The simple answer is that there is no Seminary or Graduate School that we know of that meets all of the following criteria for the training of pastors:

• Instruction by successful practitioners - the instructors are men and women who are on the frontlines of ministry and have proven themselves to be experts in the areas they are teaching
  
  
• Evangelical inclusiveness - Students represent the full spectrum of denominational and non-denominational churches that acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
  
  
• Courses emphasizing the practical issues pastors face in every day ministry - Courses and assignments are designed to provide successful application, integration and implementation for ministry in a local church setting
  
  
• Classes designed for those in part-time or full-time ministry - all classes are offered in formats that allows students to focus on their educational efforts, while maintaining their respective ministry assignments
  
  
• Independent stance as a training institution - the school operates as an independent institution, free of excessive denominational, church, or ministry influence--there is no one approach, methodology or style that fits every situation
  
  
• Accessible to students in virtually every location - from the beginning the school intends to operate in two formats that offer maximum flexibility for all students:
  
  
  1. Through distance learning-utilizing multimedia and Internet technologies to make instruction available anywhere in the world
     
     
  2. Through on-site classes offered at multiple sites-with the goal in three years to have 18 sites operating in North America
     
     
• Reasonable cost - tuition costs are scheduled to be significantly below the prices charged by similar institutions

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• Mission Statement - Equipping 21st Century pastors and ministry leaders for practical church-related ministry in order to significantly impact the communities they serve for Jesus Christ. [View our Full Mission Statement]
  
  
• Vision Statement - Creating a learning environment that caters to the needs of 21st Century Pastors and Ministry leaders. [View our Detailed Vision]

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Doctrinal statements address the fundamental beliefs of the school in regard to its stance on Biblical issues. IGSM has chosen to adopt the Lausanne Covenant agreed to by the participants at the First International Congress on World Evangelization held in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974. This statement was further clarified in the Manila Manifesto written for the Second International Congress on World Evangelization held in Manila, Philippines in July, 1989. The text of the Lausanne Covenant and/or the Manila Manifesto are available from the School Office. [Read it online]

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Sites officially committed in North America include:

• Bellevue, Washington
• Bloomington, Indiana
• Boise, Idaho
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Nashua, New Hampshire
• Salem, Oregon
• San Diego, California

Other North American sites under consideration include:

• Ann Arbor, Michigan
• El Paso, Texas
• Falls Church, Virginia
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• Thousand Oaks, California
• Los Angeles, California
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Red Deer, Alberta Canada
• Sacramento, California
• Spokane, Washington

Extension sites committed internationally include:

• Canada
• Denmark
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Kenya
• Maritius
• South Africa
• United Arab Emirate

Other international sites under consideration include:

• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Israel
• Peru
• Spain
• Zambia  

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Certificate Program and Diploma in Ministry Program

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Part-time or full-time ministry or recommendation of Sr. Pastor
• View complete details for Certificate Program.
• View complete details for Diploma in Ministry.

Second Bachelor's Degree in Ministry Program

• B.A. degree
• Part-time or full-time ministry or recommendation of Sr. Pastor
• View complete details for Second Bachelor's Degree in Ministry.

Master of Theological Studies Program

• B.A. degree or equivalent
• Full-time ministry
• 3 years ministerial experience
• Special Student Status - Applicants not holding a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent may apply to the Master of Ministry program under Special Student Status. Only a limited number of applicants will be admitted under this status. The criteria for consideration include the following:
  • Ninety (90) semester hours of undergraduate studies with a major in biblical or theological studies.
  • Minimum of two years of professional ministry experience.
  • Fulfill three-course probationary period after admission to the school.
• View complete details for Master of Theological Studies Program.

Doctor of Ministry Program

• M. Div. Degree or equivalent
• Full-time ministry
• 5 years ministerial experience
• View complete details for Doctor of Ministry Program.

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Graduation Policy:
There is a commencement ceremony each year during Winter Semester. It is required that all graduating students be present at commencement except in cases of extreme emergency or other difficult circumstances. Permission to graduate in absentia must be secured in advance from IGSM. See further graduate and candidacy requirements listed under each degree program below.

All charges assessed to the student’s account (e.g., course tuition, graduation fees, dissertation or thesis fees, late fees, etc.) must be paid in full before a degree will be issued.

Graduation Requirements:

Certificate Program

• 8 semester hours
• View complete details for Certificate Program.

Diploma in Ministry Program

• 64 semester hours
• View complete details for Diploma in Ministry.

Second Bachelor's Degree in Ministry Program

• 48 semester hours
• View complete details for Second Bachelor's Degree in Ministry.

Master of Theological Studies Program

• 62+ semester hours
• Thesis
• View complete details for Master of Theological Studies Program.

Doctor of Ministry Program

• 42+ semester hours
• Dissertation
• View complete details for Doctor of Ministry Program.

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• Certificate Program
• Diploma in Ministry Program
• Second Bachelor's Degree in Ministry Program (B.Min.)
• Master of Theological Studies Program (M.T.S.)
• Doctor of Ministry Program (D.Min.)

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At present 90+ different courses are planned for the first few years. Additional classes will be offered as appropriate adjunct faculty become available. Classes are grouped under departmental categories.

• View Course Catalog
• View Class Categories

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Classes are offered in two basic formats:

1. Intensive formats at extension sites throughout North America - In this format, students do their required reading before attending class for four consecutive days. After the on-site class students will do a written project that applies the information in the class to their unique setting.
   
   
2. Classes offered via the Internet - In these classes the students will also have reading requirements for each class. However, the instruction will be delivered via the Internet with specific times for interaction with the faculty member responsible for the class. Written projects will also be required for these classes. Those students choosing to take any of the Internet classes will need to have the necessary computer hardware and software to facilitate the classes as well as knowledge of how to use those resources. Students choosing to take classes via the Internet are allowed to take up to 50% of their degree requirement using this option.

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The approximate time requirements for each course is as follows:

Intensive on-site format

• Reading assignment - approximately 33-75 hours per class depending on how many credit hours the student is enrolled for. Advanced Certificate program students are required to read approximately 800 pages to meet their 2-credit requirement. Students in the Diploma in Church Ministry, B. Min., M.T.S., or D. Min. programs are allowed to take their courses for 2-4 credits. In order to receive 3 credit hours the student must read at least 1,300 pages and for 4 credit hours they must read at least 2,000 pages. All reading is done prior to attending the class and written reading reports are required. You will receive a form showing a suggested format for these book reports
  
  
• Class attendance - 35 hours from Mon. 12:30 PM to Friday noon.
  
  
• Written project - approximately 45-90 hours each class depending on how many semester hours the student is enrolled for. Students in Certificate Programs must submit a project that is at least 10 pages, Students in the Diploma in Church Ministry, B. Min., M.T.S., or D. Min. programs are allowed to take their courses for 2-4 credits. Students choosing the 3 credit option must submit a project that is at least 20 pages while those choosing the 4 credit option must submit a project that is at least 30 pages. All projects must be completed within two months of the completion of the on-site class.

Online format

• Reading assignment - approximately 33-75 hours depending on how many credit hours the student is enrolled for. Reading can be done prior to Internet portion of the class or on a schedule set by the faculty member during the Internet portion of the class.
  
  
• Class attendance - 13 weeks. Each week there will be one text-based portion of approximately 90 minutes to be done at the student's own pace and discussion sessions will be set for specific times so that the instructor and all students can be online at the same time. Thus, the total is approximately 39 hours.
  
  
• Written project - approximately 45-90 hours depending on how many credits the student is enrolled for. All projects must be completed within two months of the completion of the Internet class.

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Transfer credit may be granted for course work taken at other accredited institutions when such work is deemed equivalent to courses offered at IGSM. Generally, only partial credit can be give for academic work taken at a non-accredited institution. Requests for acceptance of transferred credits must be obtained from the School Office. Credit hours earned in other academic programs that resulted in the award of a specific degree may not be transferred for credit. Under-graduate credit is generally unacceptable as graduate level transfer credit. Transfer credit does not occur automatically, but must be requested in writing at the time of admission.

As a general rule, credit hours may be transferred into certificate or degree programs from other accredited equivalent programs as long as they do not exceed 50% of the required credits and the grades for those courses was at least a "B."

• View Additional Details

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It is the intention of the International Graduate School of Ministry to offer a program that meets the fundamental requirements of accrediting agencies (that is the academic requirements are the equivalent of degree programs at fully accredited schools). Whether or not the school proceeds towards formal accreditation will be determined by the degree to which various accreditation agencies begin to recognize the need for new standards that fit with the educational delivery systems offered today by those in the forefront of educational reform. Unfortunately, many accrediting agencies are locked into outdated models of education, where issues such as size of library and on-site faculties were essential criteria. Few accrediting agencies have kept up with the newer models of education and training. We are not against accreditation, but we must stay with key values such as ease of access for students and use of adjunct faculty. It is interesting to note that many of the finest graduate business programs such as the Harvard Business School have never felt the need to be accredited and yet are recognized as the key training institutions in the country.

Accreditation cannot be pursued until IGSM has been offering classes for 2-3 years depending on the various accrediting agencies. However, once accreditation is received it is retroactive, meaning students who have taken classes prior to formal accreditation will get accredited degrees.

The two avenues that appear most promising that this time are pursuing accreditation through TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Schools and Colleges and DETC (Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council), which are both listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agencies. Both are also recognized by the Council on Higher Education (CHEA). We will evaluate every possibility of accreditation with all potential accrediting agencies and where possible will pursue formal accreditation.

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Transcripts may be requested online, or if you prefer, you can request a transcript through IGSM. You will be asked to provide your social security number to verify who your are.

The costs for official transcripts are found in the Financial Information section.

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The minimum number of students registered for a course will be 10 students. If the class minimum is not reached eight weeks prior to the class start date, the class may be cancelled and the students notified. Inclement weather, unexpected unavailability of a scheduled instructor or other circumstances not foreseen may also warrant cancellation. Students will then be permitted to transfer their registration deposit to another course.

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Formal withdrawal from an academic program will consist of a notice of withdrawal sent to IGSM.

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IGSM seeks to provide excellence in training while keeping costs as reasonable as possible. For this reasons tuition has been set at a level that is approximately 25% below the average for other seminaries.

In addition to tuition, students should also budget for certain additional expenses such as books, etc. [Click here for details]

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Financial aid may be available through churches or other means. In addition, IGSM offers a limited number of scholarships to students. [Click here for details]

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Because the academic program at IGSM is designed for university/graduate level students there is a purposeful attempt to provide an intellectual forum that offers a significant diversity of resources. Students should expect reading assignments and instructors that are intellectually challenging. It is essential that IGSM expose students to a wide spectrum of ideas.

Students are not expected to agree with all the ideas presented either in class or in the reading assignments. We expect students to evaluate the materials and presentations and make their own judgments as to the validity of the information presented. A fundamental belief at IGSM is that there is no one model that fits all situations.

In addition, we recognize the many different traditions that are represented in our student body and faculty. Therefore IGSM must provide an intellectually challenging environment where diversity is viewed as a fundamental value.

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We believe it is essential that we constantly monitor, assess and evaluate IGSM for several reasons:

• To ensure that the school is meeting the needs of students.
  
  
• To make necessary improvements identified during classes and as a result of the assessment process.
  
  
• To ensure institutional effectiveness (“…a systematic, explicit, and documented comparison of institutional performance to institutional purpose.” Southern Association of Colleges and Schools—SACS)
  
  
• To ensure that we are being effective in fulfilling our mission/vision.

Quality can be defined as meeting or exceeding the expectations of those who use the product we develop. When we speak of theological education our primary clients are pastors and churches. Therefore we need to know if we are producing what the church and the pastors want or need. Listed below are the six primary sources IGSM will use for evaluation.

Class Evaluations - Students
Each student is required to fill out an evaluation form at the end of each class. This evaluation form includes both objective and subjective questions and allows the student to clarify their responses with additional comments as necessary. We try to evaluate the total experience of the student including the site itself, the course, and the instructor.

Class Evaluations - Instructors
At the end of each class, each instructor is asked to fill out an evaluation form. This form is similar to the student evaluation form but gives us the perspective of the instructor.

Annual Evaluations
Quarterly we send out comprehensive surveys to a random sampling of our student body. This allows us to keep track of how we are doing on a consistent and regular basis.

Graduate Evaluations
As part of the graduation requirement for all students, they are asked to evaluate the school and reflect on what they perceive to be the real strengths and weaknesses of our program.

Extension Site Staff Evaluations
Once a year the Sr. Pastor of each host extension site, along with the extension site coordinators, are asked to give a formal evaluation based on their observations and experience.

Staff Evaluations
Once a year all staff members of IGSM (Executive Staff and Support Staff) are asked to evaluate every aspect of our program.

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Although there is not an actual Student Bookstore, arrangements have been made with a local Christian Bookstore to allow students to purchase books at a discounted price for required course reading. Some of the recommended books are also available. Special arrangements for the mailing of required textbooks are available for graduate students who live a long distance from the bookstore.

At the time of their registration, students will receive a form that can be filled out to order the necessary books. All arrangements for book orders must be handled directly with the bookstore and cannot be included in tuition payments. Students are also free to purchase the books themselves from bookstores that are more convenient for them.

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We have found that even the best of classroom instruction, including significant time for interaction and hands-on training still does not always guarantee the degree of transferability we feel is necessary for our definition of success. The primary reasons for the less than satisfactory results are the difficult issues pastors face when they get back on the front lines of ministry in their own communities. We believe this can best be addressed through the use of mentors, consulting help and eventually a full-time staff person at the school who works specifically in this area.

Churches and pastors are becoming much more open to the use of consultants, however the financial situation of most churches does not allow for them to contract for the necessary resource personnel. From the opposite perspective, consultants who have tried to specialize in church ministry have found it difficult to maintain the necessary income.

The possibility exists for a Graduate School to offer this kind of service whereby one or more of the members of its staff would serve as part time consultants. The churches would reimburse them at a reasonable rate and both parties would benefit.

It is the intention of the IGSM to develop a consulting arm within the first five years of the school to assist pastors and churches encountering problems beyond their scope of expertise.

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According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, students have particular rights and privileges regarding their student records. In accordance with FERPA, all students have the following rights:

1. Right to Inspect. You have the right to review and inspect all of your education records maintained by or at this institution within 30 days of the day IGSM receives a request for access. Students should submit to the school a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. IGSM will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. In place of inspecting the record(s), the student may request that they be copies and mailed to the student. In this case, the student will pay a per copy fee per page in addition to postal costs.
   
   
2. Right to Prevent Disclosure. You have the right to prevent the disclosure of education records to third parties with certain limited exceptions. It is our intent at IGSM to limit disclosure of information contained in your education records to those instances when prior written consent has been given to the disclosure. However, one exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest. A school official is a person employed by IGSM in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position; a person or company with whom IGSM has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees, or members serving on an official committee, such as the Academic Affairs Committee or the Pastoral Advisory Committee.
   
   
3. Right to Request Amendment. You have the right to seek to have corrected any parts of an education record that you believe to be inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of your rights. This right includes the right to a hearing to present evidence that the record should be changed if the staff at IGSM decides not to alter the education records according to your request.
   
   
4. Right to File a Complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. You have the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy and Regulations Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, D.C., 20202-4065, concerning this institution’s failure to comply with FERPA.

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Every effort is made to keep communication open between students and IGSM staff to avoid serious problems. In the event a grievance or problem has not been handled to the student’s satisfaction, the following procedures should be followed:

1. Appeals related to academic matters (grades, course procedures, tests, and assignments) are first handled through a personal contact with the instructor involved. If the student is not satisfied with the results of this appeal, IGSM should be consulted. If an agreement is not reached, the student can take his/her appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee for their review. Finally, if the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee they can take their appeal to the Board of Directors of IGSM. Decisions by the Board of Directors are final. The steps above must be done in the sequence outlined. No appeals will be heard by any groups until the previous group (as indicated in the sequence above) has acted on the appeal.
2. Appeals not related to academic matters should be directed first to IGSM, then to the Pastoral Advisory Committee, and finally to the Board of Directors. Decisions by the Board of Directors are final.

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Host homes can usually be arranged for students who live a considerable distance from an extension site, but are attending an on-site class. Students will be sent a Housing and Airline Information form along with each course syllabus. If housing or airport pickup is needed, the forms must be submitted to the school at least two weeks before the on-site class work. If a form is not received within that time limit, it will be assumed that the student has made other arrangements.

If students make private housing arrangements with one of the school’s regular host families, the school must be notified by submitting the form explaining the arrangements so that host homes are not double-booked. Students will usually be notified of their arrangements by Thursday of the week prior to the class. The student must then call the host home to confirm their arrival time.

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International students who do not have permanent resident status in the United States will be considered for admission to the IGSM if they show evidence of their ability to guarantee financial support for themselves and all dependents that are accompanying them to the United States.

International students are required to maintain valid immigration status throughout their enrollment in order to remain in good standing with the school.

A minimum TOEFL score of 525 is necessary to be admitted as a student whose native language is other than English. In special circumstances additional competency based evaluation may be used in lieu of TOEFL. Language inadequacies must also be addressed and remedied before admission to the school can be considered.

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Library needs will be addressed in four ways:

1. A larger than normal budget allocation for library related expenses is provided during the first five years of operation. Special emphasis will be placed on securing multiple volumes of the books used in the classes for required reading, so that students who do not wish to purchase the required books can check them out instead. The next level of emphasis will be on securing copies of the most critical books that are on our recommended reading lists.
   
   
2. All students, upon completion of their third class, will be given copies of computer software put out by Logos. They have the finest resource base for biblical research and IGSM intends to develop a special relationship with them so that pastors can have the very best research materials available to them on their home or church computer.
   
   
3. The school will purchase the necessary book and periodical databases, having those available through its Web Site.
   
   
4. Where possible loan agreements will be worked out with existing Seminaries or Bible Colleges, whereby students of the IGSM can check out books through other libraries.

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There is a tremendous waste of resources in the Christian community today with a great deal of duplication of effort. In the area of Graduate Education this is particularly true. Every school has to have its own facilities, its own library, etc., all of which are only used part of the time. This wastes the precious resources of the institutions as each tries to provide for their own programs.

A parallel problem is the fact that the needs for pastoral training are simply larger than one church, or one school can address. An example is the very real need for the education of inner-city pastors. The traditional seminaries see few of these students in their schools, because of the economic hardships involved. Where special programs have been developed the required subsidy can be 60-80% of the cost. A similar problem exists in the training of Church Planters.

The logical answer is the genuine networking of schools to provide collectively what they cannot provide individually. We will seek to develop genuine partnerships with other schools that have similar vision. This would provide for common use of facilities, faculty, libraries, etc.

A second aspect of genuine networking is it allows various participants to be involved with their own areas of expertise, which tends to eliminate some of the politics and striving for position. It is even possible to create a separate umbrella organization that could coordinate the efforts of the individual schools and training agencies. An excellent example of this is the CUME program presently underway in the Portland, OR area. That program has three specific tracks, one for Black pastors, one for Hispanic pastors, and one for Asian pastors. Through the umbrella organization that was created, it is possible for a pastor to get anywhere from a GED to a Doctoral degree. In addition, several of the seminaries in the area jointly offer degrees where students can take classes at different schools.

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The programs at IGSM are designed to prepare students for effective ministry. Students are required to maintain standards that bring glory to the work of God and maintain a positive testimony among Christians and non-Christians alike.

In regard to all matters of interaction of students with professors, staff, and other students, everyone is expected to conduct themselves in a manner befitting a Christian.

The school reserves the right to dismiss any student who, in its judgment, does not conform either to stated biblical standards governing conduct or the expressed principles, policies, and programs as described in this handbook. It is expected that Board members, students, faculty and staff will sign an agreement which outlines their acceptance of the Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Doctrinal Statement and Professional Standards of Conduct of the school, and are required to identify any policies or doctrines with which they may disagree.

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One of the surprising aspects of the Church, particularly the evangelical and charismatic branches of the church in America, is the lack of significant research regarding churches and church life. The mainline churches have done a better job; however, much of their research has been aimed at trying to figure out why people have been leaving those particular denominations.

Many research opportunities are available today and a Graduate School should be the source of some of the finest research. IGSM would like to be viewed as a leader in some of the finest research related to pastors and churches. This would include research done by students as part of their Dissertation/Thesis projects as well as research initiated by the school itself.

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Recent advances in technology have opened up a whole new level of opportunity for improving instruction in the classroom. IGSM intends to use these resources to the very best of their capacity.

The purpose of using this technology is not only to facilitate learning in the classroom, but also to expose students to technologies they may want to use in their own churches.

Video Projection
The use of video projection has become standard operating procedure for most major schools as well as most churches. The purchase of the necessary software and hardware is one of the first priorities in the budget.

Website
Students today need to have the opportunity to have direct and immediate access to their schools. The use of websites is now a common occurrence for most people. IGSM intends to develop a website that is very student friendly and enhances both the reputation of the school and accessibility of critical information for present and potential students. The intent is to make the site as interactive as possible.

GroupWare
One of the exciting new developments in software is the ability to process information in new ways in the classroom itself. This is done through input, analysis and data manipulation done on computers. It allows students for example, to brainstorm ideas in a setting where the contributions are anonymous, as well as allowing students to weigh alternatives and prioritize responses.

Data Gathering Software
Another exciting development is the use of hand-held response units to input and analyze data. Demographic data as well as opinions can be entered in a very brief period of time. That data is captured in a computer file and the results can be seen on a screen immediately if desired. A real benefit of this software is the ability to analyze the opinion data based on different demographic sorts. For any particular question you can see how participants differ on their responses based on years in ministry, age, or any other demographic variable. The use of this kind of data gathering software provides the opportunity for IGSM to be at the very forefront in gathering information on pastors and churches. This information could become a valuable research and resource tool for those involved in the school.

Video Conferencing
The technical improvements in video conferencing have been incredible over the last several years and will only get better in the future. As a result it is now very feasible to have multiple locations involved with a single presentation. There is the capability of two-way audio and two-way video, meaning that students and instructors could actually communicate from multiple sites at the same time. This will greatly enhance learning opportunities and is a natural for a school with multiple extensions.

Distance Learning
Distance learning has become quite popular, including some schools that offer full degree programs from off-site. It is the intention of IGSM to offer significant coursework through the distance-learning model, while at the same time offering on-site classes at its extensions throughout North America.

Library Resources
Libraries of the future will be much more oriented to real-time, on-line access. IGSM needs to be in the forefront of helping students to learn how to use these resources for themselves and well as their churches.

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Graduate students must arrange their own transportation to and from the on-site classes. If proper advance notification has been submitted on the Housing and Airline Information form described earlier, transportation from the airport to host homes can often be arranged if flight arrival time is between 8 a.m. and Noon on the Monday of the on-site class week.

The school cannot be responsible for local transportation to and from the school. However, every attempt will be made to house students with vehicles together with students needing transportation to class. Otherwise, the student will need to rent a vehicle. In order to cut expenses, students can often split the cost of a rental vehicle with another student.

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