Degree Programs

Global Studies Degree Programs

In recent years, God has brought together a team of people with different gifts and interests who can help you grow in your understanding of the complexities of our world. It is not just the Global Studies faculty who are concerned about the issues we explore in this program. A number of faculty members in the Bible and Theology, Christian Ministry, and Arts and Science divisions have experience serving God in other cultural contexts and many find themselves drawn to issues that are particularly relevant to the Global Studies program. We are currently able to offer core and elective courses that will enable you to explore the different aspects of Global Studies:

  • The diversity that exists in the cultures of this world
  • Realities of social justice and injustice and the need to share God’s heart for the poor
  • Missiological perspectives on the study of Scripture and theology
  • Skills necessary for understanding other cultures and communicating cross-culturally
  • The challenge of ministering among the poor
  • Skills for learning a language other than your own
  • Complexities of the world’s religions
  • History of Christian expansion around the world, especially during and since the colonial era
  • The present reality of globalization and the challenges it presents to Christian ministry
  • Challenges of urbanization in both wealthy and poor countries of the world
  • The history of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations

Associate of Arts in Global Studies

Click here for an overview

This two-year program will introduce you to the challenges of living and working in a culture other than your own. It provides introductory foundational theory and practical engagement in cross-cultural work and ministry through a summer internship.

Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies

(Program overview not yet available)

This four-year degree program is designed to equip you to take your place as a servant of Christ in our rapidly changing world. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the world’s cultural diversity and its growing interconnectedness and interdependence, giving you the tools to understand this reality and minister to our global neighbors more effectively.

The B.A. gives you the flexibility to pursue particular interests in a variety of related fields. This is provided through three different concentrations:

Bible and Theology – Taking this concentration will allow you to deepen your understanding of God’s word through a variety of electives in the Bible and theology department. It is designed for those who believe God is calling them to a discipling and/or teaching ministry in a different social or cultural context.

Business and Economics – Increasingly, Christians working in cross-cultural contexts are choosing to do so through business ventures of one kind or another. In many cases, this gives them the possibility of working in countries that are inaccessible to traditional forms of mission work. The Business and Economics concentration will give you the foundational tools for participating in these kinds of ministry opportunities.

Arts and Sciences –This concentration will give you even greater flexibility to pursue particular interests you may have in the field of Global Studies. Islam is a growing presence in our world, and in this concentration you can choose to do a careful study of Islamic history and culture and the history of Christian-Muslim relations. There are also other options in the disciplines of literature, sociology, psychology, and philosophy.

Global Studies (TESOL): We also offer a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with an emphasis in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). If you believe that this is where God is leading you, please check out our link in the column on the left.

Learning to Serve: Global Studies Practicums and Internship
The Global Studies program provides you with several opportunities to take what you are learning in the classroom into an actual cross-cultural ministry context for a “test drive.”

Shorter practicums during regular semesters help you begin developing the confidence to enter and explore different cultural contexts.

Toward the end of your time at Briercrest College and Seminary, you will be involved in an intensive cross-cultural internship, which will include four to six months of language learning, culture study, and supervised ministry in partnership with a reputable Christian mission organization. During this time, you will be able to earn up to fifteen credit hours toward your degree.

The internship will be followed by an extended time of careful debriefing with your professors back at Briercrest College and Seminary, which will allow you to integrate the internship experience with classroom learning. You’ll graduate with the knowledge, confidence, and experience to serve effectively in a variety of contexts around the world.