Degree Type:
Minor
Mode of Study:
On Campus

The Church Leadership minor prepares students for lay positions within established churches, mission organizations, para-church ministries, camps, youth ministries, and other ministries.

Students who graduate with a Church Leadership Minor will possess critical skills of personal and interpersonal leadership; will have a basic understanding of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; and will be familiar with various systems of church government, ministry organization, theology, and worship.

Program Status

Effective Fall 2024, the minor in Church Leadership is in teach out and no longer accepting new students.

Common Career Paths

Some of the top jobs for those with a Church Leadership educational background include religious director, religious worker, philosophy and religion teacher, missions executive, and so much more.

Common Salary Ranges for Graduates

As mentioned above, there’s a long list of career opportunities for those with a Church Leadership educational background. But, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average annual salary for the following positions (which may require additional education) in North Carolina in 2021:

  • Religious activities and education director: $78,690
  • Religious worker: $33,680
  • Philosophy and religion teacher: $82,720

Average Tuition Cost

The average cost for an incoming residential freshman to attend MU is less than $18,000 – similar to the cost of attending one of the big-box public schools, but with the enhanced value of a highly-regarded private school with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

While tuition varies, depending on a student’s financial aid package, it’s important to know that the average financial award for an incoming residential freshman at MU is more than $34,000.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

More than 97% of MU students receive some form of financial aid, with the University offering more than $24 million annually to students for scholarships. If a student is active military, family of active military, or a veteran, they may also qualify for MU’s military education benefits.

Minor Requirements

The minor in Church Leadership consists of 18 credits distributed as follows:

Required Core Courses

12 credit hours

LSS 3000 Principles of Leadership (3) LSS 4600 Church Leadership (3)
LSS 3500 Youth Ministry Leadership (3) LSS 4700 Senior Internship (3)

Religion Course

Select one course (3 credits) from the following:

REL 2010 Survey of the Hebrew Bible (3) REL 2020 Survey of the New Testament (3)

Interdisciplinary Elective

Select one course (3 credits) from the following list:

CME 3600 Exploring Cross Cultural Communication (3) LSS 3750 Future-Oriented Leadership (3)
CME 3900 Collaborative Communication (3) LSS 2850, 4850 Special Topics (3)
LSS 3250 Theories & Techniques of Leadership (3) SWK 3150 Helping Processes (3)
LSS 3400 Issues in Contemporary Leadership (3)

With the approval of the program director appropriate courses may be substituted.

Contact

Mark Kline, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for MU Online, College of Arts, Humanities & Sciences; Interim Head, Communication, Composition & Rhetoric Division; Professor of Psychology
Dr. Mark Kline