Bakke Graduate University

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Bakke Graduate University

Type	Graduate school
President	Brad Smith
Dean	Martine Audéoud
Location	Dallas , Texas , United States 32°53′39″N 96°45′14″W / 32.8943°N 96.7539°W / 32.8943; -96.7539Coordinates: 32°53′39″N 96°45′14″W / 32.8943°N 96.7539°W / 32.8943; -96.7539
Website	www.bgu.edu

Bakke Graduate University BGU is a United States accredited graduate school that has students, faculty, alumni and courses in over 50 countries focused on urban studies, sustainable business, and Christian theology.

The university is composed of three colleges:

• a college of Christian theology focusing on global Christian movements;
• a college of urban studies studying relief, development and advocacy in cities;
• a college of business, including a global MBA for sustainable business entrepreneurship.

Most students are currently serving as business, government, NGO, church or mission leaders; pastors, consultants, authors, urban ministers, professors or activists. Over 70% of BGU's faculty, students and alumni are located outside of North America with concentrations in Africa, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America but only a few graduates in Australia. Students are not required to relocate from their home cities except for the two weeks when they may join an urban immersion.

History[]

BGU was founded by a global network originally started by Billy Graham in the early 1970s called the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE).^[1] As a result, BGU begin in the early 2000s with an already globally distributed student body and faculty network in over 50 countries. A value statement BGU adapted from LCWE is “The Whole World, the Whole City, the Whole Church, the Whole Gospel and the Whole Person.” ^[2]

The original name proposed for BGU in 2003 by naming consultants was “Paradox University” reflecting the difficulty of having pastors, business leaders, and urban ministers in the same courses with different mindsets and viewpoints.^[3] Instead the school was named “Bakke Graduate University” to reflect the story of a family that was part of the founding group which had four siblings with prominent careers that mirrored the paradox of the school's vision:

Ray Bakke is an urban leader who pioneered innovative community development approaches and was part of the LCWE Urban Associates who held 250 city consultations in large global cities between 1983 and 2003.^{[citation needed]}

is cofounder of AES Corporation, an electricity company that had 40,000 employees in 36 countries; providing electricity to 100 million people especially in developing nations. Dennis’ book Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job was on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2005.

Lowell Bakke was a longtime pastor in Puyallup Washington that emphasized the role of his church to serve in the community and marketplace. Lowell current serves as a member of the BGU faculty.

Marilyn Bakke Pearson is a Bible teacher pioneering women's leadership in Christian mission.

BGU's founders also included leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, Leadership Foundations, World Vision and local Seattle and Tacoma urban leaders.

BGU added its business college in 2006. In 2012 BGU started a significant and difficult transition to more distributed global leadership. BGU's main campus is currently located in Dallas, TX but serves more as a hub to support global activities. BGU's academic dean lives in France and many of BGU's regents, faculty and staff are globally dispersed in locations where the majority of BGU students also reside. Students are not required to relocate from their home countries to earn a BGU degree.

Academic Programs[]

BGU courses are conducted using four methods:

1. City Immersions – 12-15 day city immersions in large global cities often led by BGU graduates who live in those cities. These immersions often include meetings with city mayors and key business leaders as well as opportunities for student to join the work of those who live with the poor and underserved. City immersions are preceded by online preparation and reading and often include groups of students from three or more continents participating.
2. On-line assisted – online courses with weekly video conference sessions, local mentoring, and specific application projects.
3. Local small groups in areas where there are enough students to meet face-to-face.
4. Mentoring from subject-matter experts in the students area of specialized study either on location or through online connections.

BGU offers five degrees:

1. Doctor of Transformational Leadership (DTL)
2. Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
3. Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership (MATL)
4. Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)
5. Doctor of Philosophy in Innovative Urban Leadership (PhD)

Certificate Programs – From 2008 to 2018, BGU trained over 50,000 people in over 50 countries partnering with over 100 organizations to provide non-degree seminars and certificates. Primary topics of this training include leadership development, giftedness and calling, cross-cultural worldviews, human dignity economics, joy at work, and urban development. BGU served the Mustard Seed Foundation by finding and administrating their theology of work grant program.

Accreditation[]

BGU is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). BGU is also authorized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. BGU students in the US can utilize FAFSA to access the Federal Direct Student Loan Program and qualified US military veterans can access education benefits from the Veterans Benefits Administration.

BGU is accredited as a residential university that uses a variety of modes including city immersions and online courses.

University officers[]

President: Dr. Brad Smith formerly served as the President of Leadership Network, helped start The Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary and served on the staff of US Senators Howard Baker and John Tower.

Academic Dean: Dr. Martine Audéoud has served in a variety of mission and higher education leadership roles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and Haiti and currently lives in France.

BGU's globally dispersed Board of Regents serves as an active advisory board to ensure BGU responds to global needs.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website