Taylor University’s Master of Arts in Leadership achieved its first year as an active program this 2025-2026 school year.
The degree expands on Taylor’s mission to prepare servant leaders by offering courses in spiritual leadership, personality assessment and administration, Diana Verhagen, assistant director of the program, said.
Students can either take the class full time, spending a year in the program, or enroll part-time, which requires two years.
The program is largely held on campus, Verhagen said. Students spend three to four hours in classes a few times a week and take two online classes during the spring and summer.
The degree is an opportunity for students to grow in what God is calling them to, Verhagen said.
“Leadership doesn’t have to be speaking on a stage,” she said. “We are all called to lead in some way. How can we use what God has given us well?”
This program’s student body reflects the versatility of the degree. It includes students who have recently finished their undergraduate degrees, graduates returning to formal education and staff members at Taylor University, Verhagen said.
Program participants come from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. Their interests in leadership differ; ministry, law, sports management and business are popular topics to focus on, Silas Martin, current master’s student, said.
Martin, a May 2025 Taylor graduate, is pursuing his master’s in leadership this year. He said his graduate experience as a student at Taylor is different given the smaller, more personal class size.
“The program isn’t like undergrad at all,” Martin said. “The same cohort’s in all your classes with you, so when you do presentations you’re sharing them with a bunch of friends. We talk about class outside of class, which I think is a good sign. It’s been a cool experience to see a different side of Taylor.”
Like Martin, Joseph Smith, who previously studied international relations in England, moved to Taylor for a year to complete this master’s program. He plays for Taylor’s rugby team and assists in the Cornwall School of Business and Leadership. The size of the program encouraged growth together, he said.
“We’re becoming quite close as a cohort,” Smith said. “There are plenty of opportunities to get involved socially.”
The program has thrived this year, not without challenges. Marketing has been a large need, Verhagen said. Prospective students don't know the program exists or are confused by its purpose. Because of this, they may turn down the program as an opportunity without knowing what it might do for them.
“We need to get the word out that this program exists and that it is applicable to everyone,” Verhagen said.
Housing has also been an issue. According to Verhagen, the Master’s in Leadership staff are in conversation with housing to reserve rooms for grad students or to partner with rentals in Upland.
The Master of Arts in Leadership program will go through several changes by fall 2027, Verhagen said. One large change is that an online version of the program with two to three international trips through the year, will be launched. Though not official yet, locations discussed include South Africa, Korea, Ireland and Croatia.
Verhagen hopes more students will take advantage of the program’s “3+1” opportunity, where individuals take undergraduate courses for three years and master's courses for one year.
Both Martin and Smith are enthusiastic about the program and where it is headed next. Smith said he hopes it will be a transformational year for him.
“My future is greatly going to be shaped by the things I learn here,” Martin said. “The way I treat people in leadership will differ because of this program.”
