Overview of the Online BS Mission-Driven Leadership Program
Lead the way upward.
The Bachelor of Science in Mission-Driven Leadership (BSMDL) provides a focus on leaders and mission for positions primarily within Gospel-centered organizations like churches, Christian non-profits, and other parachurch entities. The BSMDL nurtures students through their personal calling and character development as the basis of effective leadership, and their fit within the organization and the broader community.
This program combines relevant education in ministry concepts, leadership, and biblical studies to develop personal and professional leaders in faith-leaning organizations. Students use existing opportunities in their own church or organization to integrate site-based mission-fulfillment labs, which combine classroom learning with real-world learning in leadership development.
Why a degree in Mission-Driven Leadership?
A visionary Christian leader is not just born. Leadership is developed, and including spiritual formation as a faith leader provides long-term benefits. The Mission-Driven Leadership degree builds upon life calling and spiritual formation to offer practical tools to become and effective leader and fulfill the organizational mission in a church-based or other faith-leaning context. The program offers the opportunity to develop leaders in church ministry settings or other nonprofit organization, right where the student is already ministering combining the expertise of the academic institution with the expertise already present in the organizational setting to give the student the best of both worlds.
Classes focus on self-analysis and growth, like the Foundations of Life Calling which helps dial in your vision. Lab classes utilize your current role in leadership, with the support of a mentor, to help develop skills in implementation. A degree in Mission-Driven Leadership offers a sure approach to growing your influence as a Christian leader.
Why Indiana Wesleyan University?
100% Online
The Associate of Science Mission-Driven Leadership program is a fully online associate completion program. This flexible format allows for students to continue to work while they get a Christian leadership degree.
Amazing Courses
The Christian leadership courses included in the BSMDL include the Bible as Literature, Foundations of Life Calling, Developing the Self as Leader, and labs like Congregational or Organizational Leadership.
Completion Time
You can complete this leadership degree in 48 months.
Opportunities
This degree pathway offers many opportunities.
- Learn to utilize fundamental biblical and theological concepts for leadership and management
- Demonstrate foundational leadership skills and management practices
- Engage effective knowledge and practices to multiply missional objectives
- Articulate a foundational perspective on life calling, self-leadership, and career path
Authentic People
Our faculty and staff are aligned with our mission and purpose. The faculty, experienced and respected in Christian leadership with ongoing publications and presentations, partner with a mentor in your local church or organization to give you online courses with real-world learning too. They care about each student and consider it a great joy to watch each on grow in Christian discipleship.
Christ at the Center
Christ is at the heart of our purpose as an institution. We strive to be a praying, loving, learning, and sharing organization. Ministry leaders abound on our Marion campus and within our online community. A missions and church leadership degree program makes sense at IWU. It's in our DNA.
Support System
Excellent support system of faculty, staff, and full-time chaplains for our students. Pastors and leaders often struggle as a Christian without one to pastor them or lead them. During your time as a student at IWU, our pastoral leadership team will pray for you, cheer you on, and see you to degree completion and ministry implementation.
Military Friendly
Solid military benefits and preferred military tuition to an extended audience. Talk to our financial aid office to see if you qualify
6 Week Courses
Convenient course structure enables you to study and work without putting your life on pause. Take one class at a time and keep your personal life!
High Value Low Cost
IWU is one of the lowest-priced, highest quality online-Christian universities in the nation. Education plus spiritual formation is priceless.
Tuition Guarantee
Over 81,000 students have benefitted from our tuition guarantee since 1985, saving them millions of dollars in tuition costs. (*Some restrictions apply.) Call our admissions team or click on this link to learn about financial aid options.
Bridge Initiative
IWU offers this Christian leadership degree through the Bridges Initiative, engaging online students in small groups to maximize impact and prepare students best through practical theology as they compare ministry settings and consult each other as ministry leaders.
After Graduation
Create Impact in a Leadership Role
Graduates enter jobs in leadership at churches or a nonprofit, charity, or community organization. Rewarding career possibilities abound with this Christian leadership degree.
Or Get a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership
Completing the BSMDL offers a great start in furthering your education with crossover potential to the Masters of Public Administration, Master of Arts with a major in Organizational Leadership, Master of Science with a major in Management, or a Master of Business Administration degree.
Start Your Journey
You’ll Learn To…
- Integrate sound interpretation methods for using the Bible and theology for effective leadership and management in the organization and mission.
- Demonstrate effective leadership and management practices for mission-driven organizations.
- Demonstrate effective knowledge, skills, and abilities to organize, lead, and multiply missional initiatives that engage multiple constituencies.
- Synthesize a cohesive perspective on life calling, self-leadership, and career within the context of faith-oriented and mission-driven organizations.
TUITION
60 Total
The total credit hours and per-credit-hour costs listed above are effective for the core program. If applicable, students will need to pay for appropriate tuition, books, and any additional fees for prerequisite or other required courses. Costs may change if you withdraw from the program and restart in a future program at a later date.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is available in the form of grants, loans, scholarships, veterans benefits, and employer reimbursement.
COURSES
Here is the list of courses required to complete the program. Full course descriptions may be viewed by clicking on the course titles. For further information, feel free to contact us.
14 Core Courses
Below is the list of courses required to complete the program. Courses are generally taken sequentially, one at a time, until the program is complete. Full course descriptions may be viewed by clicking on the course titles below. For further information, feel free to contact us.
Electives/Mission Labs
Students may complete up to 18 elective credit hours in experiential learning at the Bachelor’s level by completing mission labs at an approved site (Bridge programs pre-approved).
Each lab may be completed up to two times.
9 credit hours may have been completed for ASMDL. Any labs completed at the associates level counts towards restrictions on the number of times a specific lab can be completed.
- LDR 111 Mission-Driven Leadership Lab 1 – Self-Leadership
- LDR 211 Mission-Driven Leadership Lab 2 – Congregational or Organizational Leadership
- LDR 311 Mission-Driven Leadership Lab 3 – Technology and Trends
- LDR 411Mission-Driven Leadership Lab 4 – Community or Global Leadership
LDR-201,MDL-201,MDL-211,MDL-221,MDL-341,MDL-351,MDL-371,MDL-406,MDL-456,LDR-320,LDR-365,LDR-385,LDR-405,LDR-490
REQUIREMENTS
Click on each section to expand the different requirements for this program. If you have any questions about the admissions process, feel free to contact one of our admissions representatives at 1-866-498-4968.
- Proof of high school graduation or GED certification.
- Original transcripts from all previous college or university study at a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- Prior completion of at least 60 transferable credit hours is required before the student is eligible to start a bachelor core program.
- Completion of 120 semester hours.
- Completion of the required core courses with a GPA of 2.25 or higher.
- Cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Completion of 30 hours of general education requirements as specified (General Education Requirements).
- • Payment of all tuition and fees is required to receive a diploma.
START DATES
The BS Mission Driven Leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University has many convenient starts throughout the year. Listed below are the next available starts. If you don’t see a start that fits your schedule, connect with our enrollment team to see more future starts.
Accreditation
Indiana Wesleyan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org, 312-263-0456. Other accreditations and associations of Indiana Wesleyan University are available at www.indwes.edu/about/iwu-profile/accreditation.
*Effective 07-01-2023 through 06-30-2024