Course Descriptions
Master of Arts in Intercultural Leadership
Course Descriptions
LDR 511 Biblical Foundations of Leadership - 3 Credits
This course is a study of key principles of intercultural leadership arising from a number of biblical passages and characters. The challenge in studying leadership from the scriptures is that the Bible itself is cross-cultural to the western mind. This course will explore how notable biblical characters exercised leadership, while avoiding the temptation to impose a western leadership bias. Students will have the opportunity to develop core values and commitments such as obedience to Christ, character, integrity, servant leadership and godly vision, which are essential to good leadership.
LDR 512 Spiritual Formation for Leaders - 3 Credits
This course examines spiritual principles and examples that can be utilized in intercultural spiritual leadership. The student will study how God develops leaders, the essential qualities needed for spiritual leadership, and how to be successful and finish well as a spiritual leader. In addition, it will also address how to avoid common pitfalls that leaders encounter. Opportunities will be provided for personal evaluation and practice in one’s cultural context.
LDR 513 Jesus as Leader - 3 Credits
This course will examine key areas in which Jesus laid a foundation for intercultural leadership. It will particularly emphasize: guiding the student to study foundational issues related to servant leadership; and focusing on Jesus and the specific ways in which he modeled leadership for his disciples as well as for us today. As Jesus did in the first century, the student may find that much of his style of leadership runs counter-cultural to leadership theory and practice today.
LDR 521 Perspectives on Intercultural Leadership - 3 Credits
This course will explore various perspectives on intercultural leadership and the dynamics that affect the development of a leader, including the impact of religion, as well as emotional, cultural and psychological issues. The course looks at these components in such a way so as to help the student recognize the complexity of leadership across cultures and the dynamics for developing effective leaders and leadership styles.
ICS 511 Intercultural Communication - 3 Credits
This course will explore the factors that serve to facilitate or impede communication within one’s cross-cultural context. The student will be able to learn the difference between perceived communication and the reality of what cultural communication consists of and apply the principles to help him or her communicate more effectively.
ICS 512 Methods of Exploring Culture - 3 Credits
This course will explore the tools and methods used to explore other cultures. It will focus on the key concepts of Ethnography, Cultural Hermeneutics, and Qualitative Research and the value they play in helping a leader to connect with a non-western culture.
LDR 524 Intercultural Leadership Development - 3 Credits
This course will address theory and practice for effective intercultural leadership development. It will consider biblical principles of leadership and how western leadership can help or hinder in effectively developing intercultural leaders. Special attention will be paid to the role of collaborative leadership and intercultural communication, and their value in effectively developing leaders.
LDR 531 Collaborative Leadership - 3 Credits
Collaboration, partnerships, and networking across national and cultural boundaries is the new normal for world missions. This class will prepare the leader with the knowledge and skills necessary for establishing and maintaining successful collaboration. The course will cover a biblical and theological defense of collaboration, a set of working principles for collaboration, and include a series of case studies and examples of successful collaboration in missions.
LDR 533 Vision and Strategic Planning - 3 Credits
This course will examine how leaders can use creative processes to develop shared vision, communicate it to internal and external groups, and translate it through strategic planning processes into action. Leading theories of vision and strategic planning in organizations will be examined, as well as the dynamic of how these can most effectively be handled in a non-western context.
LDR 523 Issues and Trends in Global Leadership - 3 Credits
This course will explore the current issues and trends in Global Leadership. It will look at what current issues are obstacles for leading in a global setting and possible solutions to effectively overcoming these boundaries. The course will also explore some recent trends that have had major implications on leadership development and the role the West plays in overcoming or further inhibiting leadership growth and development.
LDR 532 Cultural Innovation and Change - 3 Credits
This course will cover the leadership principles behind effective change, the theology that supports cultural transformation, examples from the ministry of William Carey, along with case studies of the incredible grass roots innovation taking place in many parts of the developing world today. The student will learn the thought processes and methods of problem solving, developing creative solutions, and marshaling support for actual implementation of effective change.
LDR 522 Lifelong Leadership Development - 3 Credits
This course explores the nature of lifelong Christian leadership development. It will help the student become a more effective leader by developing long-term vision and strength-based skills in order to be the leader that God envisions him or her to be. This course incorporates a project that focuses the student on creating a lifelong leadership development plan in the context of ministry goals.
MA Program Outcomes
MA Course Schedule
Master of Arts in Intercultural Leadership