Purpose

Become a transformational leader in the church and society through the Master of Arts in Leadership. Experience the impact of making disciples across generational and cultural divides. Become equipped to launch into your calling by receiving extensive training, mentoring, and hands-on experiences at Impact 360 Institute, which will provide you with the support, coaching, and experience required to lead well as a Christ-centered leader in today’s world.

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Master of Arts in Leadership

Program Hours: 36

Location: 100% Residential in Pine Mountain, Georgia

Concentrations: Spiritual Formation and Servant Leadership

 

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Degree and Program Details

Degree Plan

This two-year experience is one-of-a-kind because it’s designed in two unique parts. Earn your M.A. in Leadership from North Greenville University with in-person instruction and work and live on our campus with your cohort as you apply what you learn by joining our team as a Graduate Assistant.

 

Spiritual Formation Concentration

Become a transformational leader in church and society through a Master of Arts in Leadership with a Spiritual Formation concentration.
Effective leadership, in ministry and society, does not have to be a complicated process. You want to glorify God as you follow Christ and lead others to do the same. But where do you start? You look to God’s Word and the history of the church to elevate your understanding of spiritual formation.

Explore the biblical foundations of spiritual formation. Examine leadership, personal development, communication, and more from a Christian worldview. Experience the impact of disciples making disciples across generational and cultural divides.

Through your two-year, residential degree, immediately apply in-class studies to real life and gain professional experience. Join the Impact 360 Institute staff as a graduate assistant and lead and disciple Impact 360 Fellows.

Servant Leadership Concentration

Become a transformational leader for church and society through the Master of Arts in Leadership with a Servant Leadership concentration.
Effective leaders aren’t made by positions or titles. Your ability to lead is about much more than simply being in charge. Transformational leadership is Christ-centered, biblically rooted, and others-focused.

Explore the biblical and ethical foundations of servant leadership from a Christian worldview. Examine leadership theory, personal development, conflict resolution, and more. Engage your understanding of leadership across generational, cultural, and worldview divides.

Through your two-year, residential degree, immediately apply in-class studies to real life and gain professional experience. Join the Impact 360 Institute staff as a graduate assistant and lead and disciple Impact 360 Fellows.

Program Features

Coaching: Enrich your calling through professional and spiritual coaching from trained experts in life-purpose planning, career goal setting, professional assessments and development, spiritual direction mentoring, and discernment of calling.

Experiential Learning: Engage in off-campus experiences to undergird your equipping: take part in spiritual conversations in Utah, learn from leaders in Washington, DC., practice spiritual disciplines while backpacking, develop your professional growth and calling on an annual Masters’ retreat, and lead for one month on an overseas international immersion experience (Student Development Assistantship Only).

Visiting Faculty: On-location courses in Pine Mountain, Georgia, are taught by both Impact 360 Masters and North Greenville University faculty. The curriculum includes a combination of weekly classes and semester intensives on worldview, leadership, and calling. 

Graduate Assistantship: Develop professionally and spiritually by joining Impact 360 Institute’s staff. Work alongside Impact 360 Fellows or grow your organizational leadership experience through a paid graduate assistantship.

Housing and Accommodations

Enjoy living in the present as you prepare for your future through an all-inclusive program: meals, housing (including all major utilities), and laundry facilities, all free of charge!

Admissions Requirements

Students interested in applying for the Master of Arts in Leadership must meet the following qualifications:

  1. An actively growing relationship with Christ
  2. Leadership experience
  3. Teachability and desire to grow in your faith and as a leader
  4. Completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
  5. Proficiency in biblical studies and theology at an undergraduate level
    • Proficiency in biblical studies is determined by undergraduate course work with a minimum passing grade of “B” in each of the following courses:
      • Old Testament (intro level)
      • New Testament (intro level)
      • 6 credit hours (or equivalent) of theology courses – covering the doctrine of God, hamartiology, Christology, pneumatology, and biblical anthropology.

Master of Arts in Leadership Curriculum

Spiritual Formation
An introduction to personal spiritual formation, which is an intensive process to encourage spiritual growth. Topics include the study of Christian spirituality and the practice of disciplines rooted in the Bible and Christian history.

Theology of Christian Life
An examination of the doctrine of sanctification through a study of relevant biblical texts, a survey of the history of the doctrine, a comparison of different theories, and an exploration of a life of holiness.

Devotional Classics of the Christian Life
An in-depth study of the concepts and practices of Christian spiritual formation through the reading of selected spiritual classics.

Ethical Foundations
An examination of the foundations of Christian Ethics from biblical, theological, and philosophical perspectives. Topics include historical development, various approaches and methodologies, contextualization, and application to social issues.

Discipleship
An introduction to the practice of following Christ and leading others to do the same. Topics include personal discipleship, disciple-making, developing a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes discipleship, and implementing strategies for creating disciple-making movements.

Understanding Generation Z
An exploration of the driving forces and values that have shaped the characteristics, preferences, and worldview of Generation Z. Topics include learning how to create environments and develop strategies that will most effectively influence and equip Gen Zers to flourish in the workplace and contribute to the success of the organization.

Biblical Foundations of Leadership
An introduction to biblical foundations for planning, coordinating, leading, and supporting both marketplace and ministry organizations. Topics include leadership principles that are taught and illustrated in the Old and New Testaments, the development of a theology of leadership, and the integration of organizational flourishing with the advance of God’s greater purposes in the world.

Cross-Cultural Leadership
An examination of how to lead when cross-cultural differences affect a business or ministry context. Topics include the relationship between culture(s) and communication, working relationships in cross-cultural contexts, cross-cultural leadership styles, and the development of a framework for leading in a culture different from the leader’s home culture.

Leadership Theory and Development
An introduction to various leadership styles, models, and theories. Special attention will be given to how various models impact effective leadership in real-world organizations, as well as the assessment of current leadership strengths and weaknesses for the sake of personal growth as a leader.

Servant Leadership
An introduction to the theory and practice of servant leadership and its application to various leadership contexts. Special attention is given to how a servant leader is different from other leaders, and focusing upon the needs of others can create interdependency rather than dependency in organizations.

Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
An introduction to the concept of Emotional Intelligence and its applicability to leadership. Special attention is given to personal emotional intelligence, as well as learning how emotional intelligence builds trust, manages difficult discussions, develops resilience, enhances team performance, and enables them to lead for long-term success.

Communication and Conflict Resolution
An examination of the essential influences and dimensions of the intrapersonal dynamics that contribute to who we are, how we work, and how we interact with others. Topics include building and sustaining decision-making teams, mentoring, delegating, resolving conflict, and handling and overcoming opposition. Extensive time will be given to developing communication skills with a view toward functioning more effectively and efficiently as a team leader in handling both routine and crisis situations.

Leading Across Generations
An introduction to leadership in post-generational organizations. Special attention is given to the forces shaping the future of post-generational organizations, how best to understand post-generational dynamics, and building successful post-generational businesses and ministries.

Personal Leadership Development
An introduction to the foundations of personal leadership. Topics include basic spiritual formation, well-being, self-motivation, strength-based leadership, goal-setting, time management, productivity, and the relationship between personal leadership and leading others.

Applied Leadership Project
Planned with the student’s advisor, the goal of the project is to integrate the student’s coursework, personal experience, and vocational goals in a “Theology/Philosophy of Leadership” that the student will apply to a particular area of leadership. The written project plan, literature search, and analysis of results is the capstone experience in the Master of Arts in Leadership.

Foundations of a Christian Worldview
An examination of the Christian worldview from biblical, theological, and philosophical perspectives. Topics include critical analysis of competing worldviews, communication of the Christian worldview in a pluralistic context, and the relationship between propositions, affections, and actions in developing a consistently biblical approach to viewing and living life.

Impact 360 Institute Affiliated Faculty

[ View Bio ]
Phil Alsup, Ed.D.
Executive Director

Phil Alsup, Ed.D.

Ed. D. Doctor of Leadership and Education, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary M.A. Religious Education and Youth Recreation, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary B.S. English, Middle Tennessee State University Phil comes to Impact 360 Institute after serving as the Senior Director for Student Ministry with the WinShape Foundation. Phil oversees the businesses dedicated to developing biblical worldview and leadership among collegians and students for Impact 360 Institute. He is passionate about leadership training, Biblical teaching, discipleship and theology. Phil served fifteen years in various leadership capacities at LifeWay Christian Resources after working in family ministries at two large Baptist churches in Tennessee. Phil resides in Peachtree City, Georgia, with his wife, Vicki, and their three children.
[ View Bio ]
John Basie, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Programs and Advancement

John Basie, Ph.D.

John D. Basie, Ph.D.
Background and Experience
John is an accomplished leader in the higher education industry, having held faculty and administrative leadership roles in Washington, D.C., Columbia, SC., as well as having served his alma mater, Erskine College (SC), as Provost and Associate Professor of Philosophy & Ethics. As one of the founding team members for the Impact 360 Institute, John has served the Institute in various capacities since its beginning in 2006. He is presently the Director of Impact 360  Masters (impact360.org)—an academically rigorous and innovative graduate leadership program affiliated with Lifeshape Foundation and Chick-fil-A, Inc.
In addition to his experience in higher education, John is a certified executive coach and practitioner of coaching assessments including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, the Strong Interest Inventory®, the Gallup-Clifton Strengthsfinder®, the EQ-i 2.0® (emotional intelligence), and Big 5 Workplace®. His past coaching assignments include executives, owner-operators, and team members at Chick-fil-A, Inc. (Atlanta), Merrill-Lynch, MassMutual, Xerox, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, Mantrain, and the Federal Reserve. One of John’s passions is to coach graduate students and young professionals in a process to identify their strengths and God-given callings early in their career.  He has coached students at institutions across the United States, including Dartmouth College, The College of William and Mary, Baylor University, and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his coaching assignments, John has consulted with Chick-fil-A Owner Operator Regional teams around the country on how to attract, retain, and develop millennial generation leaders in their businesses.
 
Education
Ph.D., Church-State Studies; Baylor University (TX)
M.A., Philosophy of Religion & Ethics; Talbot School of Theology at Biola University (CA)
B.A., Psychology & Christian Education; Erskine College (SC)
University of Chicago, Studies in Developmental Psychology. 
 
 John resides in Pine Mountain, Georgia, with his wife and their three children.
[ View Bio ]
Dr. Greg Brown, D.Min.
Spiritual Advisor

Dr. Greg Brown, D.Min.

B.A. Mercer University M.Div. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary D.Min. Besson Divinity, Samford University
Matt Dee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Leadership & Philosophy
Mitch Jaeger, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Leadership and Spiritual Formation
Chad Rosell
Learning Community Coordinator

North Greenville University Faculty

Web Drake, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts
[ View Bio ]
Gene C. Fant, Jr., Ph.D.
President of North Greenville University

Gene C. Fant, Jr., Ph.D.

Dr. Gene Fant and his wife, Lisa, are the proud parents of twins - Ethan and Emily. He currently serves as President of North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina. Previously, Dr. Fant was provost and chief academic officer of Palm Beach Atlantic University, and former executive vice president and dean of faculty at Union University. Dr. Fant holds a certificate in educational management from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He is a writer who recently published a book entitled “The Liberal Arts: A Student’s Guide,” and occasionally contributes blog posts to the Chronicle of Higher Education and First Things. Dr. Fant is an integral member of the Board of Directors at Impact 360 Institute and says he feels blessed to be a part of what God is doing with the next generation.
[ View Bio ]
Nathan Finn, Ph.D.
Provost and Dean of the University Faculty

Nathan Finn, Ph.D.

Dr. Nathan Finn (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as provost and dean of the university faculty at North Greenville University. His latest book is Historical Theology for the Church (B&H Academic, 2021), edited with Jason G. Duesing. Dr. Finn teaches in the graduate program at Impact 360 Institute
Larry McDonald, Ph.D.
Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate School
Allen McWhite, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Institute for Global Leadership
Jill Rayburn, J.D.
University General Counsel

Impact 360 Residency

Learn More About Impact 360 Residency

Impact 360 Residency equips a small cohort of leaders to live, learn, and grow with us for two years. These leaders launch into their calling with a Master of Arts in Leadership, a deepened biblical worldview, a foundation of servant leadership, and a heart to serve, no matter their specific calling
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