This programme augments the already-available education opportunities in management topics with Bible-based leadership principles. It is in line with the ministry purpose of SAIACS and will help to take the “Church to the Marketplace.”

Entry Requirements

• An applicant must possess a university degree or equivalent with at least a second class (50 percent) or equivalent CGPA.
• Applicants with experience will be given preference.
• Applicants having recognized MBA degrees will be given credit exemptions on relevant modules in management topics.
• Applicants with MA or higher qualifications in theology approved by ATA or Serampore or other accrediting agencies, recognized by SAIACS, will be given credit exemptions on relevant modules in theology topics.
• Applicants with lower qualification, having an experience of more than five years and a proven proficiency in English can also be admitted on a case-by-case basis.

Entry of candidates without graduate degree will be limited to 10 percent of the total intake in any given academic year.

Accreditation

MA (L) is an ATA-accredited programme.

The minimum time required for completion will be two academic years (22 months). The applicants, however, will have the option of completing the entire course within a maximum timeframe of six years.

Modular cum Trimester System

The program will be offered in cohort-based online modules. Each module will run for three months’ period (trimester). The modules will be structured into six units with each unit running for two weeks. At any point in time, there will be a minimum of three modules on offer. There will be more than three modules on offer in the core and elective categories. The module workload amounts to about seven and a half hours per week. A student will have the option of choosing up to a maximum of three modules during any three-month period. This is to provide flexibility to the candidates who are working and/or in ministry. The program duration is designed in such a way that when a student is able to complete three modules in every trimester, he/she will be able to complete the course requirements in a two-year timeframe. However, if the student completes the bare minimum of one module in each trimester, he/she will be able to complete the course requirements in six years’ timeframe.

Two-Year Version

Year	May	June to August	September to November	December	January to March	April to May
Year 1	Orientation and Research & Writing Skills (four weeks)	Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 CBL I	Module 4 Module 5 Module 6 CBL I	Break	Module 7 Module 8 Module 9 CBL I submission	Project Proposal & Project Work
Year 2		Module 10 Module 11 Module 12 CBL II	Module 13 Module 14 Module 15 CBL II	Project Report Submission	Module 16 Module 17 Module 18 CBL II submission	Graduates along with residential students in March

 

Six-Year Version

Year	May	June to August	September to November	December	January to March	April to May
Year 1	Orientation and Research & Writing Skills (four weeks)	Module 1	Module 2	Break	Module 3 CBL I Initiation	BREAK
Year 2		Module 4	Module 5	Break	Module 6	BREAK
Year 3		Module 7	Module 8	Break	Module 9 CBL I submission	Project Proposal & Project Work
Year 4		Module 10	Module 11	Break	Module 12 CBL II Initiation	Project Work

Course Curriculum

• Pre-MA Two-Credit Course (four weeks)
  • • Online Orientation and Research & Writing Skills
• Theology Core (20 credits)
  • • Intro to OT
    • Intro to NT
    • Theology of Vocation and Marketplace Ministry
    • Systematic Theology
    • Introduction to Christian Apologetics

CBL/Mentored Ministry in Church/Workplace (runs in parallel with other online modules for a period of nine months); the student is required to submit a 3,000-word reflection paper at the end of CBL: 3 credits

• Leadership Core (20 credits)
  • • Leadership Theories and Concepts
    • Ethical Leadership
    • Servant Leadership
    • Strategic Leadership
    • REAL Leadership (Relationships, Equipping, Attitude, Lifelong)

CBL/Mentored Ministry in Leadership (runs in parallel with other online modules for nine months); the student is required to submit a 3,000-word reflection paper at the end of CBL: 3 credits

• Management Core (16 credits)
  • • Financial Management
    • Human Capital Management
    • Organisation Design
    • Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

• Electives (16 credits, any four. All electives will not be on offer at all times. An elective will be offered only if there is a minimum specified cohort size available for that elective.)
  • • Biblical Interpretation 

    • Introduction to Hinduism 

    • Counselling Skills for Leaders 

    • Leading Teams and Organisations 

    • Theology and Practice of Resource Mobilization 

    • Management of Non-Profit Organisations (Legal environment, Project Management, Unique issues) 

    • Time management, Prioritization and Delegation
    • Personalities, Diversity and Conflict Management 

    • Digital Leadership 


• Project work (8 credits): Will be done at the workplace or on campus at SAIACS, based on the preference of the student. In case the student chooses an on-campus project, residence status inside the campus is not guaranteed and will depend on availability. If residence is not available, then the student will need to make arrangements for accommodation during the on-campus project work. Workplace projects are preferred. The project work should mandatorily include:
  • • Identification of a workplace or organisational issue or area of improvement
    • Analysis of the issue or opportunity, based on biblical principles
    • Solutions proposed based on biblical principles, with intended impacts and results

It will be great if the solution can be applied in the organisation and the results of applications can be reported (not mandatory).

The project work will be supervised by one faculty from SAIACS and a workplace supervisor, or a local supervisor co-located with the student. In case the student chooses an on-campus project, SAIACS faculty supervision is sufficient.

The student should submit an 8,000-word project report at the end of the project.

 

Program Requirements

Learning Mode	Hours Per Fortnight (Each module is 6 units, each unit spreads over 2 weeks, totalling 12 weeks)	Total Hours Per Module (6 units, 12 weeks, total 4 credits)
Video Lessons	20 minutes	2
Reading Material (400 pages total, 70 pages per unit)	4.5 hours	27
Online Discussion Forum (300 [150+75+75]) -word postings per unit of two weeks)	2 hours	12
Assignment (6,000 words total; can be split into 4,000 words of 5×800 words of unit-wise assignments plus 2,000 words final assignment, or any other combination adding up to 6,000 words)	8 hours	49
Work-Embedded Activity (The work-embedded hours will be replaced by additional reading and/or assignment work for Theology Core Topics)	2.6 hours (10 hrs gross)	15
Total	17.5 Hours	105 Hours
Total for the course of 18 modules/ 72 credits		1,890 Hours
For the Pre-MA Orientation and Research & Writing Skills Module		55
Hours for 2 CBL activities @ 110 hours (three credits) per CBL		220 Hours
Hours for project work, 8 credits; field work, 200 hrs (800 hrs gross); 45 hrs reading; 60 hrs writing (8,000 words)		300 hours
Grand Total for Master’s Degree (86 credits)		2,465 Hours

Considering that the target audience of this program is working professionals or people in active ministry, we will offer postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate certificates for students who complete specific modules. These PG diplomas and certificates will be offered in two areas: leadership and management. The PG diplomas and certificates will be awarded by SAIACS.

PG Diploma Offered Within the MA in Leadership

Students may apply for and be awarded PG Diplomas on completion of 36 credits in the following areas (three mandatory modules and six electives). These PG Diplomas are surrendered upon completion of the whole MA program.

PG Diploma in Leadership (nine modules)

Mandatory modules (any three modules from the Leadership Core Modules)
1	Leadership Theories and Concept
2	Servant Leadership
3	Strategic Leadership
4	Ethical Leadership
5	REAL leadership (Relationships, Equipping, Attitude, Lifelong)
Plus any four modules from any core or elective modules

 

PG Diploma in Management (nine modules)

Mandatory modules (any three modules from the Leadership Core Modules)
1	Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
2	Financial Management
3	Human Capital Management
4	Organization Design
Plus any five modules from any core or elective modules

 

PG Certificates Offered Within the MA in Leadership

Students may apply for and be awarded PG certificates on completion of 12 credits in the following areas (any three modules). These PG Certificates are surrendered upon completion of the whole MA program, or on application for the PG Diploma.

PG Certificate in Leadership (any three modules)

If a student completes at least one module from the Leadership Core Modules, plus any other two modules, the student may opt to apply for a PG Certificate in Leadership. Modules once availed for a particular certificate cannot be claimed again for another certificate.

Mandatory modules (any one module from the Leadership Core Modules)
1	Leadership Theories and Concept
2	Servant Leadership
3	Strategic Leadership
4	Ethical Leadership
5	REAL leadership (Relationships, Equipping, Attitude, Lifelong)
Plus any two modules from any core or elective modules

 

PG Certificate in Management (any three modules)

If a student completes at least one module from the Management Core Modules, plus any other two modules, the student may opt to apply for a PG certificate in Management. Modules once availed for a particular certificate cannot be claimed again for another certificate.

Mandatory modules (any one module from the Leadership Core Modules)
1	Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
2	Financial Management
3	Human Capital Management
4	Organization Design
Plus any two modules from any core or elective modules