Master of Arts (M.A.)
A 36-credit master's degree that pairs serious biblical worldview formation with the leadership and management training Christian ministry, nonprofit, and marketplace work actually require.
Biblical Worldview Half
18 credits in Scripture, theology, and worldview
Leadership Half
18 credits in ministry leadership and management
Two Practicums Required
Real ministry-leadership work, not just theory
ACU’s Master of Arts in Christian Leadership is a 36-credit graduate degree built for mid-career ministry, nonprofit, and marketplace leaders who want a degree that takes both biblical formation and leadership skill seriously. The program splits cleanly in half: 18 credits of biblical worldview formation, and 18 credits of Christian leadership and management training. You finish with both the theological grounding and the operational skill leadership work consistently demands.
The Biblical Worldview block covers Old Testament Survey (BIB 502), New Testament Survey (BIB 504), Cultural Apologetics (BIB 512), and ACU’s three-course worldview sequence (MCT 500 Introduction to Biblical Worldview, MCT 600 Advanced Worldview, and MCT 670 Worldviews in Vocations). The Christian Leadership block adds Leadership in Ministry (BIB 610), Leadership and Discipleship (LDP 610), Management Theory and Practice (MGT 540), Management of Nonprofit Organizations (MGT 642), and two practicums (BIB 680 and BIB 681) that put the coursework to actual work in ministry-leadership settings.
The program is built for pastors, ministry directors, parachurch staff, nonprofit leaders, Christian-school administrators, and marketplace leaders pursuing serious Christian engagement with their vocation. Graduates step into pastoral leadership, executive-pastor roles, nonprofit founding and operations, Christian-school administration, and any leadership role where biblical formation and management literacy are both required.
Develop Biblical Literacy at the Graduate Level
Work through Old Testament and New Testament surveys (BIB 502 and 504) at depth appropriate to graduate study.
Build a Working Christian Worldview
Move through ACU's three-course worldview sequence — introduction, advanced, and worldviews-in-vocations — that gives you a working framework for any leadership context.
Engage Cultural Apologetics
Develop the apologetic vocabulary leaders need to engage culture thoughtfully through BIB 512.
Lead in Ministry Settings
Study the principles and practices of ministry leadership through BIB 610 and the foundational LDP 610 Leadership and Discipleship course.
Apply Management Theory and Practice
Build operational management skill through MGT 540, plus dedicated study of nonprofit management through MGT 642.
Practice Real Leadership Work
Complete two practicums (BIB 680 and BIB 681) that put your coursework to use in actual ministry-leadership contexts.
The MACL is explicit about its biblical-worldview commitments — half the program's credits are devoted to formation in Scripture, theology, and worldview. Three convictions run through the work.
Scripture as the Foundation for Leadership
Christian leadership detached from Scripture eventually wanders. The MACL's 18-credit biblical worldview block treats Scripture as the actual foundation rather than as background flavor — meaning leadership decisions, organizational direction, and vocational discernment all draw from biblical conviction.
Equips you to lead from Scripture rather than around it.
Leadership as Servanthood
The MACL's leadership courses — BIB 610 Leadership in Ministry and LDP 610 Leadership and Discipleship — treat the New Testament's servanthood-leadership model as the working pattern, not as an aspirational slogan. The kind of leader you become matters as much as the strategies you execute."
Anchors your leadership development in character formation alongside competency development.
Stewardship Across the Vocation
MGT 540 Management Theory and Practice and MGT 642 Management of Nonprofit Organizations treat management as stewardship — careful work with people, resources, and mission entrusted to your care. A Biblical Worldview takes that stewardship seriously across both ministry and marketplace settings.
Grounds your operational work in the conviction that the management craft matters.
The MACL opens doors across pastoral leadership, nonprofit administration, Christian-school leadership, parachurch ministry, and any vocation where biblical formation and leadership skill both matter.
Pastoral and Ministry Leadership
Step into senior pastor, executive pastor, associate pastor, or ministry-director roles with formal preparation in both Bible and leadership.
Nonprofit Executive Leadership
Lead Christian nonprofits, mission organizations, and parachurch ministries — the MACL pairs biblical formation with the nonprofit management coursework these roles demand.
Christian School Administration
Move into head of school, principal, or executive director roles in Christian schools, drawing on both leadership and biblical-formation preparation.
Church Planting and Ministry Founding
Build the integrated biblical and leadership foundation church planting and ministry founding require.
Marketplace Christian Leadership
Bring serious biblical worldview formation into executive, management, and leadership roles in for-profit organizations.
Denominational and Mission Leadership
Step into denominational executive, mission-agency leadership, and parachurch organizational roles where biblical depth and leadership skill are both required.
The MACL is built for working leaders who want a graduate degree that takes both biblical formation and leadership preparation seriously — not just one or the other.
Equal Weight to Bible and Leadership
18 credits of biblical worldview formation and 18 credits of leadership and management training — a 50/50 split that few Christian leadership programs match.
Two Required Practicums
BIB 680 and BIB 681 put your coursework to actual work in ministry-leadership settings — graduates leave with documented leadership experience, not just classroom hours.
Nonprofit Management Built In
MGT 642 Management of Nonprofit Organizations is required, not optional — uncommon in MA-level Christian leadership programs.
ACU's Worldview Sequence
MCT 500, 600, and 670 form the same three-course worldview sequence ACU's graduate programs share — a coherent foundation in Christian worldview thinking.
36 Credits — Completable in Two Years
The credit load is manageable for working professionals; the program is designed to be completed alongside continued ministry or workplace responsibilities.
The MACL is built for working leaders. Here’s how students start.
Apply to Graduate Studies
Submit your graduate application to ACU's School of Graduate Studies.
Start Your ApplicationTalk With a Graduate Advisor
Map the 36 credits across the timeline that fits your ministry, work, and family responsibilities.
Begin With MCT 500 and BIB 502
MCT 500 Introduction to Biblical Worldview is the prerequisite for MCT 600 and MCT 670, plus several leadership courses. BIB 502 Old Testament Survey is also foundational for the practicum sequence.
Plan the Practicums Strategically
BIB 680 and BIB 681 have substantial prerequisite chains (BIB 502 + 504; MCT 500, 600, 670). Plan to take them after most of the coursework is complete — typically year two.
The MACL pairs serious biblical-worldview formation with the leadership and management preparation Christian leadership work actually requires. Apply or reach out today.