Statement on Authorization, Accreditation and Standards

Purpose of the D.W.S. and M.W.S. Programs

The purpose of the Doctor of Worship Studies (D.W.S.) and Master of Worship Studies (M.W.S.) programs, offered uniquely through The Institute for Worship Studies Florida Campus, is to further equip worship leaders,instructors, and others interested in the theory and practice of Christian worship, for their responsibilities in the local church and other settings. These programs grew out of the need of worship pastors and leaders, often trained and credentialed at the master's degree level in church music, for additional study in the field of Christian worship. This constituency found that with its academic credentials in music it was difficult to be accepted into a graduate degree program other than one specifically related to music. The D.W.S. and M.W.S. programs are intended to fill this gap.

The Doctor of Worship Studies degree is a professional, terminal degree. Although it is a doctoral-level program, requiring a master's degree for acceptance, it is not represented as a research degree on the level of the Ph.D.

The Master of Worship Studies degree requires a bachelor's degree for acceptance.

Authorization

The Institute for Worship Studies is a member of the Florida Council of Private Colleges (FCPC)which represents its member independent colleges and universities before any government and/or educational agency.  The FCPC is an educational association that provides experienced quality peer review of faculty, academic curriculum and course development, distance learning processes, campus operations, catalogs, brochures, advertisements, application forms, financial records and student records and transcripts to the minimum FCPC standards.  FCPF standards exceed the minimum standards of the state of Florida.  For verification of all FCPC standards go to www.fcpc.info.

Accreditation 

The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies holds candidate status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education, 5575 S. Semoran Blvd., Ste. 26, Orlando, FL 32822-1781, 407.207.0808. Candidate status is a pre-accreditation status granted to those institutions that meet the ABHE Conditions of Eligibility and that possess such qualities as may provide a basis for achieving accreditation status within four years.

Transferability of IWS Credit

Although many colleges and seminaries have recognized the quality of the courses provided by IWS and have transferred IWS credits, accepting transfer credits is the responsibility and prerogative of institutions. The Accredited status of an institution is an important, but not the sole factor, that is considered in the transfer of credit decisions. Institutions usually commit to at least consideration of transfer requests, not rejecting such requests out of hand.

Academic Standards

The Institute for Worship Studies upholds a high standard of academic excellence. The faculty commitment is to “excellence in teaching.”  The students’ standards of learning follow the guidelines of the best practices of federally recognized schools.

All faculty in charge of a course module must have an earned doctoral degree (Ph.D., Th.D., D.Min.,D.M.A.).Candidates accepted into the D.W.S. program must have earned a graduate degree, such as M.Mus., M.C.M. or M.Ed. Candidates must demonstrate an active engagement with the subject matter of theircourses proportionate to the number of credit hours in question, and give evidence of this through the submission of supporting documentation in either electronic or hard-copy form appropriate to their specific assignments, as evaluated by their course instructor-mentor.

It is the hope of the faculty, administration and supportive constituency of The Institute for Worship Studies that, because of the high standards of the institution, the degrees it awards will enjoy a certain prestige and recognition within the academic, as well as the ecclesiastical community, regardless of the status of accreditation. Nevertheless, full accreditation remains a high priority.

October, 1999; revised June, 2007