A person with an interest in faith who doesn't plan to become a pastor may think attending a graduate school with a Christcentered worldview is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. But growing numbers of these graduate schools are educating top quality lawyers, teachers, business leaders, and even nurses.

Students pursuing vocations not specifically thought of as Christian can find great benefit at Christ-centered schools. "In addition to advanced study in the discipline itself, students also need training in how their faith relates to both the theory and the practice of the discipline," says James O. Fuller, Ph.D., dean of Indiana Wesleyan's College of Graduate Studies.

Many schools with a Christian emphasis have added Master and Ph.D. programs in the last decade and the wide variety of degree programs may surprise you.

For instance, Seattle Pacific University offers 21 different graduate programs with degrees ranging from an M.B.A., their largest graduate area of study, to programs that prepare future school superintendents or principals. They recently added masters in organizational psychology and creative writing.

Indiana Wesleyan is among several Christian grad schools that offer graduate degrees in nursing. IWU explains the program's mix of medicine and theology this way. "We attempt to teach students that truly designing care for patients from a biblically-centered perspective requires us to view them as Christ did. The integration of Christian principles into the curriculum begins in the very first class." Several graduates have teamed up for annual visits to a Guatemalan medical clinic they organized, in addition to their regular nursing duties on the job.

At Crown College it's the numbers that may intrigue you. The school offers research training to all students in M.A. programs, even their Business and Educational Leadership students. "Because of the complex society in which we live, leadership today requires a person to be keenly aware of critical thinking and research concepts," explains Scott Moats, vice president of academic affairs at Crown College. A Data Driven Decision Making course helps Educational Leadership students understand how to translate data from the federal government's 'No Child Left Behind' mandate into real solutions to improve classroom learning and test scores.

"I teach research and statistics," says Moats. "Some would say 'What does that have to with Bible and theology?' and I would say this: The historical perspective is numbers do not lie but that's just not true. Everything you do presents a bias. My bias is through the lens of a Christ-centric worldview. So they get my research methods and statistics class through the eyes of faith." While many institutions focus on data-driven decisions, schools like Crown offer the added value of seeking knowledge from a Christian perspective. "In my perspective, the pursuit of truth will lead you to God. So in a sense it's pure education. It's pure knowledge. At its essence, at its philosophical foundation, the pursuit of truth is what education is after. And without the Word of God, without a Christo-centric worldview, I think you have a tainted pursuit of knowledge."

Regent University offers graduate degrees in education, law, business, even cinema and television, or acting. "Quality Christian graduate education provides those with a view to influence society, one of the greatest means available to engage meaningfully the most significant areas of culture," says Randall J. Pannell, acting vice president for academic affairs at Regent.

Pannell says students should consider a Christian graduate school even if similar degrees are offered elsewhere. "The primary reason should be the quality of the education in terms of academic and professional experience. However, the added value would be the quality of faculty who emphasize the integration of faith and learning and the ethos of duty to serve others with life's preparations."

Regent graduates have seen their education pay off. A state attorney general, a national middle school principal of the year, and a high profile actor are among the graduates.

"It is a more personal degree. You get to know your professors on a personal level; they have more time to work with students one on one. Class sizes are smaller, which promotes a better, more productive learning environment," says Jim Sheets, director of graduate admissions at Robert Wesleyan College. He says studying the so-called helping professions at a Christ-centered school may offer students the biggest advantage over attending secular institutions. "Social work for instance is built on the desire to help others and what better way to learn that than at a Christian university where Christ tells us to love one another and help one another."

The educational offerings at Christian graduate schools are receiving national attention as well. For example, Seattle Pacific University recently received full accreditation from the American Psychological Association for its clinical psychology Ph.D. program. "A student looking for graduate education should not immediately conclude a secular institution represents higher academic quality. Christian graduate programs, especially those whose rigor have been endorsed through secondary accreditation processes, also offer outstanding educational opportunities," explains Dr. John Glancy, director of graduate admissions at Seattle Pacific University.

Like a layer cake, various schools have developed their own recipes for how much theological training students in these non-theological degree programs receive. "At Indiana Wesleyan University, we don't require that students who enroll in our graduate programs be Christians. However, we are exceedingly clear that we are a Christian University and the integration of faith into learning and practice is integral to our curriculum, regardless of the degree a student is seeking," says Fuller. He adds, "There do seem to be some disciplines where the very nature of the discipline lends itself to faith integration." In disciplines like teaching, social work, counseling, "the Bible and Christian doctrine inform either the academic presuppositions or the practical foundations upon which the discipline rests."

Roberts Wesleyan's Sheets says students enjoy an opportunity to wrestle with faith and advanced academics. "Often times, students are looking for a learning environment that will be challenging for them and allow them to share their faith as well. We even have many students of different faiths enroll in our programs."

At some schools, theology is a required ingredient for every graduate student, regardless of degree program. "There isn't such a thing as a non-theological program at Moody," says Joe Henriques, dean of Chicago's Moody Graduate School. "Every single graduate program has a core of Bible and theology courses."

Others bring a Christo-centric worldview to the classroom, without requiring grad students to take theology. "We have integrated the Christian perspective throughout all of our courses. The real key concept of faith and learning integration is the idea of 'Who stands at the chalkboard?' The faculty has to incredibly skilled in their discipline as well as knowledgeable of Biblical and theological concepts," says Crown College's Moats.

This wide variety of emphases and approaches should allow prospective students to find the proper recipe for them.

Christian graduate schools with their mix of advanced academics and theology are also filling a gap for growing numbers of female students who desire to serve the Lord in ministry, but not in a pastoral role. Moody Graduate School is exploring ways to train women to become chaplains in hospitals, hospices, and businesses. Henriques explains, "We have amazing single women who want to serve the Lord. Our church base is complimentarian, which means males lead and females support the males in that leadership. And we believe that's biblical. So if you have that kind of church where realistically do these women students fit if they want to be in ministry? We're trying to find ways in which to provide programs and the curriculum so that women students can have access into paid ministry."

For those who aren't interested in a career as a pastor, a graduate degree in one of the wide variety of fields offered at Christian graduate schools may be that perfect recipe for their future. Henriques says the Bible is full of principles that can be applied in all fields. "I was a training consultant and presenter for Lear Corporation, The Air Force, and the Defense Department. I found so much information in terms of patterns and schematics that I found in Scripture were so transferable into everyday life," he says. "It isn't that we just prepare graduates to be good Christians out there in the marketplace. We're trying to instill a vision that if you're going to be out there in the marketplace, if that's where God calls you, you're going to be a leader, a pillar."

Kara Miller is a freelance writer and TV producer in Chicago.

Part 1: Preparing More Than Pastors

Part 2: Opening Doors