M.A. in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership

Curriculum

This is an example. Please note that the most current and official curriculum information is found in our Course Catalog.

Master of Arts in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership

The M.A. in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership is designed to deepen your personal walk with Christ, sharpen your critical thinking and leadership, and equip you with Christian formation programming skills to work with youth and emerging adults in a variety of ministry contexts. 

Students are expected to work at HoneyRock or at their current organizations so they continuously integrate academic work with ministry practice. To enable this, courses are offered in a hybrid format involving online instruction and collaboration, and 1-2 week intensive residential sessions at HoneyRock or other partner sites.

* Click here to learn more about the M.A. in Leadership, Outdoor Ministry Track, for mid-career professionals already with leadership experience in outdoor ministry or elsewhere

All students must complete 36 hours of credit as outlined below:

30 required core credit hours

  • MML 503 Cultural Engagement (2)
  • MML 512 Leadership and Spiritual Formation (4)
  • OAL 518 Research Methods for Ministry (2)
  • OAL 534 Care and Counsel in Ministry (2)
  • OAL 549 Program Philosophy and Planning (4)
  • OAL 595 Foundations of Experiential Education (2)
  • OAL 662 Theology and Practice of Outdoor Ministry (4)
  • OAL 663 Organizational Leadership and Staff Development (4)
  • BITH 565/566/576 Biblical or Theological Studies course (4)
  • OAL 682 Integrative Seminar (2)

Students also complete 6 credit hours of approved elective courses.

The elective options allow students to specialize in an area related to their context and calling in formational ministry. Students choose from OAL electives listed in the course progression chart or from available and accessible courses in the Wheaton College Graduate School with approval by the OAL Program Director. 

OAL Electives available include

  • OAL 516 Camp Ministry in Global Contexts (2)
  • OAL 555 Women in Outdoor Ministry
  • OAL 556 Gap Year Programming (2)
  • OAL 566 Temporary Communities and the Church (2)
  • OAL 664 Wilderness Programming and Leadership (4)
  • OAL 665 Wilderness Program Management (4)
  • OAL 692 Creative Project (2)
  • OAL 694 Wilderness Programing Management/Leadership (2)
  • OAL 695 Independent Studies (2-4)
  • OAL 698 Thesis/Applied Thesis (2)

 

graduate student at whiteboard

BA & MA in 5 Years!

Earn an accelerated Masters at Wheaton! Check out the progression in the linked PDF.

View the Accelerated Masters PDF