Master of Social Work

at Concordia University Wisconsin USA

Think you have what it takes to start your own business? If you answered yes to that question, you’re probably right! So you fuel your heart, we’ll fuel your mind, and together we’ll form you into somebody who’s ready to trailblaze a path for yourself.
Entrepreneurship is characterized by creativity and innovation, your ability to take risks, to experiment, to adapt, to learn from failure. You must be able to challenge yourself, and to solve problems from multiple perspectives. This major will inspire you to positively engage and serve the culture by creating new avenues for opportunity, vocation, innovation, and social improvement. You’ll learn how to identify certain needs that present themselves in today’s culture, the Church, and the world, then how to respond to those needs in a way that aligns with your Christian values. You’ll learn how to be a servant leader in all your endeavors, and how to build a culture of life, addressing the world’s social and ethical problems.  

Before you take the plunge and dive headfirst into your own upstart, you’ll toe the water with the courses in this program. An important first step for any entrepreneur is to develop and grow a network of individuals, organizations, and professionals. You’ll do that as part of this major. You’ll also develop – and be expected to display – knowledge and skills related to innovation, creativity, problem-solving, perseverance, and adaptability. You’ll ideate and identify emerging markets, trends, problems, and challenges, while learning how to articulate a vision for and commitment to ethical business practice in the education sector.

Technology is a huge benefit to entrepreneurs these days – you can expect to demonstrate competence in leveraging technology in market research and identification. Same goes for adaptability and “pivot-ability.” (You’ll also learn that the world of business is filled with words like pivot-ability.) This program will help you develop a business model, prototype an idea for a business or service, create and develop a business plan, and start or participate in starting a company/new business venture. Because why wait until you graduate to give it a go?

More and more, actuaries use data analytics to help assess risk and inform policy. Concordia's new Actuarial & Data Sciences major meets the market's demands by preparing students with current, relevant knowledge and skills in both actuarial science and data analytics.

Actuarial science is an intense field, and will require a sharp, analytical mind, coupled with hard work and dedication to pass the certification exams and practice as an actuary. But it is a rewarding field, and in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay is over $110K, and the demand for actuaries is expected to increase 24% by 2030.

Actuaries assess risk to help make wise decisions for their organizations. Most actuaries work in insurance, but they can also work in finance, healthcare administration, wealth management, and any other industry where predictions and decisions must be made to mitigate risk.

Like all industries, the actuarial science profession is constantly changing to adapt to new technologies. With the computing capabilities that we now have, actuaries are increasingly dependent on data science and analytics. In 2021, the Society of Actuaries announced a change in their Associate of the SOA (ASA) education requirements, including an updated curriculum designed to meet employer and market demands for increased coverage of data analytics.

Concordia's new actuarial and data sciences major couples proven actuarial science methodologies with cutting edge data science technologies to thoroughly prepare tomorrow's actuaries with the skills needed to assess risk in the modern world.

Do you consider yourself an innovative and strategic person? Are you interested in communicating products to consumers that could change their lives for the better? A marketing career is something you should pursue! This program feeds both sides of your brain to give you the technical and creative skills you need as you launch your career.
When you earn your bachelor of marketing degree from Concordia University, you’ll be able to market yourself to your future company. This program covers a lot of ground, from consumer audiences and their needs to product design, packaging, pricing, advertising, selling, distribution, brand identification, and promotion. You’ll study public relations – how it's used to promote and manage public perception – as well as basic advertising campaign strategies like copy, visualization, and layout. You’ll learn the difference between business-to-business and business-to-consumer operations. The program also covers the digital landscape, teaching the ins and outs of web design and maintenance, and the impact of E-commerce on marketing. You’ll learn marketing research methods and measurements, dip your toes into international marketing, and gain insights on how to ethically engage and interact conscientiously with the public.

After you graduate, you’ll enter the workforce ready with both the technical and creative skills every marketing professional needs to know to succeed. You will know how to create and implement effective marketing campaigns by providing a foundation in the brand identification and promotion, E-commerce, web page design and maintenance, and research methods. On top of all of this, it is also probably nice to know that marketing graduates have one of the highest job placement rates in the business world.

In order to meet the diverse needs of congregations, you will gain a wide range of skills through completion of a theology major and two minors. Your first minor, Church Ministries, includes a specialization chosen from six areas of church ministry. These include: Evangelism, Missions, Parish Teaching, Youth Ministry, Christian Service Learning & Leadership, and Social Ministry (for men) or Pre-Deaconess (for women intending to enroll in the deaconess programs at either of the LCMS seminaries). Your second minor is Nonprofit Management. For those of you who really want to specialize in more than one area of church ministry, it’s possible to do so by carefully choosing electives that apply.

While all courses and doctrine are taught in accord with the Lutheran confessions, men and women of any denomination are welcome to join this program. Only members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will be certified and may be eligible to be rostered with the LCMS as a “Minister of Religion Commissioned—Director of Church Ministries (DCM).”

Because music is such a diverse area, we offer five distinct paths from which you can choose, including Liberal Arts: Music, Parish Music, K-12 Music Education, Music Therapy Equivalency, and a music minor. These music degrees provide a solid, well-rounded musical education, allowing you to explore your creativity and develop your technical abilities. As a music student, you will study music theory, composition, conducting, music history, and forms of the medieval, baroque, pre-classical, romantic, and 20th century periods from around the globe. With such a thorough background, you’ll gain the skills to excel in your chosen medium.

You will learn from our internationally acclaimed faculty while having the opportunity to attend performances, travel with our talented band, orchestra, vocal choir, and  handbell choir ensembles, join one of our student-led music groups, and participate in events throughout the school year. In addition to learning in group settings with fellow students, you can also work one-on-one with a private tutor in your area of interest.

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

One of the most important skills you can bring to any business is the ability to be a leader who understands the industry, knows how to build up a team, and creatively problem-solves when challenges arise. Our MBA in Management will equip you to do just that. The program is designed with flexibility in mind so you can complete the program while working full-time. Because our classes are offered at our main campus, our off-site locations and online, you can take courses no matter where you’re located on the map. You’ll broaden your perspective as you learn from industry leaders and work alongside a diverse student body. And you’ll have freedom to choose which courses you want to take for your concentration. As you progress through the program, faculty will engage you in topics like global productions and operations, supply chain management, sustainable business practices and strategic innovation - so you’ll be well-equipped to make a positive impact in the world of business.

When you cross the stage as a graduate of our MBA program, you’ll have in-depth knowledge of management practices, lean systems and analysis, loss prevention and project management processes. You’ll have the hands-on experience to apply proven project management tools and techniques at each stage in a project’s lifecycle. You’ll also have the understanding of how to integrate organizational strategies while involving the parent, supplier and sub-supplier organizations in domestic and global environments. What’s more, you’ll come out as a stronger leader, a better communicator, and a strategic thinker. You’ll even have a portfolio of your work to show potential employers.

Music therapy is the process of using music to aid changes in behavior and brain function in order to promote health and wellness. Our music therapy program is an equivalency program offered by CUW through Alverno College. What does that mean? You’ll benefit from a well-rounded Bachelor of Arts in Music degree through CUW, while earning a Music Therapy Equivalency Degree at Alverno College. This allows you to focus on the specific courses required to become a board certified music therapist. You will follow our liberal arts music curriculum and graduate from CUW with a music therapy concentration.

A key element of your studies is learning how to work within a multidisciplinary team in medical and psychiatric hospitals, hospice, schools, and clinics. A day in your future life could involve helping Alzheimer’s patients retain memories, Parkinson’s patients improve mobilities, infants reduce their stay in the neonatal ICU, and people suffering from depression deal with their symptoms.

Because of our partnership with Alverno College, you’ll be assisted in securing a top internship position to gain hands-on experience and build up your resume for the future. As a CUW student, you will be exposed to and have opportunities to participate in a wide range of musical ensembles including band, orchestra, choir, and handbells. Besides the regular classes, we have many student-led musical groups and events to enjoy throughout the school year. The liberal arts music major program offers you the chance to interact with and learn from other music students outside of the music therapy program.

The study of biology connects us to the world in which we live and reminds us of the awe-inspiring intricacies of the Lord’s creation. From the largest ecosystem to the smallest microorganism, each organism and system is designed to seamlessly work together. So if you share an appreciation of wonders great and small, a biology major might be right for you.

You can anticipate learning both inside and outside of the typical classroom. Sure, you’ll attend lectures, but you’ll also participate in labs and field research to obtain hands-on experience. Many of the required classes are taken in the Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship, a LEEDS Platinum facility designed specifically for laboratory courses that emphasize fieldwork and environmental ethics.

Over the course of your studies, you’ll take 49 credits of required coursework and 11 credits of related electives.  The required coursework provides a strong foundation in the biological sciences, while the elective coursework allows you the ability to tailor your major to your specific interests.

You will be well equipped for a wide variety of career choices to include graduate studies in any of the life sciences.  The biology major also serves an alternative to the biomedical sciences major for those of you who appreciate breadth in your biology education as you prepare for professions in the medical field, such as pharmacy or medical school.

Our MBA in Healthcare Administration will enhance your expertise in a way that gives you the ability to address the challenges of healthcare beyond the borders of this country. But first, we want you to know that we understand the importance of flexibility when it comes to furthering your education. That’s why we’ve designed this program specifically to suit the schedule of a busy working professional. You’ll have the option of taking your courses at a location that’s most convenient for you, whether it’s at our main campus in Mequon, at one of our off-site centers, or online.

With an MBA in Healthcare Administration, you’ll better understand healthcare organizations and how to work with insurance companies. You’ll also be prepared to handle the challenges that may arise with budgeting, human resources, and public policy issues. You’ll gain expertise in the field as you learn from experienced faculty, develop a work portfolio to present to potential employers, and have the opportunity to complete an internship in the field. Plus, you’ll also come out a stronger leader with increased financial competence, better writing abilities, and strategic problem-solving skills so you can be equipped to make the most impact - wherever you serve in the healthcare industry.