Bethany Global University

bethany global

Degree Programs at Bethany Global University

Bethany Global University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Theology Degree Programs Online.

Bethany Global University offers both associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs as well as certificate programs for undergraduates. The Associate of Arts in Intercultural Ministry is a program that includes one year of theology and religion courses with a second year of missions and ministry classes. Students must do an intercultural practicum that lasts for eight to 12 weeks in the first semester of the second year. Once they complete their missionary work, they can return to the university. The idea is that students will gain practical experience and get training through their work. Courses in the associate’s program include Acts and Work of the Holy Spirit, Personal Finance, Power of the Cross and Community, Character and the Cross.

In the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Education in Missions, students learn how to teach the gospel to others. Students can double major in two of three fields: education in missions, bible and theology and intercultural ministry. The program includes practical training through programs that are available on eight college campuses. They will also do a global internship that lets them travel the world. Across the four years, they spend at the university, students will take Classroom Management, Child Development in Early Childhood Education, Health and Wellness in a Child Care Setting and Religious Systems and Structures.

Also available are BA programs in Transformational Entrepreneurship in Missions and Intercultural Ministry programs. Both programs include a global internship and some practical training. Theology I, Introduction to Missions, Worldviews, and Power of the Cross I and II are some of the courses in both programs. In the entrepreneurship program, students also take courses that teach them how to make sales and get investors for new business as well as the fundamentals of small business loans. The intercultural ministry program includes concentrations in early childhood education, social justice, and business. Students take courses from those disciplines along with their required courses.

The university’s certificate programs take less time to complete and let students graduate in one year or less. One of the certificates is in pre-field preparation and designed for students who will do missionary work and work in the field. They’ll spend one semester on-campus as they take classes with other students and then spend the following semester doing missionary work through the LEAD Venture Program. The university’s certificate program in Bible and missions includes one year of classes. When they complete their certificates, students can transfer to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program.

At the graduate level, BGU offers three degrees entirely online.  They are the MA Intercultural Ministry Studies, the MA Intercultural Ministry Leadership, and the MA Intercultural Ministry Education.  Each online graduate degree at BGU is only $300 per credit hour.

About Bethany Global University

Bethany Global University is a private university in Bloomington, Minnesota. Established in 1945, it opened after five families from the Bethany Chapel came together to create a new college. Classes met in the Bethany House in Bloomington and trained students for doing missionary work. The affiliation that the college had with the Church continues today through the Evangelical Christian Church. A few years after opening, the school moved to an independent campus and became the Bethany College of Missions, which later became Bethany Global University or Bethany GU.

The university is one of less than 10 colleges in the United States to operate as a work college. It expects students to spend at least one semester doing fieldwork and then asks them to incorporate the experiences they had into their classes. Bethany GU students also earn money for their work, which the university will apply to their tuition and fees.

Bethany Global University Accreditation Details

Bethany GU has accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and its Commission on Accreditation. This accreditation allows students to get government financial aid such as a grant. Grants go to students who demonstrate they need assistance on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who use the FAFSA can also get subsidized loans each year that they attend the university. The university gained this accreditation in 2016.

Bethany Global University Application Requirements

The application deadline for incoming students who want to start in the fall is at the end of July each year. Bethany GU must receive both a full application and any other required documents by this date. Students need a high school diploma with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher or a GED with a score of 165 or higher to enroll in the university. Other requirements include:

  • Following the teachings of Jesus
  • Showing a Christian lifestyle in their personal lives
  • Agreeing with the statement of faith created by the university
  • Passing a criminal background check

When applying to the university, students need to use the admissions hub. This is where they will complete the application and the personal history form. This form asks students where they attended church and how they participated in church activities. They will then submit their official transcripts and add the contact information for two references. Bethany GU also allows students to send links to this form to their references and have them fill out the forms. The university typically makes a decision and responds to an application within two weeks of receiving all information. Students can then attend orientation and register for classes.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Bethany GU is a work paid university, which means that students work to cover their tuition costs. The average cost that students would pay if they did not participate in this program is $12,700 a year. Students can choose from four different residence halls. Bethany offers housing for men and women in separate complexes and has housing for married couples with or without kids. There are also meal plans such as one that gives students 21 meals a day and another designed for gluten-free students.

Incoming students receive a Pell grant of more than $5,000 a year if they qualify for the program and submit the FAFSA. They also receive a practical training tuition scholarship from the university and/or a federal work college award from the federal government. Once the university subtracts those funds from the student’s balance, it will add a BGU tuition scholarship that covers their remaining costs. Students may still need to pay out of pocket to cover their room and board fees. At Bethany Global University, counselors can walk prospective students through the process of getting financial aid to see how much they will owe in a degree program.