MAGL Beginnings



You might say that the Master of Arts in Global Leadership (MAGL) began long ago with the Great Commission. When Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations,” he sought apprentices, not simply students – in other words, people who would do what he did, not only know about what he did.

Early in the history of the Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies, some faculty members began to question the effectiveness of a pre-service leadership training paradigm. They proposed instead to use a method called TEE, theological education by extension, to provide advanced training and education to in-service leaders while they continued to serve in their ministry contexts.

In 1995, Fuller Seminary began petitioning its accrediting bodies (ATS, the Association of Theological Schools, and WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges) to allow Fuller to offer such a degree. Along came the Internet to facilitate this process and the philosophy of adult education to undergird it. In 2004, preliminary approval was granted for the Master of Arts in Global Leadership program. The MAGL now includes more than 300 leaders from around the world (see typical MAGL student) working together with practitioner faculty (see MAGL cohort faculty) to become better apprentices of Jesus!