Ravenburn

Bachelor of Arts ("BA")

 

We offer two types of BAs: the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Church Ministry, and the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Christian ministry. Each of these degrees allows for customized concentrations that will be titled as such in the transcripts. 

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All this is explained in more detail below, but first, let's take care of a basic overview that will explain the common elements both BA programs share . . . .

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BASIC OVERVIEW

 

Our BA programs allows students from the very start to mix theory with practice. As they work though books, lectures, and discussions about themes in the ministry, they simultaneously experience on-the-ground mentoring with faculty, pastors, or ministry- and Christian-business leaders.

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Undergraduate students must finish a 5-year program split into 20 quarters and 4 summer sessions, and they must work a part-time job in the community while they do it. Students have the option of starting our MA program during their 5th year and having that year provide dual credit for both programs.

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We offer two types of BA degrees, but both share a the same core class rotation and the same tuition structure. To see the classes, click on the following link. The cost outlay is described below. Just keep reading!

(click to see BA classes)

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Cost of the Degree

 

Full-time students must take the following every quarter:

• the General-Learning Unit, 1.5 credits (online, land, or hybrid) ($185)

• the Program-Specific Unit, 2 credits (online, land, or hybrid) ($335)

• the Practicum, 3.5 credits (land only) ($105)

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They must take the following every summer except for the 5th year:

• the Summer GLU, .5 credits (online) ($50)

• the Christian Classics Reading, .5 credits (online) ($30)

• the Practicum, 1 credit (land only) ($45)

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The cost of tuition and fees for a complete year (not including books):

• the 4 quarters, $2,500

• the 4 quarterly accreditation fees ($25/qtr), $100

• the 1 summers session, $​125​

      YEARLY TOTAL: $2,725

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The cost for the 5 years required for our BA programs (only tuition & fees):

• the first 4 years (each year with 4 quarters and 1 summer session): $10,900

• the 5th year (4 quarters): $2,600

• the 1st-year Core Skills Test (proctored by our accreditation agency): $60

• the Logic Comprehensive (proctored by our accreditation agency): $60

• the Grammar Comprehensive (proctored by our accreditation agency): $60

• the 2nd-Year Writing Portfolio (assessed by our accreditation agency): $320 

      GRAND TOTAL: $​14,000

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THE BA IN APPLIED CHURCH MINISTRY

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The Applied Church Ministry degree is for students who want to be directly involved with the growth, management, and propagation of the local church. We're talking pastors, assistant pastors, Sunday School directors, executive pastors, worship leaders, children-ministry leaders, youth pastors, and so forth.   

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You'll have to take the regular set of ministry classes that students in our other degree program are taking. But your practicum work will be specifically integrated with church activities and church departments. 

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In fact, you can have a general practicum experience in which you meet and work with as many ministry leaders as possible, or you can have a specialized practicum. For example, if you are in a local context where there a number of churches you can work at with a focus on youth ministry, we can set things up so that your practicum work throughout the degree allows you to develop this particular skill-set. Your focus will be recognized in your transcript as a concentration in youth ministry (see "Concentrations" below).

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THE BA IN APPLIED CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

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The Applied Christian Ministry degree is for students who, while they are open to eventually working directly within a local church after graduation, are also open to working at para-church ministries like Christian nonprofits, Christian businesses, Christian schools, and so forth.

 

Or students might like to prepare for an individualized path through the Kingdom of God by honing the talents like authorship, song creation, media management, graphic arts, or digital curation.

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If so, then the BA in Applied Christian Ministry is a good fit for them. They will take the regular collection of general-learning classes and bible classes as all our students, but they can customize their practicum work to fit the area of study they wish to focus on. We can help them with this because of our connections and our network of Christian nonprofits and lay practitioners. But if the student has connections of their own (say, a local set of ministers or professionals who can mentor the student), we can approve a path that the students check and we'll monitor the work by staying in regular contact with the student's mentors and supervisors.

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CONCENTRATIONS

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Think of a concentration as a double major. Everyone in our program will take the same general-learning classes and the same bible and ministry classes. This is a total of 74 credits. Now what if the students earns another 74 credits by working with mentors or ministry groups from the first quarter on? And what if at least 40 of these credits can be focused on something like learning how to run the media side of a church? On learning how to start and run a Christian nonprofit? On learning how to write Christian curriculum, magazines, websites, or books?

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That's what a concentration looks like for us. Students don't have to set up a concentration. Their practicum can be general and broadly designed. But if someone does want to focus, then it's an opportunity to gain a specific skill-set and to meet people and organizations dedicated to a singular task. 

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We have two concentrations we can offer students now:

• Concentration in Christian Media and Authorship

• Concentration in Parachurch Administration

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The Concentration in Christian Media and Authorship is for students who are interested in creating textual content for the ministry, in designing church and ministry publications, in making, recording, publishing, and curating music and video, in illustration and art, and in mastering the art of book authorship and publication. Of course, students don't have to master all of these skills. They can pick a combination of some of these or even just one in order to truly develop a proficiency.

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The Concentration in Parachurch Administration helps a student in two ways. First, they will get to see how a Christian nonprofit ministry is run. They will shadow directors at such ministries in order to get a robust, rounded experience of all the operations of the organization. Second, they will be challenged to consider the gifts and experiences that God has given them in light of possibly starting their own parachurch ministry. 

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We hope to offer these concentrations in the future. If students have a local setting that is rich in mentors and ministry leaders in these areas and wish to pursue one of these concentration, we are definitely open to moving forward:

• Concentration in Young Adult Ministry

• Concentration in Children Ministry

• Concentration in Pulpit Ministry

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It's important to note that students don't have to do a concentration. All students must do practicum work, and keeping the work general and wide-spread may be a good option for some. 

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Students who do earn a concentration will have it listed on their transcript under the degree title. For example, a student who earns a BA in Applied Christian Ministry and opts to do a concentration in parachurch administration, then the student's transcript will record this as a "Bachelor of Arts in Applied Church Ministry with a Concentration in Parachurch Administration." A mouthful, we know, but it does a good job signaling to potential ministry employers what the student is specifically skilled in.

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