Work Experience
ECTS CREDITS EARNED THROUGH WORK EXPERIENCE
The applicant must demonstrate one year of professional experience following the completion of Bachelor/EQF-Level 6 studies. This experience should preferably be in a field appropriate to the choice of Master's program, whether working in a secular profession or in a professional or volunteer capacity in a church or para-church institution, in education, missions, or social work.
ETS recognizes that the application of knowledge acquired at Bachelor/EQF-Level 6 is a unique stage in a person's personal and professional development. It is learning by doing under the guidance of an experienced mentor, which allows for critical reflection and evaluation of progress and ensures the acquisition and practice of skills in the field.
As part of the continuing professional development in an individual's life, this work experience can be credited as informal and/or non-formal learning; and as this takes place after graduation at Bachelor/EQF-Level 6, it is regarded as Master/EQF-Level 7 level work.
DOCUMENTATION OF WORK EXPERIENCE
ETS expects that all learning must be documented and assigned an appropriate ECTS level in order to receive credit. This provides transparency and ensures that credits for informal and non-formal education are credited in the same way as credits for formal education on campus.
Evidence of practical experience gained can be in the form of a portfolio, which includes documents that the student has collected to demonstrate different skills in different ways. It may include references from employers, mentors, or supervisors, a performance review, a resume, and other documents. Also, for example, PowerPoint presentations, sermon outlines, developed Bible studies, creative materials for children's ministry or youth meetings, and posters for events may be submitted as evidence of professional experience.
The above documents may be submitted as an e-portfolio. If the student leads worship, uses PowerPoint presentations, or has recorded sermons on DVD, it is best if it is submitted in an easily accessible format such as Word or YouTube.
The portfolio or e-portfolio should be submitted to ETS with the application form for a continuing master's degree, following the learning outcomes and sample checklist.
Sample Checklist for Portfolio:
1. At least one item which reflects or informs each Learning Outcome, and clearly indicates to which outcome it belongs.
2. A total of ___ items
3. Reflection on each item
4. My application form
5. I have shown my portfolio to one of my referees.
Students will be asked to reflect on their learning activities in their continuing personal development by engaging in self-assessment and self-evaluation based on the learning outcomes. These can then form part of the application interview with ETS faculty.
Learning Outcomes – Based on the Practical Year of Work Experience:
1. Apply appropriate methodology in the workplace; employ critical thinking and a range of problem-solving devices in new or unfamiliar surroundings.
2. Analyze situations, plan and organize programs and events with the ability to communicate effectively to a range of audiences.
3. Operate comfortably within a wide range of practical and transferable skills, being able to make judgments that will enable the successful performance of ministerial tasks.
4. Exercise leadership in the field, with a degree of autonomy, whilst receiving mentoring and direction from a supervisor.
5. Develop a healthy relationship with their mentor and honestly evaluate their own personal involvement
6. Ascertain the value of good preparation and subsequent evaluation.
7. Work effectively as part of a team and assess the personal contribution made.
CREDIT COUNTING
The internship year or even longer professional experience is valued by ETS at 30 ECTS of Masters/EQF Level 7. It can form the first part of the continuing theological and professional education in MA Pentecostal-Charismatic Studies or MA Marriage and Family Studies (both 90 ECTS) offered in collaboration with Lee University. Together with the 180 ECTS acquired through Bachelor/EQF Level 6, this makes a total of 300 ECTS.
Each ECTS is equivalent to 30 hours of actual work.
The 30 ECTS awarded equals 900 hours of actual work. This can be achieved in one year of full-time work or part-time with a weekly commitment of 20 hours per week, which may include taking vacation time.
AWARD OF ECTS CREDITS
As with formal education, the award of credits is preceded by an assessment to verify the achievement of learning outcomes. The assessment methods and criteria are constructed in such a way as to measure the achievement of the required learning outcomes at the appropriate level.
The portfolio will be examined by a qualified on-site assessor at ETS, with the authority and training to award credits for learning outcomes acquired outside the formal learning context. The assessor appointed will analyze a range of transparent criteria, established, to evaluate if the Learning Outcomes have been achieved. The assessor will document and report back to the appropriate committee and Faculty meeting (ECTS Users’ Guide, 2015, p. 46).
The assessment will reflect the nature of the educational goals and learning outcomes to gauge the award of ECTS for informal and non-formal learning, earned outside of a Higher Education Institution. In accordance with the requirements of the "Ländergemeinsamen Strukturvorgaben für die Akkreditierung von Bachelor- und Masterstudiengängen" the ECTS credits awarded for off-campus learning will equate to those of formal learning within the institution.
Applicants who have participated in the full-time one-year ETS Internship or the Two Year part-time Pastoral Training of the Church of God, Germany, or the Vikariat program of the BFP, should already possess the appropriate documentation of successful completion, but they need to provide evidence of their BA or EQF-Level 6. Fees may have been charged for the above programs but apart from the application fee, no further fees will be required for the 30 ECTS awarded for Continuing Professional Development.