Review

By: Denise Stone

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MBC Degree Completion
Program Begins

Larry McCullough is coordinating Multnomah's degree completion program, which will begin this October, until the school can hire a permanent director.
--Heather Peacock, photo

Multnomah Bible College's degree completion program starts in October with other groups beginning in November and February.

Designed for adults who desire to earn a bachelor's degree without giving up a full-time job or short-changing family, the program lasts for 23 months.

Applicants must be at least 25 years old or must have three years of professional work experience and must have completed at least 48 credit hours.

"The degree completion program is tailor-made to the needs of the adult learner," Wayne Strickland, academic vice president, said.

Students choose their start date by picking the night of the week that best suits their schedules. Once 12 to 15 students choose a night, a group of learning partners, called a cohort, forms.

The cohort meets once a week for five weeks, focusing on one course at a time.

A cohort stays together for the entire 23 months, studying 16 sequential subjects. This concentrated time together builds a learning community through shared experiences, Dr. Strickland said.

Instead of relying on lecture as the primary teaching method, professors will create lessons that require students to work together to resolve problems.

The classroom arrangement aids in this collaborative style of learning. Instead of sitting in rows facing the professor, students sit in a u-shape, facing one another.

Graduates earn a bachelor of science degree in leadership and ministry or biblical foundations. The degree meets the undergraduate requirement for seminary admittance. Degree holders also enhance their chances for advancement or pay raises in their current professions.

Because of the way the course of study is designed, students are classified as full-time and are eligible for financial aid.

"Sometimes companies or businesses will pay for that kind of a program," Dr. Strickland said. For the student who has limited financial resources, this program makes a Multnomah degree accessible.

As long as the student remains with his initial cohort, tuition costs do not go up.

Students can receive credit for past achievements Ð vocational, on-the-job, military training, or college-level examination programs. Students also can potentially receive credit by submitting a portfolio that describes their work or life experiences. Program administrators will evaluate the portfolio before awarding credit.

Ben Erickson, a heavy-truck parts store manager with four children under 11, has enrolled in the program. He chose it because of Multnomah's reputation.

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