Bakke Graduate University
 | |
| Type | Graduate school |
|---|---|
| Established | 1990 |
| President | Brad Smith |
| Location |
Dallas, Texas, United States 32°53′39″N 96°45′14″W / 32.8943°N 96.7539°WCoordinates: 32°53′39″N 96°45′14″W / 32.8943°N 96.7539°W |
| Website |
www |
Bakke Graduate University (BGU) is a US accredited graduate school for leaders who are seeking to aid the social transformation of urban areas. BGU includes
- a school of Christian theology for church leaders;
- a school of urban studies for non-profit NGO and NPO leaders,
- a school of business for leaders wanting to focus on the three primary customer groups of BGU, plus communicate with government leaders in China and Vietnam.
Almost half of BGU’s faculty, students, and course related city immersion tours are outside of North America. The school is named for Ray and Dennis Bakke who in the late 20th century pioneered movements to give decision-making power to people in disadvantaged neighborhoods and front-line employees. As a result, BGU has been able to expand into regions in places such as Asia and Africa by developing platforms for local leaders to have the primary voice in how students in their region are trained.
History
Bakke Graduate University is named for two brothers:
Ray Bakke is an urban leader who pioneered a community development approach in Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s that gave decision-making authority to residents of disadvantaged communities rather than government or outside agencies. Ray was appointed in the early 1980s to lead an effort initiated by Rev. Billy Graham that involved holding 250 city consultations over 25 years in the world’s largest cities. Ray is the Chancellor and Chairman of the Regents of BGU.
Dennis Bakke is cofounder of AES Corporation, an electricity company that in the late 1990s was the world largest independent owner of electricity (after Russia and France). AES pioneered massive carbon-offset programs in the mid-1990s; practiced radical decentralization of decision-making among 40,000 employees in 36 countries; and provided electricity to 100 million people, including developing nations. Dennis’ book "Joy at Work" was number 8 on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2005. Dennis serves on the Board of Directors of BGU.
BGU’s offices were located in Seattle, Washington, but have subsequently moved to Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1990 as Northwest Graduate School of the Ministry (NWGS), the school underwent a transformation in 2001 from a regional school to a global school under new leadership and a new board of directors. The school was renamed in 2005.
The BGU theology school is centered on Biblical studies, in the context of historical veins with application to ministry to the urban poor. The school is interdenominational with students and faculty from Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, as well as other veins of Christianity. BGU’s business school is rooted in Christian principles and history.
University officers
President: Brad Smith served as the President of Leadership Network, a peer-learning organization for North American non-profit leaders founded by Bob Buford under the guidance of management writer, Peter Drucker.
Academic Dean: Gwen Dewey
Aspects of BGU
- Courses are held in cities on five continents. Courses include city immersion events with peer group and individual reflection.
- Master’s and doctorate-level courses are offered, and each of these is offered in a non-residential format, allowing students to continue to live and work in their cities of influence while taking off one to two weeks two to three times a year for classes.
- 42% of BGU students do not live in North America and include relief, development, government, religious and business leaders involved in social transformation throughout the world.
- Faculty include practitioners in non-governmental organizations (NGOs); churches, governments and business as well as educational leaders from five continents.
Degrees
BGU offers six degrees: School of Theology – for Christian leaders: Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is a 40-hour (3-year) course of study that hones practical leadership expertise.
Doctor of Transformational Leadership (DTL) - a 40-hour (3-year) is designed for leaders in organizations that are focused on urban relief, development or advocacy, or cultural influence, from a Christian perspective. The organizations can be non-profit, for-profit or government entities. The degree emerged from two needs faced by BGU students and potential students. First, with the addition of two BGU business master's degrees, BGU has found leaders who would like to continue their studies in business and organizational leadership but they are not in a local church setting, and a DMin is not right for them. Second, many BGU students work in countries where the word “ministry” is either a confusing or a negative term.
Master of Arts in Global Urban Leadership (MAGUL) - a 36-hour (2-year) course of study that introduces students to a theological foundation and practical skills for ministry leadership. The program includes a Theological Core, a Perspectives Core, and an Urban Studies Concentration with courses that not only allows students to study the Scriptures through a global urban lens, but also provides a practicum to study the nature and mission of the Church in an international context.
School of Business
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – a 36-hour (18-month) degree program for business leaders. The program equips students with business and entrepreneurial proficiency. The MBA program is offered domestically and internationally, and includes concentration options in international business (“The Ambassador Program”), non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous Tribes. Prerequisite courses and tests (including the GMAT, and when appropriate, the TOEFL) are required.
Master of Social and Civic Entrepreneurship (MASCE) – a 36-hour (2-year) course of study for leaders in for-profit (business), non-profit (NGOs, NPOs and churches) and government. The program includes a Theological and Contextual Core related to the practice of civic and social entrepreneurship, a Entrepreneurial/ Business Core to give practical tools for organizational management and development, and an Immersion/Application Core to engage in an entrepreneurial project of the student’s choosing.
Accreditation
BGU is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). BGU is also authorized by the Higher Education Coordinating Board of Washington State.
Enrollment
- Over 42% non-US
- DMin: 271
- MTS: 97
Partnerships
- American Baptist Seminary of the West (Berkeley) provides part of the DMin program for ABSW MDiv graduates.
- Denver Seminary provides the urban track for Denver’s DMin students.
- Theology of Work Seminary Partnership Grant Program provides administration for grants to seminaries teaching theology of work programs.
- Payne Theological Seminary provides part of the DMin program for PTS MDiv graduates.
- Asian Theological Seminary (ATS).
- Center for Transforming Mission (CTS).
- Leadership Foundations of America (LFA).
External links
Footnotes
- ^ LCWE – Lausanne Urban Associates
- ^ http://www.dennisbakke.com.
- ^ DMin focuses on leadership expertise while a PhD focuses on research expertise.
- ^ BGU DMin dissertations must include Turabian styled opening sections, literature reviews and research appendices, but the main sections can be in general published style and format.
- ^ The standard degree for traditional church ministry is the MDiv which usually includes more language courses and pastoral skill courses.