The Christian Education Program at MBCIU is split into two tracks: the Bachelor of Christian Education and the Master of Christian Education.  The bachelor program is focused on developing teachers in the practical skills necessary to teach, while also reinforcing the Christian foundation and framework necessary for Christian education (worldview-ethics-desire).  The master’s program is designed for educators already in possession of a bachelor degree and practical experience.  The focus of the master’s degree program is developing future department leaders, mentors, and administrators for Christian schools.
 
Unique to these programs, when compared to other schools, is flexibility and customizability.  MBCIU’s Christian Education Program is student-focused and school-focused.  What are the specific developmental needs of the teacher?  What are the unique needs for the school?  What is the cultural and socioeconomic context of the school?  What gaps need to be closed?  What practical skills and knowledge does the teacher already possess (even beyond his or her transcript)?  Implicit in this approach is communication and coordination with the school that would employ the teacher, and ideally the church which the prospective teacher attends – if at all possible.  The result of this approach may be the heavy use of Directed Study courses where MBCIU partners with all involved to design custom courses and/or guided studies that satisfy the needs of both teacher and school.
Both programs will also utilize courses that already exist within MBCIU’s catalogue.  Course instructors may tweak some of the homework questions and projects to better relate to education (as needed or desired).

The courses in the Bachelor of Christian Education program assumes the student has completed the equivalent of three years of traditional undergraduate work (at MBCIU, through the Diploma level).  If this is not the case, MBCIU advisors will work with the student to build a course list from the MBCIU catalogue, or accept credits from other institutions for relevant work completed.  Assuming the student has completed through the diploma level at MBCIU as the core foundation, the final level (or fourth year) will be as follows:

• CE 401 – Philosophy of Christian Education
• CE 403 – History of Christian Education
• CE 405 – Worldview Immersion
• CE 407 – Education as Discipleship
• CE 409 – Spiritual Formation of the Teacher
• CE 411 – Teaching Methods and Classroom Management
• CE 413 – Developmental Psychology and Exceptionality
• CE 415 – Guided Study I: Subject Area Concentration (optional)
• CE 417 – Guided Study II: Subject Area Concentration (optional)
• CE 490 – Teaching Practicum

For full course descriptions, click here.

Additionally, 1-3 courses may be selected from other MBCIU programs.  It is important that the student’s background is considered here.  For example, if the student has no background in Worldview, then this student should take Christian Worldview I and II prior to CE 405.  With approval from an advisor, any course from the Bachelor of Practical Theology program may be chosen to complete the education program.
 

Students already in possession of a bachelor’s degree may enter the Christian education master’s program.  It is also suggested that students in this program already possess some years of teaching experience in a classroom setting.  Like the bachelor’s degree, this program is customizable to the needs to the teacher and school of employment, and it is best for MBCIU, the teacher, and the school of employment to work together in building the roadmap for the program.  If the student has a bachelor's degree from a different institution, certain MBCIU bachelor-level courses will need to be taken, some as prerequisites for master-level courses.

The master’s program is broken up into three categories: Foundation, Discipline, and Theology.  The Foundation courses are required of all students in the program and focus on foundational principles, as the name suggests.  The Discipline courses are specialized electives that target different academic disciplines from a God-centered approach and Christian worldview.  The Theology courses are pulled from the Master of Theological Studies course list.

The following represents a typical track in the Master of Christian Education Program:

Master of Christian Education – Foundation (18 credits)

• CE 502 – Toward a Philosophy of Christian Education
• CE 503 – Christian School Administration, Leadership, and Mentoring
• CE 505 – Principles and Practices in Education I
• CE 507 – Principles and Practices in Education II
• CE 509 – Biblical Foundations of Christian Education
• DM 805 – Spiritual Development of the Pastor, Church, and Community

Master of Christian Education – Discipline (choose 3 specializations, 9 credits)*

• CE 511 – Redeeming Mathematics: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 513 – Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 515 – Redeeming Our Thinking About History: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 517 – Redeeming Philosophy: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 519 – Redeeming Sociology: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 521 – Redeeming Reason: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 523 – Logic: A God-Centered Approach
• CE 525 – Language: A God-Centered Approach (In the Beginning Was the Word)
• CE 527 – Philosophy, Science, and the Sovereignty of God

*These courses are based on an excellent series of books authored by Vern S. Poythress.
 
Master of Christian Education – Theology (choose 3 theology courses, 9 credits)
Recommendations from the Master of Theological Studies Program

• CE 501 – Church Administration and Leadership for the Church
• MT 504 – Evangelism and the Local Church
• NT 502 – The Pastoral Epistles
• NT 504 – The Gospels/Life of Christ
• NT 508 – New Testament Survey: The Epistles and Revelation
• OT 509 – The Christian and Old Testament Theology
• PT 501 – Christian Ethics
• PT 504 – Christian Worldview

For full course descriptions, click here.