Study Community Transformation & Social Engagement at LBC
Don’t Just Wait for Change to Happen – Be a Part of It
This program is designed to empower Christians to stand up and actively fight for positive change in their communities through grassroots efforts, community outreach and influencing real policy change for maximum impact.
Today, we face ethnic, cultural, judicial and socio-economic disparity in every part of the world. In other words, we’re living in a world broken by sin. But that doesn’t mean we can’t fight for change. Our bachelor’s degree in community transformation and social engagement is intended to address these conditions by developing biblically astute and missional focused ambassadors for Christ embedded in our communities across the globe. Graduates of this program will be equipped to analyze their communities, organize and empower residents through public meetings and forums, develop leaders, act as community liaisons, influence state and federal policy and leverage public and private resources to produce God’s kingdom locally and globally in neighborhoods experiencing injustice.
- Fast & Flexible Schedule: The fast-paced schedule allows you to concentrate on one 6 week course at a time.
- Life Experience Credit: Earn college credits from our evaluation of your life experiences.
- Accredited: Earn your degree from an accredited Bible college in PA.
- Experienced Faculty: Our program is taught by professors who have a passion to teach from their years of hands-on experience in the field.
CURRICULUM PLAN
Community Transformation & Social Engagement (120 Credits)
Community Transformation
& Social Engagement Major:30 Credits
& Social Engagement Major:30 Credits
Biblical Studies Major:30 Credits
General Education:36 Credits
Electives:24 Credits
View the CATALOG for the complete curriculum plan, course descriptions, and further detail about this program.
Sample Course Outline
CTSE 101 Intro to CTSE
Each student will learn principles to (a) understand the diversity of urban settings (b) target the needs of various people groups within an urban area, and (c) develop strategies to for effective urban ministry within that culture. This course will combine classroom learning and hands-on training in a cross-cultural urban setting.
CTSE 200 Research Techniques for Community Transformation
In this course students will be introduced to analytical methods and techniques used in the field to understand communities. The course will teach students how to obtain data and which analytical tools are most appropriate. How to use various computer applications will also be introduced in this course, ultimately preparing the student to take further courses in the major in which they will apply the techniques learned.
CTSE 300 Social Community Analysis
In this course, students will learn the skills needed in order to properly analyze communities. Students will learn how to perform demographic research using surveys, statistics, and Geographic Information Systems. Through the analysis of the community, students will be able to define community boundaries and understand how people function within those boundaries. During this class students will identify their capstone project.
CTSE 301 Public Policy
Students preparing to be servant ministry leaders with a God-centered heart will be introduced to the role an engaged citizenry (i.e. public policymaker, policy analyst, administrator, and advocate) plays in a democracy and identify and explain trends in civic engagement in the United States. Additionally, the course material will outline concepts and strategies that enhance students’ abilities to address public problems through individual or collective action.
CTSE 400 Public Policy Internship
The internship may be in a federal, state or local agency in the executive or legislative branches of government or in a private or non-profit firm that works closely with such an agency to fulfill the agency’s mission. The student will demonstrate understanding through application the public policy theories learned while engaged in field experience with a public or nonprofit organization.
CTSE 401 Fund Development
Students will learn to develop comprehensive fund development strategies, action plans, and master documents in order to secure grant funds and individual contributions for various community initiatives.
CTSE 402 Capstone Practicum Project
The student will apply the knowledge gained through the previous courses taken in the CTSE program by engaging in a community project in which they will execute the skills and knowledge gained thus far in order to bring about transformation in the community. The student will have 120 hours of field experience in which they will execute their capstone project. This experience coupled with the 30 hours of experience gained through the Public Policy Internship course, will give the CTSE student a total of 150 hours of field experience.
A Closer Look: My Accelerated Experience
Featured Alumnus: Carroll Briggs (’17)
Hear from Carroll Briggs about his experience earning his degree online through LBC’s accelerated undergraduate degrees program.
Jobs and Careers in Community Transformation & Social Engagement
- Community Organizer
- Emergency Responders
- Community Relationship Officers
- Conflict Resolution Specialists
- CDC Executive Directors
- Community Outreach Specialist
- Research Analyst
- Public Relations Associate
How Does the Adult Education Course Schedule Work?
The adult program consists of THREE terms:
- Fall: July–December
- Spring: January–June
- Summer: June-August
The fall and spring terms are comprised of 3 course sessions and the summer is comprised of 2 course sessions. A course session runs for SIX weeks or classes and runs back-to-back across all the weeks of the year. Exact dates for each term are available through the Adult Education Office
- In class
Students taking on-site classes come once a week for five weeks per course. Our courses typically meet on Tuesday* nights from 6 to 10 PM. During the sixth week of the course, the class does not meet so that students can complete their course work.
(*Philadelphia classes meets Monday through Thursday.)
Meet the Recruiters
Determining What Courses To Take
Each student’s path to completion is unique, depending upon the courses you are transferring into the program. The curriculum plan above gives a broad picture of the required credits. If your transfer credits come from mostly one of those areas, you will need to take credits in the other areas. The remaining courses you need for graduation can best be determined after reviewing your transcripts. With flexible electives, Bible and Theology requirements, and General Education requirements, most students are able to transfer to LBC the maximum number of credits.
Credits for Prior Learning. Students can earn up to 30 life experience credits, through the Credits for Prior Learning evaluation process, which will often reduce the time to complete a degree. The life experience credit evaluation process is done after a student begins a program.
When Can I Start?
As soon as you are ready. LBC has 8 entry points per year meaning you are only ever a few weeks away till the next course starts.
Looking for Ways to Finance Your Degree?
Our LBC Financial Aid Office can help you navigate through the process. Learn more