The Director of Christian Education Program prepares men and women to serve in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, primarily in congregational settings. Initiated in the early 1960s, Concordia University Chicago has a long history of providing parish educators who work with children, youth and adults.
In the undergraduate Director of Christian Education Program, the student has two possible options. One option is the dual major program, which results in both Director of Christian Education and Lutheran Teacher Certifications, and Illinois state teacher licensure. The second option is a Director of Christian Education certification-only program without state licensure as a teacher.
Students desiring entry into a public ministry in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod must have earned a minimum GPA of 2.75 for all prescribed Theology requirements. Students desiring Director of Christian Education certification from Concordia-Chicago also must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in their Director of Christian Education core courses. All theology and Director of Christian Education courses used in the GPA calculation must have a grade of C or better and cannot be taken under the P/D/F grade option. Director of Christian Education students must maintain an overall minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75.
Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) are general education courses Concordia-Chicago agrees to accept in lieu of comparable, lower-division general education requirements. For more information regarding IAI transfer credit, please see the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s iTransfer website at www.itransfer.org.
General Undergraduate Admission Requirements
All applicants must meet the general admission requirements for Concordia University Chicago undergraduate programs as published in the Concordia University Chicago academic catalog.
New students are accepted into undergraduate degree-seeking programs for online (ADP) and on-campus (Traditional) study in the fall and spring semesters. If you have any questions please work with your admissions advisors.
Program Specific Admission Requirements
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree at a Synodical university or college.
- Achievement of a cumulative grade-point average of 2.50 or higher.
Contact the College of Education for materials required for admission. Upon successful admission to the program, the student will be given a detailed course of study. This course of study shall be approved by the advisor and the Dean of Education. A copy will be filed in the College of Education office and the Office of the Registrar. Following this approval, no change can be made in the program without approval from both the advisor and the Dean. While the course of study is rigorously adhered to, the means by which a student fulfills the requirements is flexible. Up to one-fourth of the course requirements, excluding internship, may be submitted for a transfer of credit into the program and/or may be completed by some combination of credit for prior learning and correspondence courses.
Option I: Director of Christian Education Certification only. No second major is required. (122-124 hours)
This program prepares the student for Director of Christian Education certification by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirement | ||
| COL-1995 | Vocation and College Success (Transfer students are exempt from this course) | 1 |
| Communication Requirements | ||
| ENG-1100 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENG-2000 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
| The above courses must pass with a C or higher per IAI requirements. | ||
| COM-1100 | Speech Communication | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities 9 hours total from list below | ||
| HIS-1200 | History of the American People to 1877 | 3 |
| or HIS-1250 | History of the American People since 1877 | |
| Fine Arts Select one | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Visual Arts | ||
| Two-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Three-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance | ||
| Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary | ||
| Non-Western Art | ||
| Drawing Studio | ||
| Introduction to Film Studies | ||
| World Perspectives Through Documentary | ||
| Critical Media Literacy: Navigating Messages in a Digital Society | ||
| Exploration of Music | ||
| Survey of Western Music | ||
| Music of World Cultures | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
| Select one additional Humanities or Fine Arts from the list below | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Visual Arts | ||
| Two-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Three-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Non-Western Art | ||
| Drawing Studio | ||
| Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance | ||
| Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary | ||
| American Sign Language I | ||
| American Sign Language II | ||
| Introduction to Film Studies | ||
| Non-Western Literature | ||
| World Perspectives Through Documentary | ||
| U.S. Latina/o Literature(s) | ||
| Greek & Roman Mythology | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Classical World Literature | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
| German for Reading I | ||
| German for Reading II | ||
| Greek I | ||
| Greek II | ||
| Hebrew I | ||
| Hebrew II | ||
| Survey of Early Modern Europe, 1350-1815 | ||
| Survey of Modern Europe Since 1815 | ||
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
| History of the American People since 1877 | ||
| Survey of World History to 1500 | ||
| Survey of the World Since 1500 | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Hispanic and Latino American History | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations | ||
| A History of Illinois | ||
| Arts and Ideas | ||
| Intro to American Cultural Studies | ||
| Latin I | ||
| Latin II | ||
| Exploration of Music | ||
| Survey of Western Music | ||
| Music of World Cultures | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| Primer in Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Introduction to Logic | ||
| Elementary Spanish I | ||
| Elementary Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Social Behavior Sciences (9 hours) | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| ATH-2020 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ECO-2101 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EDUC-2020 | Human and Cognitive Development | 3 |
| Select one additional course from the following list | 3 | |
| Geography of North America | ||
| World Geography: Culture Patterns | ||
| The Developing World | ||
| Introduction to Global Cultural Studies | ||
| Engaging Diversity: U.S. Perspectives | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| General Psychology | ||
| The Mind and the Brain | ||
| Developmental Psychology: Life Span | ||
| Child and Adolescent Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Racism in the U.S. | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Life Science Requirements (7-8 Hours) One class taken must include a lab, classes with an * include a lab Code Title Hours | 7-8 | |
| Select one Physical Science course from the list below | ||
| Consumer Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Chemistry in the World Today | ||
| Health Science Applications in Chemistry | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Elements of Earth Science (With Lab) | ||
| Energy and Our Environment (With Lab) | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability (With Lab) | ||
| Physics of Things We Use (With Lab) | ||
| Select one Life Science course from the list below | ||
| Biology in the World Today (With Lab) | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| General Biology I (With Lab) | ||
| General Biology II (With Lab) | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology I (With Lab) | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology II (With Lab) | ||
| Fundamentals of Microbiology (With Lab) | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (3 hours) | ||
| MAT-1550 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Director of Christian Education Major Coursework (58 hours) | ||
| COM-4230 | Organizational and Team Communication | 3 |
| DCE-2990 | Intro to DCE Ministry | 3 |
| DCE-4200 | Commissioned Ministry: DCE Ministry | 1 |
| DCE-4320 | Administration of Parish Education | 3 |
| DCE-4330 | Youth Ministry Theory/Practice | 3 |
| DCE-4340 | Church Leadership and Ministry Ethics | 3 |
| DCE-4350 | Parish Teaching I | 3 |
| DCE-4351 | Parish Teaching II | 3 |
| DCE-4450 | Family and Children’s Ministry | 3 |
| DCE-4942 | DCE Senior Seminar | 3 |
| PSY-4201 | Interpersonal Skills for the Helping Professions | 3 |
| PSY-4210 | Group Dynamics and Leadership Skills | 3 |
| 2 semesters of DCE-4990 for a total of 24 hours must be completed | 24 | |
| Internship DCE | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Education Support Courses (9 hours) | ||
| DCE-2300 | Parish Education Perspectives | 3 |
| EDUC-2020 | Human and Cognitive Development | 3 |
| ATH-2020 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Theology Minor (18 hours) | ||
| DCE, LTE or PSEM follow minor below | ||
| DPM substitute THY-3320 with THY-4550 | ||
| THY-2010 | Introduction to the Old Testament (B) 2 | 3 |
| THY-2500 | Martin Luther's Small and Large Catechisms (S) 1 | 3 |
| THY-3105 | Introduction to the New Testament (B) | 3 |
| THY-3320 | Survey of Church History (H) 3 | 3 |
| Select 2 additional courses from the list below(6 hours) | 6 | |
| The Augsburg Confession and its Apology (S) | ||
| The Ancient Creeds, the Smalcald Articles, and the Treaties (S) | ||
| The Formula of Concord (S) | ||
- 1
Fulfills Gen Ed Theology Doctrine Requirement
- 2
Fulfills Gen Ed Theology Bible requirement
- 3
Director of Parish Music substitute THY-4550 (CS)(S)(H)
Option II: Director of Christian Education and Lutheran Teacher Certification with Illinois Professional Educator Licensure, students must declare a second COE major along with the Director of Christian Education major. (168 + Hours)
This program prepares the student for DCE and Lutheran Teacher certifications by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and for Illinois Professional Educator Licensure. This dual program combining Director of Christian Education and middle grades and/or secondary education programs could be designed in collaboration with Director of Christian Education and Lutheran Theology Education faculty advisors and approved by the Dean. Under Option 1 involving teacher licensure, the requirements for admission are the following:
- Be enrolled in both the Director of Christian Education program and elementary education licensure.
- Complete the general requirements for admission to the College of Education.
- Submit the application form to the College of Education for admission to the College and Teacher Candidacy.
- Submit an application for admission to the Director of Christian Education program.
- Complete the interview process as designed by the Director of Christian Education Program Director.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirement ( Freshman only, transfer students are exempt) | ||
| COL-1995 | 1 | |
General Education Requirements 37-38
Communication (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENG-1100 | English Composition | 3 |
| ENG-2000 | Writing About Literature | 3 |
| The above courses must pass with a C or higher per IAI requirements. | ||
| COM-1100 | Speech Communication | 3 |
Humanities (9 Hours total from course lists below)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities | 3 | |
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
or HIS-1250 | History of the American People since 1877 | |
| Fine Arts select one course | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Visual Arts | ||
| Two-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Three-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance | ||
| Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary | ||
| Non-Western Art | ||
| Drawing Studio | ||
| Introduction to Film Studies | ||
| World Perspectives Through Documentary | ||
| Critical Media Literacy: Navigating Messages in a Digital Society | ||
| Exploration of Music | ||
| Survey of Western Music | ||
| Music of World Cultures | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
| Select one course from Humanities or Fine Arts from list below | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Visual Arts | ||
| Two-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Three-Dimensional Basic Studio | ||
| Western Art: Pre-History through Renaissance | ||
| Western Art: Post Renaissance through Contemporary | ||
| Non-Western Art | ||
| American Sign Language I | ||
| American Sign Language II | ||
| Introduction to Film Studies | ||
| World Perspectives Through Documentary | ||
| Non-Western Literature | ||
| U.S. Latina/o Literature(s) | ||
| Greek & Roman Mythology | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Classical World Literature | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
| German for Reading I | ||
| German for Reading II | ||
| Greek I | ||
| Greek II | ||
| Hebrew I | ||
| Hebrew II | ||
| Survey of Early Modern Europe, 1350-1815 | ||
| Survey of Modern Europe Since 1815 | ||
| History of the American People to 1877 | ||
| History of the American People since 1877 | ||
| Survey of World History to 1500 | ||
| Survey of the World Since 1500 | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Hispanic and Latino American History | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations | ||
| A History of Illinois | ||
| Arts and Ideas | ||
| Intro to American Cultural Studies | ||
| Latin I | ||
| Latin II | ||
| Exploration of Music | ||
| Survey of Western Music | ||
| Music of World Cultures | ||
| History of Jazz | ||
| Primer in Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Introduction to Logic | ||
| Elementary Spanish I | ||
| Elementary Spanish II | ||
| Intermediate Spanish I | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Introduction to Theater | ||
Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 6 | |
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Human and Cognitive Development | ||
| Select one course from the following | 3 | |
| Geography of North America | ||
| World Geography: Culture Patterns | ||
| The Developing World | ||
| Introduction to Global Cultural Studies | ||
| Engaging Diversity: U.S. Perspectives | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | ||
| General Psychology | ||
| The Mind and the Brain | ||
| Developmental Psychology: Life Span | ||
| Child and Adolescent Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Racism in the U.S. | ||
| Social Inequality: Class, Status and Power | ||
Physical and Life Science Requirements (7-8 Hours)
At least one of the transfer courses in science must include a lab. All coursework must be in three of the following areas; biology, chemistry, physics, earth science.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Science Requirements Select one | 3-4 | |
| Consumer Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Chemistry in the World Today | ||
| Health Science Applications in Chemistry | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Elements of Earth Science (With Lab) | ||
| Energy and Our Environment (With Lab) | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability (With Lab) | ||
| Physics of Things We Use (With Lab) | ||
| Elementary Physics I (With Lab) | ||
| Elementary Physics II (With Lab) | ||
| Select a Life Science Course | 3 | |
| Biology in the World Today (With Lab) | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology I (With Lab) | ||
| General Biology II (With Lab) | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology I (With Lab) | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology II (With Lab) | ||
| Fundamentals of Microbiology (With Lab) | ||
Mathematics (3 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAT-1550 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
Theology – Lutheran Teacher Education (21 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Methods Course | ||
| EDUC-4900 | Lutheran Teacher: Vocation and Methods | 3 |
| Theology (2.75 GPA Required) | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| THY-2010 | Introduction to the Old Testament (B) 3 | 3 |
| THY-2500 | Martin Luther's Small and Large Catechisms (S) 2 | 3 |
| THY-3105 | Introduction to the New Testament (B) | 3 |
| THY-3320 | Survey of Church History (H) 4 | 3 |
| Select two courses from the list below | 6 | |
| The Augsburg Confession and its Apology (S) | ||
| The Ancient Creeds, the Smalcald Articles, and the Treaties (S) | ||
| The Formula of Concord (S) | ||
- 1
Required courses applies to DCE theology requirements.
- 2
Fulfills Gen. Ed. Theology Doctrine requirement.
- 3
Fulfills Gen. Ed. Theology Bible requirement.
- 4
Directors of Parish Music substitute THY-4550 Liturgy and Worship (CS) (S) (H).
Director of Christian Education and Lutheran Teacher Certification with Illinois Professional Educator Licensure Required Major Core Coursework (58 Hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DCE-2990 | Intro to DCE Ministry | 3 |
| DCE-4200 | Commissioned Ministry: DCE Ministry | 1 |
| DCE-4320 | Administration of Parish Education | 3 |
| DCE-4330 | Youth Ministry Theory/Practice | 3 |
| DCE-4340 | Church Leadership and Ministry Ethics | 3 |
| DCE-4350 | Parish Teaching I | 3 |
| DCE-4351 | Parish Teaching II | 3 |
| DCE-4450 | Family and Children’s Ministry | 3 |
| DCE-4942 | DCE Senior Seminar | 3 |
| PSY-4201 | Interpersonal Skills for the Helping Professions | 3 |
| PSY-4210 | Group Dynamics and Leadership Skills | 3 |
| COM-4230 | Organizational and Team Communication | 3 |
| 2 semesters of DCE-4990 for a total of 24 hours must be completed | 24 | |
| Internship DCE | ||
| Total Hours | 58 | |
Since you applied to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Director of Christian Education and an additional program to earn Lutheran Teacher Certification with an Illinois Professional Education Licensure, in order to officially declare your program, please notify your Academic Advisor of which College of Education program you would like to pursue. The College of Education programs can be found in the catalog.
Student Teaching Internship
The Student Teaching Internship is in an elementary classroom every day for the 16-week semester under the guidance of a classroom cooperating teacher. The intern will be supported and evaluated by the University supervisor. Candidates must meet the requirements for Transition Point Two: Admission to the Student Teaching Internship Semester to begin the internship. Subsequently, candidates must meet the requirements for Transition Point Three: Completion of the Student Teaching Internship.
The Student Teaching Internship Handbook provides detail and guidelines for meeting the criteria for successful completion of the Internship Semester and the process for obtaining the Illinois Professional Educator License.
Option III: Post-Baccalaureate Director of Christian Education Certificate
The Concordia University Chicago post-baccalaureate Director of Christian Education Certification Program through colloquy is a means by which an individual with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution may become certified as a DCE with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This certification would enable an individual to be eligible to receive a Call as a DCE and to be placed on the roster of the Synod as a Commissioned Minster-Director of Christian Education. Online options available for DCE courses. Required theology courses can be fulfilled by previously completed coursework at an LCMS Concordia University or online through CUEnet. For more information, contact Dr. Debbie Arfsten, DCE Program Director, at debra.arfsten@cuchicago.edu or 708-209-3604.
Graduation Requirements
Students in the College of Education must meet all University requirements found in the Academic Information section of this catalog. Specific requirements of the College of Education include the following:
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for all college-level coursework completed at CUC.
- A minimum grade of C or higher is required for all courses taken in a CUC CoE program.
The College of Education Initial Licensure Program has a stipulation indicating that students in the COE may not take any course as Pass/Fail without permission of the Division Chair or College Dean. Students may not take a course as Pass/Fail, including courses with the following course codes - EDEC, EDEL, EDMG, EDSC, EDSP, EDKS and EDUC. The student teaching internship course and the edTPA course are excluded from this policy because they are automatically Pass/Fail. General education courses outside of the required licensure programs may be taken as Pass/Fail if they are in alignment with the University policy.
In addition to the overall minimum credits for the degree major, minor, endorsement, and special programs (Honors Program for example) requirements are also necessary if they have been declared. Deficiency in any area of the program will delay awarding of the degree and will require filing of a new intent to graduate. Students may elect to drop minors, additional endorsements, or other special programs if they present an obstacle to graduation.