Spiritual Formation and Leadership programs prepare students for the work of ministry within a liberal arts educational environment committed to Christian spiritual formation, scholarship, research, ministry, and leadership development. Each of our programs and certificates emphasizes living out Christ’s mission: proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel and serving the Church in a changing world.
At the undergraduate level, we offer the B.A. in Christian Formation and Ministry as both a major and a minor.
At the graduate level, our focus takes a much more praxis (academic reflection and research on ministry practice) approach in educating students for M.A.s in Higher Education and Student Development (HESD), Leadership (LEAD), and Outdoor and Adventure Leadership (OAL).
The Organizational Leadership Graduate Certificate is also offered.
For graduate students, the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center offers special scholarships to international students, furloughing international workers and candidates who are committed to overseas service under an established agency, and those who are committed to service in urban settings.
Residential and Flexible Formats
Most Spiritual Formation and Leadership graduate programs are designed for students to be able to earn their master’s degree while empowering them to remain in their current location. These graduate programs are designed to stretch the students’ thinking while enabling them to continue to serve in their current business or ministry.
The various programs listed above have different flexible options and students will need to check the requirements for each one of them for the specifics related to that degree program. However, the graduate programs in Spiritual Formation and Leadership offer this flexible option by scheduling courses in various formats: on-campus, modular, online, and hybrid. This enables students to take these programs of study on a full-time or part-time basis.
Partnerships and Cohorts
Spiritual Formation and Leadership has partnered with various ministries and organizations, who share our vision and ethos, to enable students to pursue a master’s degree and thus fulfill the mission of their ministry or organization. These partnerships permit students to study at their own pace (self-paced) or work with their co-workers as a cohort to earn a specific graduate degree.
In the cohort model, a group of students study together throughout the program, taking all their courses together. The goal of the cohort is for each student to build lasting relationships within a learning community.
Assistant Dean, Associate Professor of Ministry and Evangelism, Junias Venugopal
Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Development, Olga Dietlin
Chair, Department of Christian Formation and Ministry; Associate Lecturer of Christian Formation and Ministry, Dan Haase
Assistant Professor of Outdoor and Adventure Leadership, Muhia Karianjahi
Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry, Barrett McRay
Executive Director of HoneyRock; Assistant Professor of Outdoor and Adventure Leadership, Rob Ribbe
Price-LeBar Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry, David Setran
Christian Formation and Ministry Internship Coordinator & Guest Instructor, Sherri Shackel
Professors Emeriti, Scottie May, Tom Schwanda, Jim Wilhoit
Deadlines and requirements will vary depending on degree and program. See Graduate Admissions in the catalog for additional information or go to Wheaton College Graduate School Admissions:
Wheaton College Graduate School
Graduate Admissions
Toll free: 800.888.0141 or 630.752.5195