Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies
The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAIS) is a 48-credit degree serving those preparing for multi-cultural ministry in a domestic or foreign context. Students take an intercultural practicum under the guidance of an experienced mentor. The MAIS allows for up to nine credits of approved courses to be taken by prior approval from a foreign school and integrated into the program at AGTS. Concentration options include:
- Intercultural Studies
- Global Missions
- Member Care
- Islamic Studies
Degree Program Overview
The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAIS) is a 48-credit degree designed to form leaders with a thorough understanding of God’s mission for the Church and the interpersonal and intercultural communication skills essential for productive ministry in cross-cultural settings. The program helps students integrate anthropology, psychology, sociology and theology to inform the task of world evangelization and the planting and nurturing of the Church. It also trains missionaries and other cross-cultural workers for roles in theological education and the development of leaders.
Courses
| Mission of God in World Christianity (9 credits) | ||
|---|---|---|
| BTY/MHT 501 | The Mission of God in Biblical and Contemporary Contexts | 3 |
| HIS/MHT 556 | World Christianity 1 | 3 |
| HIS/MHT 557 | World Christianity 2 | 3 |
| Bible and Theology (15 credits) | ||
| BIB 532 | Hermeneutics | 3 |
| BNT 530 | New Testament Introduction* or BNT Book Study or BTH 532 N.T. Theology | 3 |
| BOT 530 | Old Testament Introduction* or BOT Book Study or BTH 530 O.T. Theology | 3 |
| THE 511 | Christian Theology* or THE Elective | 3 |
| RES 531 | Theological Research & Writing | 3 |
| Missions (12 credits) | ||
| MHT 635 | Pentecostal Theology of Leadership Development | 3 |
| MCC/MHT 642 | Contextualized Theology | 3 |
| MCC/MHT 643 | Anthropology and Communication Theological Perspective | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| MSS 641 | Practicum in Intercultural Ministry 1 | 3 |
| MCC 556 | Field Education Research Project | |
| Electives (12 credits) | ||
| Electives in Global Missions | 12 | |
| *Required course unless appropriate substitution approved by adviser | ||
| See Global Missions Department Field Education Research Manual | ||
| Concentrations (optional) | ||
| Concentrations are not required. Students may pursue electives of their choice instead. If students desire a concentration, they will assume responsibility for taking the needed courses through their requirements and electives. These concentrations will not appear on the student degree audit since students often change them during the course of their studies. If the needed courses have been taken and brought to the registrar’s attention, at graduation the concentration will appear on a student’s transcript. Students may choose from four concentrations in missions studies: Intercultural Studies, Global Missions, Member Care, and Islamic Studies: |
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| Intercultural Studies Concentration | ||
| This track consists of twelve credits of electives chosen from courses numbered with the prefixes MCC, MHT and MSS. It provides a solid academic basis for ministry in a missions context or for further missions studies at the doctoral level. A student in the MAIS who wishes to apply for AG credentials may take HIS 532 History and Polity of the Assemblies of God as a missions elective. | ||
| Global Missions Concentration (GM) | ||
| The GM concentration permits students to pursue a significant portion of their degree outside the context of normal, on-campus studies, allowing them to live, learn and develop ministry skills in a cross-cultural setting (whether in a foreign country or the United States). The experience is designed to guide the student in developing the cultural fluency necessary for effective ministry in today’s globalized and multicultural world. Students must complete twelve credits of graduate-level studies in an AGTS-approved institution which can be transferred back to fulfill the degree requirements at AGTS. The courses taken under the GM Special Studies Program may be in fields of study other than Intercultural Studies, but require the prior approval of the assigned AGTS mentor in consultation with the Dean of the Seminary. In addition to classroom curriculum, the student is expected to be involved in the fullest possible range of campus, student life and student ministry activities. The host culture(s) is to be experienced and learned through participation. The student will be encouraged to risk moving away from his or her cultural comfort zone to explore the adventure of getting into the “skin” of another culture. The GM student journal student journal should reflect an intentional involvement in and engagement of the cross-cultural experience. |
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| Member Care Concentration | ||
| PTH/MCS 561 | Foundations for Family Ministries and Soul Care | 3 |
| PTH/MCS 565 | Interpersonal Helping Techniques with Diverse Populations | 3 |
| Choose two from the following: | 6 | |
| PTH 610 | Psychological Disorders and Addictive Behaviors | |
| PTH 615 | Human Sexuality and Marriage Counseling | |
| PTH 618 | Ministry in Trauma, Crisis and Grief Contexts | |
| PTH/MCS 654 | Pentecostal Perspective on Justice, the Church and Society | |
| Islamic Studies Concentration | ||
| Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions, with over 1.4 billion adherents— over one-fifth of the world’s population. While Islam advances at an alarming rate, it remains resistant to the gospel. The Church must address this challenge. The Islamic Studies Concentration provides the opportunity to develop competencies essential for effective ministry to Muslims. Islamic Studies courses are taught in a modular format—usually one or two weeks—on the AGTS campus and at selected extension sites. Professors will be members of the AGTS faculty, Global Initiative and visiting professors of Islamics. Required courses are: | ||
| MCC 545 | Engaging Islam | 3 |
| MHT 649 | Christian-Muslim Theological Issues | 3 |
| MSS 643 | Church Planting in the Muslim Context | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| MCC 552 | Women in Islam | |
| MCC 553 | Islam in the United States | |
| MCC 554 | Folk Islam and Power Encounter | |
| MSS 641 | Practicum in intercultural Ministry 1* | |
| *Practicum must be completed in a Muslim context | ||
| Practicum (6 credits) | ||
| This is a cross-cultural practicum. Students who choose the Islamic Studies concentration must complete their practicum in a Muslim context. This practicum requires a pre-session orientation, a post-session assessment and an approved, supervised cross-cultural involvement. The practicum will usually be completed in a two- to four-week time frame and should normally be scheduled during the summer recess. An exception may be granted to allow the practicum to be scheduled during the course of a regular semester. In addition to appointing an on-field supervisor, AGTS will assign an in-house mentor to prepare the student for the practicum, and facilitate the understanding and synthesizing of the experience. The student is required to keep a daily journal of experiences. This journal will be utilized in the writing of a reflection paper which the student will present in a final debriefing session at AGTS. The length of time required for securing AGWM approvals, communicating with a mentor, getting immunizations and visas and raising funds for Global Missions participants affects the application deadlines for intercultural practicums (see Resident Academic Calendar). Late applications will be approved or denied at the discretion of the GM Committee. Prior to registering for the cross-cultural practicum, the student must have completed the following four courses: BTH/MHT 501, MHT 635, MCC/MHT 642 and MCC/MHT 643. For an exception, the student must petition the GM Department |
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MAIS Advanced Standing
Students who have earned a significant number of credits in religious studies from approved colleges and universities may request exemption from certain required courses in the MAIS degree program, thus granting them Advanced Standing. Life experience does not qualify for advanced standing. (See registrar for further details.)
Program outcomes:
The specific learning outcomes for the MAIS Degree include that the student will be able to:
- make decisions, live and serve according to revealed truth and the will of God
- develop biblical theology of missions which addresses the contemporary missional context
- utilize the tools of the social sciences to develop a plan to communicate the gospel in word and deed to persons of another culture
- facilitate the ongoing process of contextualization as missional leaders and communities of faith in specific settings
- articulate a Spirit driven missiology and praxis
- identify, exemplify and foment biblical leadership
These competencies and skills serve any ministry that engages people from multiple cultures or socio-economic levels including missionaries, church planters, pastors, church executives, chaplains, educators and evangelists.
Additional Course Offering Sites
AGTS has two additional course offering sites for Latin American/European missionaries and church leaders to earn credits toward the MAIS program: Continental Theological Seminary, Brussels, Belgium, and Cincel, San Jose, Costa Rica. Both sites are approved for offering 4-6 courses toward the MAIS degree. Participants can build upon these seated experiences with online, modular, and other delivery modes to complete the program. For further information, contact the Office of Seminary Registration and Degree Audit.
