becoming increasingly more complex and demanding, which is why continued professional development is crucial for today’s leaders. No matter the setting – whether church or business, human services or global outreach – those who lead must excel in their ability to think and act strategically. The MASL is designed to provide an integrated experience that blends leadership, management, and organizational theories with practical theology. Click here to view the program fact sheet.

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Thriving Online Learning Community

Though cohorts are composed of students not only from across the U.S. but also from other nations, cohort members are able to maintain vital peer relationships, beginning with the first residency and continuing through the two-year program. The weekly discussion boards facilitate ongoing collaboration and mutual support and create opportunities for substantial interaction between instructors and students.

Program Format & Schedule

Students go through the program as part of a cohort of 12 to 20 people. The cohort moves as a group from class to class through the sequential, 36-unit curriculum. Students begin the program with a one-week on-campus residency, followed by four weeks of online work. They then transition to a series of five eight-week-long online courses that are scheduled one at a time, back to back. The program’s second year follows the same structure, with one week of residency, four weeks of online work to complete the residency coursework, and five more eight-week-long classes. Cohorts begin in January and July. The academic schedule allows for several weeks’ break at Christmas/New Year’s and during late June/early July. Click here to learn more about the program courses.

Curriculum

Year 1

Personal Life of the Leader (3 units)
Mentoring & Coaching for Leaders (3 units)
Leadership Theology (3 units)
Human Behavior in Organizations (3 units)
Cultural Trends & Ministry (3 units)
Leadership Theory and Praxis (3 units)

Year 2

Trends in Leadership Management (1 unit)
Contextualized Ministry & the Book of Acts (3 units)
Leadership Ethics in the Old Testament (3 units)
Strategic Organizational Analysis (3 units)

Organizational Research Methods (2 units)

Theology and Worldview (3 units)
Strategic Leadership, Innovation, and Change (3 units)

FAQ

What is the purpose of this program?
The Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership (MASL) serves leaders who have a bachelor’s degree and desire to pursue further specialized education and develop additional skills in leadership and ministry.
Who should enroll?
The MASL is designed to provide field-based leaders with necessary skills to increase their effectiveness in their current and future roles in ministry and leadership. Ideal students are those who have completed their undergraduate education and can demonstrate a significant commitment to ministry and organizational leadership.
What is the focus of the MASL curriculum?

This biblically-grounded, professional, practical curriculum is designed to help students master advanced leadership and organizational constructs. They will become conversant in best practices, carry out applied research, and implement strategic change. In addition, students will have the opportunity to explore their own calling and gain understanding of the context of their chosen field of leadership. The program includes an integral field-based component that provides students with an opportunity to undertake a major leadership project (capstone) that will have practical impact, potentially becoming a strategic initiative for renewal of an existing ministry/organization or the creation of a new endeavor.

How are classes scheduled in the MASL?

Students go through the program as part of a cohort of 12 to 20 people. The cohort moves as a group from class to class through the sequential, 36-unit curriculum. Students begin the program with a one-week on-campus residency, followed by four weeks of online work. They then transition to a series of five eight-week-long online courses that are scheduled one at a time, back to back. The program’s second year follows the same structure, with one week of residency, four weeks of online work to complete the residency coursework, and five more eight-week-long classes.

How do the MASL online classes work?
The MASL employs concept-based learning that utilizes discussion-board participation and written work. At the beginning of each week, students access course materials for that week: reading assignments, videos, PowerPoints, etc. Midweek, they respond to discussion-board questions posted by the professor. Written work (including research papers, reflection papers, book reports, exegetical studies, and more) is due by midnight Sunday.
Is financial aid available?
Master’s students may apply for federal loans through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program. Most students will qualify for enough in federal loans to cover the entire program, if necessary. Life Pacific College is pleased to partner with MASL students by offering scholarships ranging from $500 to $2000. Awards are based on criteria that includes scholarship application, financial eligibility and scholarship committee decision.
How much time should students expect to devote to the program?
Students should expect to devote 15 to 18 hours per week to study, spread out over the course of the week. The online format provides for great personal flexibility, making it possible for students to work around diverse schedule constraints including travel as well as family, organizational and ministry obligations.
When do new cohorts begin?
Cohorts begin in January and July. The academic schedule allows for several weeks’ break at Christmas/New Year’s and during late June/early July.
What are the requirements for admission to the program?
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from a school accredited by a CHEA-recognized accrediting organization (bachelor’s degrees from Mount Vernon Bible College and Life Bible College East also are acceptable). An undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and a minimum of three years of organizational leadership, management or ministry involvement is required.
What if I don't have an accredited bachelor's degree?
Life Pacific may accept a very limited number of applicants (1-2 per cohort) who either have a bachelor’s degree from an unaccredited institution or who do not have a bachelor’s degree at all based on criteria such as age (minimum 35 years old), significant high-level organizational leadership or ministry experience (minimum 10 years), and demonstrated ability to succeed in graduate-level coursework.
What is the application process?

The application process has four components:
1. Application
2. Application essay
3. Letter and recommendation form from two professional references
4. Official college transcripts

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Office Hours: 8am-5pm PT, Monday – Friday
Call or Text: (877) 886-5433
Email: lpuonline@lifepacific.edu

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