Academic Requirements

The student is required to fulfil the degree requirements as listed in the current U of N Catalogue at the time of filing the Degree Planning Form. Should the degree requirements be relaxed subsequently, the student may proceed under the new requirements. However, should the degree requirements become more stringent, the student may continue with the requirements at the time of filing the Degree Planning Form.

1. Discipleship Training School Prerequisite

The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is an entry-level prerequisite for all other courses and all degree programmes.

All U of N applicants must first satisfactorily complete a fully qualified DTS, including the field assignment, before being permitted to attend any other course or being accepted into a degree programme. The DTS is the gateway into the seven Colleges/Faculties and various Centres of
the U of N.

The DTS is an intensive Christian training course beginning with a 12-week lecture/teaching phase followed by an 8-to-12-week practical field assignment. The DTS is designed to encourage students in personal character development, to deepen a living relationship with God and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings in God. Further details are found in the Centre for Discipleship Training Schools’ description under Centres and Institutes. Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout the course which prepares the students to reach current and future generations and to answer the call to “Go into all the world and disciple all nations” (Matt 28:19).

2. Cross Cultural Requirement

A Bachelor’s degree student is required to complete a minimum of two U of N schools, i.e. two lecture phases (with their corresponding field assignments/internships if applicable) in a zone other than the one from which the student holds his or her nationality, and in an environment which will provide an approved cross-cultural experience. A Master’s degree student is required to complete a minimum of 12 credits in a zone other than the one from which the student holds his or her nationality, and in an environment which will provide an approved cross-cultural experience. The purpose of the cross-cultural requirement is to give graduates practical experience and understanding of cross-cultural living and ministry.

3. Core Curriculum Requirement

Courses that fulfill the core curriculum are essential in the U of N and must be completed for the Bachelor’s degree and for some Associate’s degrees. For the Master’s candidate, a Biblical Studies course is a prerequisite in addition to an appropriate Bachelor’s degree.

The Core Curriculum requirement gives the student basic skills in Biblical Studies (Bible), Communication Skills (Communication), and Applied Christian Thinking (ACT).

Courses that meet these requirements are:

Bible: CHR 211, 213, 225, 227, 221/322/323
Communication: CMC 211, 221; CHR 371; CHR/CMC 287
ACT: HMT/SCI 211, 213; HMT 215, 217

4. Residency Requirement

A BA/BS candidate must complete a total of at least four, and the MA/MS must complete a total of two courses, in residence at, or directly operated from, one U of N location. The campus of residency is a location where there is frequent College/Faculty interaction among different programmes. This residency requirement provides a secure relational and academic continuity for the student pursuing a degree.

5. Secondary (High) School Graduation or Equivalent

All students applying for a U of N Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree programme must satisfy the general requirements of graduation from a secondary (high) school or equivalent as approved by the International Provost. This guarantees that the student will have the skills necessary to obtain the maximum benefit from the University of the Nations’ courses.

6. Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent

All students applying for a U of N Master’s degree must have satisfactorily earned a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an approved institution.

7. Language Proficiency

A degree candidate must provide proof of the ability to handle university-level course work in the language in which the degree programme is offered.

8. YWAM/U of N Field Assignment/Internship Credits

An approved degree programme must include 12 field assignment/internship credits for the Master’s, 16-36 field assignment/internship credits for the Associate’s and 24-36 field assignment/internship credits for the Bachelor’s degree. A field assignment is designed to enable students to exercise newly learned knowledge and skills in a supervised setting, usually within a team context, and with a concentrated missions or ministry focus. A student’s learning is significantly accelerated and deepened by the integration of “learning” and “doing” in the field assignment. An internship places a student in a working environment with another organization (or sometimes in another part of the same organization) to gain on the job training and experience under the direct individual supervision of an on site person coordinating with a U of N Academic Advisor, Dean or School Leader.

Ideally, at the Master’s level, there would be an opportunity for the student to teach or coach or contribute from his or her own learning experience during the internship.

9. Seminar Credits

Seminar credits should be directly related to the degree programme. These credits must be approved by the Academic Advisor of the College/Faculty.

10. Directed Studies Courses

A Directed Studies course is crafted by an Academic Advisor working with a U of N student in an area where a formal course is not available. There are clear goals and tasks, which may include readings, research, skills acquisition, assigned classes within the U of N or other learning institutions; and defined ways to evaluate the experience which may include tests, papers, reports, and personal observation. For the BA/BS candidate, Directed Studies courses may be taken for a maximum of 24 credits. These credits must be preapproved by the Academic Advisor of the College/Faculty.

11. Pass/Fail Courses

The DTS is a pass/fail course in the U of N. All other U of N courses are given a letter grade. The AA/AS or BA/BS candidate may include the pass/fail credits from the DTS in his or her degree programme. No pass/fail credits are permitted in the Master’s Degree programmes.

12. General Transfer Credits

Maximum allowable transfer credits are: AA/AS – 24; BA/BS - 72; approval of the College/Faculty Advisor and Provost is required.

13. Thesis

A thesis is not an option for an AA/AS degree due to the brevity of the degree programme. A thesis is generally not required for a BA/BS candidate unless the student is transferring more than 12 credits. Not more than 12 credits are granted for a BA/BS thesis.

A thesis is optional for all MA/MS candidates. Maximum six credits are granted for the MA/MS thesis. The number of credits is determined by the number of contact hours that the student is officially registered and working on the thesis at a U of N Campus. It is expected that a student spend a minimum of 24 contact hours writing the thesis for each credit awarded (this does not include research time). During this time the student must be in regular contact with the thesis advisor who evaluates the thesis work.

14. Satisfactory Completion of All Required and Elective Courses

Each College/Faculty has developed several degree programmes. In addition to the general U of N requirements for an AA/AS, BA/BS or MA/MS each degree programme may have several other courses that are required for that specific programme. See the specific College/Faculty sections in this catalogue to understand the additional course requirements of any particular degree or diploma programme. Some programmes may allow for one or more elective courses. These courses should be selected by the student in consultation with an Academic Advisor of the College/Faculty of the programme in which the student is enrolled.

15. Total Credits

A total of 84 credits is necessary for an AA/AS degree which includes the credits received from a DTS and its field assignment. A total of 144 credits is necessary for a BA/BS degree. This also includes the credits received from a DTS with its field assignment. A total of 48 credits is necessary for an MA/MS. These credits reflect study beyond the completion of the DTS with its field assignment. Note: a degree or diploma student may actually accumulate more than the minimum number of credits required because of the student’s particular study objectives and due to extra elective courses taken.