Modular Education

The University of the Nations has developed a modular approach to education. The modular system enhances learning by providing students with intensive and focused time on each topic. Typically, visiting teachers spend a full week or two on their area of expertise, which allows the students to focus upon and absorb one subject at a time. The concentrated study of a single subject during a twelve-week term prepares the student to work effectively in a subsequent field assignment in a missions setting.
Another benefit of the modular system is the mobility it allows the students and school leaders/staff. For example, a communication student may take an introductory communication course and a photography course at one U of N campus, followed by a photography internship on the mission field. Then he or she may choose to take video and graphics courses at U of N locations in other countries. The student will not only acquire academic training, but also will gain the invaluable opportunity to live in the context of various cultures. These experiences impart a broader understanding of the world and how the student’s gifts and knowledge could best be applied to the needs in different nations. The mobility of U of N students also permits friendships among people of different nationalities, creating networks of international exchange.
The modular system allows for a different learning strategy. General principles across a whole subject area can be laid out first. Specific details are then introduced as needed to build a working knowledge and ability in the subject area. Thus the student moves “down” into more and more details as they are needed, but these are always in the context of the objectives and applications. This learning strategy has proven to be highly motivational for students because they relate the basic information to the overall purposes for attending the course.
Although the U of N modular system is distinctive, it can be easily correlated with other university systems. One modular course or term at the U of N is equivalent to about four university courses in one subject area. Each full week of work in a course at the U of N can earn one credit upon satisfactory completion. A full 12-week term or course module equates to 12 credits. A full 12-credit U of N modular course is equivalent to twelve “semester-equivalent” or sixteen “quarter-equivalent” credits in the US university system. Specified combinations of modules can lead to various degrees at the Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s level.
We believe that modular education is ideally suited to implement the founding principles of the U of N.
The modules are designed to be:

• God-centered: placing each subject in the context of, “In the beginning, God...”;
• Filled with the excitement of learning who God is, what He has done, and what He can do through us;
• Planned to integrate scriptural truths with academic subjects;
• Designed to cultivate natural potential, abilities, and spiritual attitudes that help the student respond to God’s call on his or her life;
• Open-ended, so that the creative dynamic of the Living God can be continually incorporated into the academic programmes; and
• International in scope, viewpoint and applications.