In my last entry, I stressed the importance of having a high-level, high-impact Christian presence among the leadership in higher education institutions around the world, both Christian and non-Christian. In this post, I want to describe a program that, I believe, is the perfect vehicle for providing the tools for this presence. The program to which I am referring is Azusa Pacific University’s PhD program in Global Higher Education.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am currently promoting and recruiting students for the program on behalf of Azusa Pacific University and will most probably become the program’s coordinator if there is interest and a market for the degree. But this is not a self-interested promotion. I believe that this degree is in the best interest of the Christian community worldwide for several reasons, to which I will return at the end of this post.
But, first, I want to describe the program for you. The program offers a standard, 60 credit PhD degree over four years (dissertation completion may take longer). It is a combination of distance and classroom learning, but with a strong emphasis on practice. The program gives preference to those applicants who have previously been or are currently employed in an institution of higher education. The program content is focused on educational leadership, both your own and that of the people around you. Using strengths-based leadership theory, the program encourages students not only to discover their own leadership potential, but to recognize that potential in others and to cultivate it to maximum efficiency. Several of our faculty members are nationally recognized experts in this area.
The program uses a cohort model, which means you enter the program with a group of students with whom you continue to work over the course of your four year training. Through close interaction with your cohort, you will gain cross-cultural knowledge and experience as you engage the different global higher education systems. The program is a combination of distance and classroom education. You will have two (February and August) week-long face-to-face sessions a year at Sias International University in Zhengzhou, China over the course of the four years plus one two-week immersion into U.S. higher education at the Azusa Pacific campus in Azusa, California.
As a graduate of this program, you will be able to lead effectively and collaboratively with a global educational vision; foster optimal learning in the students you serve through learner-centered pedagogy and institutional practices; and conduct and disseminate original research that extends the theoretical knowledge base of higher education policy and practice and answers meaningful questions related to higher education. You will also be able competently to engage the critical issues of the day and help shape the conversations that affect the future direction of higher education at the national and international level. On an institutional level, you will be able to apply a strengths-based approach to teaching, learning, and leadership development in order effectively to address personnel, institutional, and systemic challenges through competent policy analysis, formulation, and revision.
Christianity is facing significant opportunities and challenges world wide. Now is the time to prepare global leaders strategically to be placed in leadership roles in higher education around the globe. The Azusa Pacific University PhD in Global Higher Education program has the advantage of providing an education deeply rooted in biblically-informed values, delivered by scholarly mentors and teachers who are deeply committed to and live out their Christian faith, and who will teach and model for you how to integrate your learning with your Christian convictions in a way that is dynamic and creative. It will allow you to explore the important topics of higher education from a Christian perspective, all the while remaining on the job in your local higher education institution. Moreover, having a degree from Azusa Pacific University, a world-renowned institution with a strong reputation for academic rigor and excellence, will give you the credentials you will need to be a global leader in higher education.
If you feel the call to serve God on this level and in this way, please, prayerfully consider making your application to Azusa Pacific University today. Applications can be submitted on line. Take this step of faith and experience the joy of living fully into your calling while at the same time making a difference in the lives of an entire generation.
In my last entry, I stressed the importance of having a high-level, high-impact Christian presence among the leadership in higher education institutions around the world, both Christian and non-Christian. In this post, I want to describe a program that, I believe, is the perfect vehicle for providing the tools for this presence. The program to which I am referring is Azusa Pacific Universitys PhD program in Global Higher Education (http://www.apu.edu/bas/highered/globalphd/). In the interest of full disclosure, I am currently promoting and recruiting students for the program on behalf of Azusa Pacific University and will most probably become the programs coordinator if there is interest and a market for the degree. But this is not a self-interested promotion. I believe that this degree is in the best interest of the Christian community worldwide for several reasons, to which I will return at the end of this post.
But, first, I want to describe the program for you. The program offers a standard, 60 credit PhD degree over four years (dissertation completion may take longer). It is a combination of distance and classroom learning, but with a strong emphasis on practice. The program gives preference to those applicants who have previously been or are currently employed in an institution of higher education. The program content is focused on educational leadership, both your own and that of the people around you. Using strengths-based leadership theory, the program encourages students not only to discover their own leadership potential, but to recognize that potential in others and to cultivate it to maximum efficiency. Several of our faculty members are nationally recognized experts in this area.
The program uses a cohort model, which means you enter the program with a group of students with whom you continue to work over the course of your four year training. Through close interaction with your cohort, you will gain cross-cultural knowledge and experience as you engage the different global higher education systems. The program is a combination of distance and classroom education. You will have two (February and August) week-long face-to-face sessions a year at Sias International University in Zhengzhou, China over the course of the four years plus one two-week immersion into U.S. higher education at the Azusa Pacific campus in Azusa, California.
As a graduate of this program, you will be able to lead effectively and collaboratively with a global educational vision; foster optimal learning in the students you serve through learner-centered pedagogy and institutional practices; and conduct and disseminate original research that extends the theoretical knowledge base of higher education policy and practice and answers meaningful questions related to higher education. You will also be able competently to engage the critical issues of the day and help shape the conversations that affect the future direction of higher education at the national and international level. On an institutional level, you will be able to apply a strengths-based approach to teaching, learning, and leadership development in order effectively to address personnel, institutional, and systemic challenges through competent policy analysis, formulation, and revision.
Christianity is facing significant opportunities and challenges world wide. Now is the time to prepare global leaders strategically to be placed in leadership roles in higher education around the globe. The Azusa Pacific University PhD in Global Higher Education program has the advantage of providing an education deeply rooted in biblically-informed values, delivered by scholarly mentors and teachers who are deeply committed to and live out their Christian faith, and who will teach and model for you how to integrate your learning with your Christian convictions in a way that is dynamic and creative. It will allow you to explore the important topics of higher education from a Christian perspective, all the while remaining on the job in your local higher education institution. Moreover, having a degree from Azusa Pacific University, a world-renowned institution with a strong reputation for academic rigor and excellence, will give you the credentials you will need to be a global leader in higher education.
If you feel the call to serve God on this level and in this way, please, prayerfully consider making your application to Azusa Pacific University today. Applications can be submitted on line at https://home.apu.edu:8051/DCS/mcp?p=80036Zo036Zo0000000. Take this step of faith and experience the joy of living fully into your calling while at the same time making a difference in the lives of an entire generation.
Image credit: College University Today
John William Medendorp
John William Medendorp is a PhD candidate in Michigan State University's Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program. John is a researcher on global higher education and has extensive experience working internationally. He has conducted dissertation research in China over the last three years and will soon publish on the topic …View Full Bio
Are you enjoying a cup of good coffee or fragrant tea while reading the latest ChinaSource post? Consider donating the cost of that “cuppa” to support our content so we can continue to serve you with the latest on Christianity in China.