Launched in 2019, the Bachelor of Transformational Development (BTD) is a unique degree at UMHB that combines a variety of courses in Christian theology and missiology with foundational courses in business. The degree prepares students to be servant leaders as they create and sustain mission-based organizations, churches, ministries, non-profits and for-profits, both locally and globally.
“We wanted to create something unique,” said Dr. Timothy Crawford, dean of the College of Christian Studies. “I don’t know of anything exactly like this anywhere else.”
Crawford said Christian Studies partnered with McLane School of Business to design the degree to fill a niche of students who want to do “business as ministry,” which broadly means working in business with a Kingdom-focused vision.
Its name has both spiritual and business innuendos, which can be useful to students planning to work abroad, especially in countries that are reluctant to let in missionaries or those with Christian studies degrees.
“Since transformational development has a big dose of business courses, it is much more welcome,” he added.
