MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP

lead from a faith-based perspective

Get the theological framework and practical skills you need to become an effective leader. The Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL) degree is ideal for those who wish to lead from a faith-based perspective and who are not interested in pursuing ordination.

HOW MANY CREDITS ARE IN THIS PROGRAM AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

This 48-credit program can be completed in two years if you maintain a full-time course load (24 credits per year).

You will complete sixteen courses at 3 credits each, including one field experience (e.g. internship, practicum, CPE) and a final project. The final project should have a practical orientation and be focused on your chosen vocational concentration or “specialized ministry” context.

CAN I COMPLETE THE mal VIA DISTANCE LEARNING?

Most MAL concentrations can be completed entirely via distance learning. The concentration courses for the MAL in Spiritual Direction are taking at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

what can i expect from an mal degree?

United’s Master of Arts in Leadership degree program will prepare you to:

• Interpret the founding religious texts of your tradition with proficiency
• Summarize various theological, cultural, and historical expressions of your tradition and meaningfully dialogue with other traditions
• Articulate the theological bases of ethical praxis and demonstrate commitment to justice and public stewardship
• Understand the purposes of and navigate within one or more contexts of vocational practice
• Competently and productively engage with familiar contexts, as defined by culture, religion or global location
• Perform practical leadership skills and exercise professional ethics appropriate to one or more contexts of vocational practice
• Recognize the arts as creative resources for formational growth, religious reflection and social engagement in one or more contexts of leadership practice
• Interpret cultural and vocational contexts and identify strategic points of leadership for social transformation

WHAT CONCENTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

United’s MAL degree offers four concentration options:

• Social Transformation
• Faith Formation
• Spiritual Direction
• Specialized Ministry

The “Specialized Ministry” concentration is open-ended, allowing you to design your own experience in conversation with your advisor. You will need to identify a specific vocational goal around which you can choose concentration courses, select an appropriate field experience, and design your final project.