Degree Completion - Overview
With the Degree Completion Program, Multnomah Bible College offers an accelerated nontraditional option for students desiring to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. There are two majors. The Leadership & Ministry major is for those who are called to serve in local church ministry or who wish to play a more significant role in the local church. The Biblical Foundations major is for those wanting to effectively integrate biblical and theological truth with contemporary life and thought. MBC exists to better prepare Christians to more effectively impact their world.
Degree Completion students generally:
- Have completed at least two years of college, university, or technical school with the equivalent of approximately 60 semester hours credit or more.
- Have significant professional work experience.
- Are highly motivated to finish their degree.
- Can schedule their time carefully and discipline themselves to meet the rigorous demands of this program.
- Want to complete their degree in a Christian setting where faculty and staff are sincerely interested in students and their future.
- Are employed full-time.
- Want to develop their gifts to enhance their vocational careers in professional ministry and/or volunteer leadership (i.e., nonprofit).
- Are at least 25 years old.
Benefits
Through the Degree Completion Program, students will:
- Earn a Bachelor of Science degree in approximately twenty-three (23) months from a Christian institution.
- Convert significant life experiences into college credit by documenting past training, work-related projects and competencies.
- Attend class only one evening each week while continuing with work schedules and family life.
- Improve communication, leadership skills and vocational effectiveness.
- Meet in a seminar format to benefit from the varied experiences and ideas of other classmates.
- Attend small classes with the same students through the entire program in a manner that will develop group cohesiveness and an active network of associates.
- Receive individualized instruction and specific attention to problem areas of learning.
- Gain satisfaction and the financial rewards that go with it while fulfilling an educational goal.
Program Emphasis
The Degree Completion Program is unique. The curriculum contains sixteen modular courses that are taken in sequence. The term “modular course” signifies the integrated nature of this curriculum. It is not a collection of independent courses but rather a unified curriculum with sequential courses. Students will receive a Bachelor of Science degree upon completion of the requirements for graduation. As students entering the program will likely have professional employment experience, the course of study will help them apply this practical experience in formal education for their greatest benefit. At registration, students receive a class schedule for the entire program. The classes meet one night each week from 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM for about 23 months. The schedule is planned to allow time for holidays. Students register with the same group and move through the program with these people taking courses in sequence one at a time. Such groups registering together are called “cohorts.” The courses are scheduled over four semesters equaling 48 semester hours of credit. The curriculum is distributed in a series of Student Guides given to the students in electronic form with detailed assignments for each week.
Leadership & Ministry
Students who enter this program will receive a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Leadership & Ministry. The courses in the Bible/Theology Core are O.T. Pentateuch; O.T. Prophetic Books; N.T. Gospels; N.T. Acts & Pauline Letters; How to Study, Understand, and Apply the Bible; Doctrine of Christ, Salvation, Humanity, and Sin; and History of Christianity. The courses in the Leadership Core are: The Church & Ministry, Dynamics of Christian Counseling, Principles of Ethics, and Case Studies in Leadership. The courses in the Professional Core are: Communication Concepts, Introduction to Philosophy & Christian Thought, Essentials of Management, Evangelism & Discipleship, and Effective Communication of Scripture.
Biblical Foundations
Students who enter this program will receive a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biblical Foundations. The courses in the Bible/Theology Core are O.T. Pentateuch; O.T. Historical Books; O.T. Poetic & Wisdom Literature; and O.T. Prophetic Books; N.T. Gospels; N.T. Acts & Pauline Letters; N.T. Hebrews—Revelation; Christian Ethics; How to Study, Understand, and Apply the Bible; Introduction to Philosophy & Christian Thought; History of Christianity; Doctrine of Bibliology & Theology Proper; Doctrine of the Holy Spirit & Angels; Doctrine of Christ, Salvation, Humanity, and Sin; Doctrine of the Church & Future Things; and Capstone Seminar on Doctrine.
Online Education
In conjunction with this program, MBC has partnered with the Consortium of Online Christian Colleges (COCC) to make online courses available to students in the program. Students may use online courses for general education requirements and electives rather than as a substitute for courses in the core curriculum. A regular schedule of courses offered through the consortium will be published with twelve different registrations annually. The Program Office will assist students in making arrangements for these courses. Students must have reliable Internet access and an active email address. Although classes will be asynchronous (all students do not need to be online at the same time), students will have contact with their instructor and classmates through forums and email.
Bridge Courses
General education and elective requirements can be met with five-week, modular, evening courses offered on campus. New courses are available at five-week intervals.
