Masters of Intercultural Studies

Starting August 14, I will be an official Union University AND Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (GGBTS) graduate student! For the past year, I have been working towards my Master of Theological Studies at GGBTS. But this year, I am finally becoming a part of the Global Studies Program (GSP) which is a partnership between Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Fransisco, California and Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. The GSP program is a dual masters program in Intercultural Studies and Theological Studies. In simple terms, when I finish (400 years from now) I will have two masters degrees from two different universities. I am really excited about the classes I will be taking for my Masters of Intercultural Studies. I have had my eye on this degree for awhile now and am I finally getting to start it. Below is a brief description of the program (feel free to scroll down if you don't care)

• Students today face unprecedented challenges and opportunities as they prepare for professions that are increasingly global in outlook. The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAIS) is a graduate program designed to provide you with an integrated view of the knowledge and skills needed to live and work across cultures and nations.
  
• The MAIS program will:
  1. Give you a foundational knowledge of intercultural relationships while guiding you to develop a conceptual framework for understanding different, diverse approaches to knowledge and intercultural relationships.
  2. Enable you to learn how to integrate intercultural consciousness and empathy with practical skills necessary to live and work effectively between/among cultures.
  3. Teach you the critical skills necessary to evaluate new environments, situations, and information in intercultural settings.
  4. Teach you to conduct, document and apply field research. Every student is required to participate in an intercultural field research experience.
  5. Guide students to develop, communicate and implement a multicultural vision in which ethical decision-making and leadership are key.

The unique thing about me starting this program is that all my classes will be in San Fransisco (about an 8 hour drive from where I live in Riverside)! Most people that pursue this degree go to school at GGBTS' main campus in San Fransisco NOT the Southern extension where I attend. So the travel is a little bit abnormal for the typical GSP student and I am kind of considered a guinea pig to see if they would recommend this to anyone else. The phrase "Go Big or Go Home" comes to mind. The format of the Union classes are intensive weekend classes that meet from Thursday-Saturday all day. Each class meets for two separate weekends for a total of four this fall! Needless to say, there will be a lot of travel in my future! But if I am going to travel I would say that San Fransisco is an awesome place to be "stuck" learning. The GGBTS campus there is beautiful and sits right on the bay.

These are the classes I am taking this fall:
1. Intercultural Communications- San Fransisco, CA (Union Class)
2. Organizational Systems of Society- San Fransisco, CA (Union Class)
3. Survey of Christianity to 1517- Orange County, CA (GGBTS Class)

I am excited about this graduate program and where God wants to lead me in the future as I learn about being effective among different cultures and nations. Please keep me in prayers. It's always a challenge to tackle a grad program while working full-time in ministry!