MA in Intercultural Studies

Purpose
A 36-hour master’s degree offered in two distinctive curriculum tracks, MAIS Standard and MAIS Fusion-Masters. Students may complete the MAIS Standard curriculum by completing 27 hours of a Foundational Core courses and 9 hours of Intercultural Studies courses.

Students may complete the MAIS Fusion-Masters curriculum in two phases. In phase one, students will complete the 27 hours of Foundational Core courses in consecutive fall, winter, and spring terms.1 While enrolled in these courses, students will be placed in a cohort with other MAIS Fusion-Masters students, and participate in weekly in-person meetings with MBTS missions faculty.

In the summer following the completion of the MAIS Foundational Core courses, students will deploy to partner with either IMB or NAMB personnel for the FusionMasters Practicums phase, also known as phase II. During phase II, students will complete the remaining 9 hours. IMB or NAMB personnel will supervise these practicum courses, and an MBTS missions faculty will serve as the professor of record.

Outcomes
Students graduating from the MA in Intercultural Studies degree program will be able to do the following:

1. Interpret Scripture using theologically and historically informed principles.

2. Demonstrate skill in communicating biblical truth cross-culturally.

3. Demonstrate cooperative leadership skills in a missions context.

4. Identify biblically faithful and culturally relevant strategies for church planning in a missions context.