Bachelor of Arts in Missions

at Concordia University Wisconsin USA

Why a Bachelor's Degree in Theological Studies? This program gives you options. If you simply want to study God’s Word for the sake of your personal growth, you’ll receive a solid foundation in doctrine. However, there is much more you will benefit from with a theology degree.

God reveals himself through his Word and, to a lesser degree, through his world. This program examines the Bible, God’s revealed Word, in broad introductory overviews of the Holy Scriptures (isagogics) as well as in close reading of a particular biblical book (exegetical studies). This program also studies God’s providence in history. In addition, students receive practical training in the application of their studies in ministry to others.

Through participation in, and upon completion of, the Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies at Concordia University Wisconsin, students will:

• Have a greater understanding of God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures
• Appreciate the value of sound Christian doctrine based squarely on the Bible
• Develop a heightened awareness of God’s working throughout history
• Grow in their relationship with Christ and put his teachings into practice in their vocations
• Employ various methods of delivering and defending biblical truth in a relevant and practical way to diverse groups
• Demonstrate an understanding of research skills

You can expect to benefit from a well-rounded study of biblical and systematic theology, along with the application of theology in your life within the Christian Church. You’ll be delving into the Old and New Testaments, systematic doctrine, and practical theology (teaching and worship). We offer a lot (seriously, a LOT) of theology electives, so you can explore and grow in the particular areas that interest you.

The purpose of this program, offered as a major or minor, is to assist you as you discover the gifts and talents God has given you for service. Although you will not train as a missionary, you will be studying how mission work is accomplished around the globe. A key element of this program is recognizing and deliberating on the challenges that arise in the mission field. Along the way, you’ll have opportunities to participate in spring break mission trips, Missions Club, and global trips that will provide you with hands-on experience.

Neither the missions major or minor is a training program. Mission groups (such as LCMS World Mission) train their own missionaries to prepare for the specific areas where they’ll be sent. The goal of our program at Concordia is to help you decide if God is truly calling you to serve as a missionary.

Several of our theology faculty have a great deal of experience in mission work and will mentor you as you explore the possibilities. By the end of the program, you’ll be well-acquainted with the urgent need for missionaries and be prepared to decide if and how you want to serve. You’ll also leave with a better understanding of how to work in cross-cultural settings, how to navigate other religions, and how to handle the challenges that come with missionary work.

In the psychology program, you’ll study the biological and psychological influences on the human mind. What makes our program unique? At CUW, our courses are grounded in science, ethical research, and Christian service. This translates to a holistic approach toward learning in which you first build up your knowledge in the classroom and then apply it in supervised, practical experience at local agencies and institutions. Toward the end of your studies (typically during your junior year), you’ll apply for senior status. Once approved, you can then enroll in Practicum, Research Proposal, and Senior Seminar. By the time you graduate, you’ll possess the skills and knowledge needed for graduate studies or to pursue a helping profession.  This program is also available as a minor.

During your time here, you’ll be introduced to topics like theories of personality, abnormal psychology, psychotherapy, and human behavior. Through it all, we’ll help you become familiar with the procedures, principles, theories, and vocabulary of psychology. This gives you the tools necessary for success. Each psychology class builds on and enhances the others. For example, learning about the developmental stages from conception to death is relevant when studying how individual preferences and worldviews are shaped. Similarly, properly interpreting research is key to using current therapy approaches in treating behavioral disorders. Outside of the classroom, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in numerous service endeavors in the community - so you can start making a positive impact before you frame that diploma.

By the end of the program, you’ll not only have a deep understanding of theories in psychology, you’ll have hands-on experience from your practicum and service learning efforts. You’ll be a stronger leader, a better writer and communicator, and a strategic problem solver. Whether you decide to go into counseling, clinical psychology, research, academia or another exciting profession, you’ll be prepared to change other’s lives for the better.

Housed within the Batterman School of Business, our MBA in Sport and Entertainment Business allows you to further enhance a career in athletic and entertainment management at or near the executive level. You’ll receive innovative instruction through a curriculum that is current, engaging and challenging. To make sure you get the best education you can, our courses and experiential learning opportunities are designed through the guidance of a professional advisory board made up of seasoned industry practitioners. That means that you’ll be learning the most current information from professors who know what they’re talking about. Alongside a diverse student body, you’ll learn about topics like public relations and social media strategies, sponsorship and sales strategy, brand activation, and event management.

In addition to your classes, you’ll have the opportunity to network with experts in professional and amateur sports. You’ll eve gain hands-on training by working with the program’s industry partners and participating in intensive field experiences at major events. Some students have attended events like the Rose Bowl, the Final Four, the College World Series and the Super Bowl. And we want to make all of this available to you, wherever you are. Our courses are offered at our main campus, our off-site locations and online.

This program will allow you to pursue your goals as a sport or entertainment business executive so you can do what you love. You’ll take courses that focus on critical analysis, solution development, innovation, analytics, finance, and teamwork development. As a student, you’ll have access to academic service learning, field experience, new technologies, as well as online and social media resources - all so that you can enter the field a step ahead. Not only will you come out of the program with expertise in the industry, you’ll also graduate with increased financial competence, leadership growth, and stronger communications skills. You’ll even have a portfolio of your work that you can show to potential employers. Ultimately, you can expect to leave the program ready to do big work in the industry.

The art education program is designed to provide you with a challenging course of study that will focus on art to enhance your intellectual development, personal growth, and career satisfaction. You will develop your own abilities as an artist and then learn how to help others create and appreciate art. This means, you’ll benefit from a well-rounded overview of the history, purpose, and technical methods of art.

If you don’t have a teaching license, don’t worry. You do not need to have one in order to participate in this program. If you are interested in working with children, their families, and at-risk youth then this program will provide valuable education for you. However, if you have (or are pursuing) your teaching license, then upon completion of the program, you’ll have the option to seek an additional license in art (#1952).

As an educator, you will learn to better understand the role of artistic activity in the human condition, possess an advanced knowledge of art curricula and pedagogy, demonstrate a high level of competence with visual arts media, and be aware of past and current practices in the the field. Our priority is to provide you with the theories that then inform your educational practices. For example, you’ll study how to use works of art, museum visits, and technology to enhance your students’ education.

If you welcome a challenge and are passionate about helping others, a career in speech-language pathology or audiology is right for you. Our Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) major is offered by of the Speech-Language Pathology Department at Concordia University Wisconsin. It begins with foundational knowledge of speech, language, hearing, swallowing, normal lifespan development, and leads to hands-on experiences with children and adults with communication disorders. Whether you choose a career in speech-language pathology or audiology, both require a graduate degree to enter clinical practice.
After your introduction to normal speech, language, hearing and swallowing development and disorders, you’ll get hands-on experience through community service learning and clinical observation experiences. As a senior, you may have the opportunity to gain supervised experience in our forthcoming on-campus clinic.

The best part about choosing your CSD studies at CUW is our department’s mission: to develop independent, lifelong learners with strong critical thinking and communication abilities. We prepare you for the rigors and rewards of helping communicatively challenged individuals and their families by providing outstanding academic/clinical education, as well as community outreach.

Development. Devotion. Service. These are qualities you’ll notice immediately when you begin your CSD studies with us, and they’ll be there long after graduation. That’s because our program delivers these and other expectations you’ll need to thrive as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist:

• A strong liberal arts foundation in a faith-based atmosphere with small class sizes.
• Effective knowledge and skills to incorporate the complex relationship between faith, learning, and practice in CSD.
• Knowledge in basic speech, language, communication and swallowing processes.
• An understanding of evidence-based prevention, evaluation and intervention practice for speech, language, hearing, communication, and swallowing disorders.
• Effective verbal and written professional skills.
• Professional interaction skills with patients, families, and other health care professionals.
• Ethical and professional behavior in clinical care through service learning and/or clinical services in our forthcoming on-campus Interprofessional Education (IPE) clinic.
• The completion of 25 required hours of clinical observation.

Each and every day chemistry is happening all around us. When you strike a match or munch your lunch, you’re triggering chemical reactions. We live, grow, and thrive thanks to chemistry. So if you have a natural curiosity and appreciation for what makes up God’s creation, you might find yourself most in your element pursuing a degree in this field.
The aim of Concordia’s program is to prepare you for a career in the chemical industry or to pursue graduate studies to earn a PhD, an MD, or a PharmD. Expect to be challenged on a regular basis. Our professors have designed a rigorous curriculum to help you advance as a scientist and develop analytic reasoning. CUW’s Chemistry program is approved by the American Chemical Society, an important distinction for any Chemistry program.

A significant portion of your studies will take place in our recently constructed laboratories, with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Whenever possible, our faculty take a hands-on approach to learning, so you can expect to quickly become comfortable in a lab setting. You’ll gain a thorough foundation in the various areas within chemistry, including organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biochemistry. And CUW students aren’t limited to the required courses for developing their skills. If you have a particular area of interest, you have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member in conducting an undergraduate research project.

Science aims to understand the incredible intricacies of God's creation. It all starts with a question, which leads to research, forming a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and analyzing and communicating the results, which often leads to new questions. This scientific inquiry is what leads to theories and laws that observe and describe the world around us.

In this program, you'll study everything that exists in the earth's environment, from the plants and animals to ecosystems and climate patterns, and how they all correlate. Two concentrations are available; ecology and environmental chemistry. Both tracks take a deep dive into a wide variety of scientific disciplines, with each specialization putting an extra emphasis on ecology or environmental chemistry respectively.

The environmental science major explores the physical, chemical, and biological properties and processes of our world. The program seeks to help students grow in the following six areas:

• Knowledge base: demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to explain major biological and related scientific concepts.
• Laboratory procedures: demonstrate the ability to appropriately collect and analyze data while utilizing laboratory equipment and procedures safely and effectively
• Scientific inquiry: develop investigative and critical thinking skills to explore complex questions and solve challenging scientific problems
• Scientific communication: demonstrate the ability to communicate scientific information effectively to both scientists and non-scientists using oral and written forms of expression
• Vocation and ethics: recognize how vocations in science provide opportunities for service to Christ and others and necessitate ethical behavior in all aspects of science
• God’s design and stewardship: demonstrate an understanding of how/why a Christian sees evidence of God’s design in nature and how to be good stewards of His creation

If you intend to pursue a Master of Divinity at seminary, this major provides you with a basic overview of the Scriptures and Lutheran doctrine. While our curriculum teaches Lutheran doctrine and our school is affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, all students who desire to prepare for the pastoral office (regardless of denominational affiliation) are welcome. Our theology faculty is made up of pastors dedicated to guiding, challenging, and encouraging you as you work toward completion of this program.

You will study the background and teaching of the Lutheran Church as confessed in the Book of Concord and will be grounded in the Lutheran ethos, identity, and ethic. Although not required, you are encouraged to double major in theological languages alongside the applied theology major. This program provides a solid base for further theological training; it does not train you to be a pastor.

The overarching goal of the Technical and Professional Communication program is to prepare graduates to take complex information and make it consumable to internal and external audiences who may not have discipline-specific knowledge. Graduates will become more aware of the forms of communication and communication processes in order to successfully convey their messages.

The Technical and Professional Communication major will emphasize written, oral, and digital communication skills. The coursework will prepare students to collect, analyze and communicate complex information to various audiences. The Communication Department’s approach to this major asks students to complete courses including social media, interpersonal, group dynamics, visual rhetoric, technical writing and speaking, and critical thinking and information dissemination.

The program curriculum will draw upon three primary spheres: writing, visual, and digital storytelling; analytic and critical thinking skills; and oral and interpersonal skills. Additionally, students can select one of three specializations or tracks: Health Care; High-tech Literacy; and Corporate/Organizational. Some program-level learning outcomes include:

• Develop and present cogent, coherent, and accurate writing for general and specialized audiences.
• Communicate effectively to audiences by listening actively and responding constructively as Scripture instructs within various contexts.
• Draw from various disciplines to describe orally and in writing how existing knowledge or practice is advanced, tested, and revised in each core field studied.
• Distinguish and examine communication-related problems from a Christian perspective to better serve society.
• Cultivate appropriate organizational skills related to professionalism, work ethic, and attitude.
• Analyze complex data and be able to combine them into easily-understandable presentations utilizing excellent critical thinking skills.