Vanguard University

Leadership Studies

he Master of Arts in Leadership Studies equips students for transformational leadership in their organizations, churches, and nonprofits within the global community. Learn how to integrate best practices of real-world leadership with theology, culture, ethics, and spirituality.

Engage with faculty and students in a collaborative learning environment that provides an ideal experience for developing critical thinking skills and participating in a long-standing Vanguard community network.

Our motto is leaders are made -- not born.

Learn how to:

Apply leadership theory, a theological and ethical framework, and critical thinking skills in order to creatively impact their organizations and environments
Apply the intercultural and communication skills necessary to lead in partnership with people of other cultures and contexts.
Apply tools of moral reasoning and decision making to ethical dilemmas in specific contexts of leadership, life, and ministry.
Formulate and present a theological framework of spirituality in relation to character development and the soul care of leadership.
Contextualize leadership in any of the following elective concentrations: Christian Spirituality, Hispanic Leadership, or Women and Justice.

Concentrations:

Christian Spirituality

Spirituality contributes to organizational health and effectiveness according to recent studies. A spirituality arising from the Christian faith both informs individual transformation and creates communities that model human flourishing in the context of sacrificial service. Building on selected courses in the core curriculum, this concentration examines the meaning and historical development of Christian spirituality, and the contemporary role of spiritual direction.

Hispanic Leadership

Strategic Leadership in a Hispanic church context requires critically engaging the complexities of Hispanic culture, theology, and multi-generational realities. Today’s Hispanic churches are facing the challenge to make space for multi-generational identities and develop the leadership skills to embrace predominantly Hispanic communities that are increasingly becoming more bilingual, multicultural and influential. This concentration focuses on equipping pastors and emerging leaders for positional as well as non-positional leadership in Hispanic ministry settings.

Women and Justice

Women in leadership produce more durable peace agreements, healthier families, and stronger economic communities according to the literature. This concentration prepares leaders to bring redemptive resolutions to current challenges in community life, particularly concerning women and justice issues within the family, church and society. Coursework invites biblical and theological reflection, practical application, and consideration of current cultural and global realities for women, including violence, human trafficking, and marginalization.

Formats & Schedules

Vanguard University offers this world-class MA in two formats. Both are taught by the same top-ranked faculty using the same core curriculum, and both are designed for working adults. Students can choose from the following:

1. Traditional Format (classes on campus). Students enroll in two 8-week classes (3 units each) one night a week throughout the semester (currently offered on Thursday nights, 6-10 p.m.); and a 1-unit Saturday class.

2. Online Format (live-online) Students enroll in two 8-week classes (3 units each) one night a week throughout the semester and a 1-unit Saturday class. Students engage in a variety of online learning activities, including extensive reading and reflection, a live online format with faculty and other students, threaded discussions, and independent research.